326 ANNUAL REPORT. 



" We must, I think, for entire success in our day and generation^ 

 procure by some means for naturalization in Minnesota, varieties- 

 which thrive in the cold couatries referred to, and especially in the 

 continental or interior parts of Russia and northern China, where^ 

 the climate is like ours, not only intensely cold in winter, but also- 

 dry as compared with raaratime or lake coasts, and hot in summer, 

 and the growing seasons of which are short like ours." 



And again: 



" Is there not to be found somewhere in the north, at least one 

 lover of horticulture who has the necessary knowledge and the will 

 to go and collect from the countries referred to, varieties of fruit 

 trees for adoption here, and who has, also, what is essential, money 

 enough to pay his way? Such a man, who will thus devote him- 

 self to the public good, will confer an incalculable benefit on our 

 state, and entitle himself to the rank of a public benefactor." 



Remember that articles of this import were published by Col. 

 Robertson prior to any known effort at importations of fruit cious- 

 from Russia (except those of Thomas Andrew Knight, in England,, 

 in the last century, from which came our Duchess), and now let us 

 see how they and the essay of 1867 have borne fruit. 



In 1866 A. G. Tuttle, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, commenced the 

 experiment by cions from St. Petersburg, obtained through Hon, 

 Cassins M. Clay, then United States Minister to the Russian Gov- 

 ernment. He followed it up by getting other cions from Moscow; 

 and within a year from the final publication ot the elaborate essay 

 in 1867, a scheme was hatched in the fertile brain of Wm. Saunders, 

 Superintendent of the Agricultural Department grounds at Wash- 

 ington, to import the Russian apple stocks by wholesale and make 

 the experiment g^ineral throughout the north. 



There being no commercial sources then known to which he 

 could apply, Mr. Siunders commenced gathering up and forward- 

 ing American trees and plants to the Russian Botanical gardens at 

 St. Petersburg, and after continuing this work for two years, he 

 applied to Dr. Regel, the government director there, for cions of 

 Russian fruits. The result was the importation of the well known 

 apple cions of 1870, which were planted and grown in the Wash- 

 ington grounds till the winter of 1875 and 1876, and then sent out 

 under the names and numbers to all parts of the Uuited States and 

 Canada where they were wanted for trial, and whose fruits have 

 been coming into notice within the last two or three years. 



Twelve years later, in 1882, Charles Gibb, of Abbottsford, Can- 

 ada, and Prof. J. L. Budd, of Ames, Iowa, were wandering in the 

 regions of the Volga, searching out the orchards of Simbirsk,. 



