STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 175 



chard, about three-fourths of which have borne more or less 

 fruit. The varieties are mainly Wealthy, Duchess and Tetofsky. 

 Next in quality are the different varieties of the hybrids; then 

 in small lots are a number of semi-hardys, such as the Haas, 

 Walbridge, Drake, etc. ; and finally, to close the list, is an ex- 

 perimental orchard of several Eussians and Minnesota seedlings 

 that are undergoing the test for hardiness and quality. A great 

 many of these have been found wanting, and another season the 

 trees will be top-worked to some other varieties. It rather 

 dampens one's pomological ardor, after growing for three or four 

 years a cion of some apple with a name of several syllables, indi- 

 cating that the fruit possesses all the qualities that the apple 

 should, to find that the fruit has the same delicate flavor and 

 fine grain (and I was about to say size) as an acorn! We have 

 several worthy varieties now, like the Wealthy, Duchess, etc., 

 and it seems to me that a certain scale of points ought to be de- 

 cided upon by which new varieties should be tested before 

 throwing them broadcast over the land to load our orchards with 

 unprofitable varieties. 



The Duchess orchard has had a vacation for the past two sea- 

 sons. In the spring of 1883 there was a severe frost that killed 

 the blossoms and young apples. It was quite interesting to note 

 the susceptibility of the different varieties to this late freezing, 

 the best to stand it being the Wealthy and Orange. This last 

 season not over fifty bushels of apples were gathered from the 

 Duchess orchard of about 1,400 trees, that should have produced 

 as many bushels. This fruitlessness I attributed to a tremen- 

 dous down-pour of rain just at the time this variety was in full 

 bloom. Most of the hybrids suft"ered by the same fall of rain. 

 The Wealthy, blooming a few days later, were heavily loaded 

 with fruit, constituting the main crop of the season. I think I 

 made a mistake in allowing them to fruit so heavily, for by the 

 time the last barrel of apples was gathered the Wealthy trees 

 looked very tired find weary, which was not to be wondered at, 

 considering the quantity of fruit they had borne. The Duchess, 

 standing by the side of the Wealthy, looked so strong and vigor- 

 ous, thoroughly refreshed and ready for their coming winter 

 struggle, that I then and there resolved I would not again over- 

 work a tree that I cared anything for. Another season will try 

 what systematic thinning will do. It requires the free exercise 

 of all the courage and will power a mortal is capable of to delib- 

 erately destroy a third or half of the fruit after it is set, particu- 



