374 ANNUAL REPORT. 



ment have mostly failed, but Prof. Budd feels confident that 

 much that is valuable for us in the Northwest will be obtained 

 from his recent importations from the steppes of Central Russia. 



7. The destruction of many oi'chards and many varieties of 

 apples, like the Ben Davis, by the past two severe winters, is 

 confirmed, and these varieties are dropped from their list. Whole 

 orchards have in some cases been destroyed. 



This society is justly proud of having taken the sweepstakes 

 premium on fruit at the New Orleans Exhibition. They hold 

 also, three silver medals of the American Pomological Society. 



THE WEALTHY APPLE. 



The Rural New Yorker has this to say in regard to this favor 

 ite of the Minnesota horticulturist: "This fine, iron-clad fruit, 

 which has proved such a bonanza to the fruit growers of the 

 'cold north,' has spread along our northern frontier and into the 

 adjoining provinces with wonderful rapidity, so that, although 

 it is only about fifteen years since the original tree bore its first 

 apple, bearing trees and even orchards of it are to be found at 

 short distances all the way from Washington Territory to the 

 gulf of St. Lawrence. The fruit itself has as few faults as any 

 apple grown, being of good size, fine color, regular shape, a 

 good shipper, ' very good ' to the ' best ' in quality for eating out 

 of hand, and for cooking. In season, like the Baldwin, it varies 

 from early fall to all winter according to the locality; but in the 

 northern part of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, and in 

 Quebec and New Brunswick it will keep until March or April 

 without serious loss. The tree is a rapid and erect grower while 

 young, -very much resembling in the habit of and early and pro- 

 fuse bearing the Russian apple of the type of the Duchess. If 

 allowed to bear when young the growth is checked and the trees 

 injured. This should be avoided by removing all. or nearly all, 

 the fruit, until the tree has reached two or three inches in diam- 

 eter, which is usually about five years after setting." 



