EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 243 
slight change in the habit of the tree, which bloomed very sparingly 
this season; and we are inclined to think that in the bearing years 
the effort put forth in the production of bloom alone is so great that, 
if any considerable fruit is allowed to mature,there will not be vital- 
ity enough left in the tree to prepare buds for acrop the following 
season. 
We placed several barrels of this fruit in cold storage last August, 
taking care only that all were sound and free from bruises. They 
were removed for family use at various times during the winter,and 
the last barrel taken out some time in January was in excellent 
condition and remained so when placed in our house cellar for two 
weeks or more. The experiment seemed to indicate that this variety 
if placed in cold storage directly from the orchard and kept until the 
beginning of winter weather could then be transferred to a cool 
house cellar and keptin good condition for a month or two, thus, 
with light expense, allowing us the use of this most popular and 
reliable fruit during nearly one-hali of the year. Thecost of cold 
storage at Albert Lea is 15 cents per barrel per month. 
WEALTHY.-—This variety set fifteen years has proved far less heal- 
thy than the Oldenburg. Sunscald and blight have crippled the 
trees, and of late they have shown injury in the forks, which ap- 
peared after the heavy crop of 1892 on fine trees that were otherwise 
in perfect condition. We have observed that the fruit appears to 
keep much better as the trees attain age, and that in cold storage 
its fine flavor is retained well through the winter. Top-working 
would seem to be the remedy for most of the defects of this tree. 
TETOFSKY.—This variety set fifteen years has proved nearly as 
hardy as the Oldenburg, but somewhat more subject to sunscald. 
It is a profuse bearer in alternate years, and still furnishes our first 
ripe apples. 
HIBERNAL.—Set eight years, this variety is in the most robust and 
perfect conditionin every part ofthe orchard. It blights somewhat 
more than the Oldenburg but never seriously. It has generally 
borne good crops at from five to seven years from setting and spe- 
cimen apples muchearlier. The fruitislarge and russet about the 
stem, showing almost half as much striping as the average Olden- 
burg; it hangs well to the tree and ripens well together, instead of 
dropping as the Wealthy isinclined to do. It keeps about with the 
Wealthy, and is regarded by us as fully equal to the Oldenburg for 
all culinary purposes, and in its proper season is relished as an 
eating apple by fully half the persons who taste it. In common 
with all varieties at our place, the crop of 1894 ripened prematurely 
and showed less beauty and quality than usual. Wishing to get 
the opinion of experts as to the value of the fruit, we sent the follow- 
ing questions accompanied with a basket of the apples to quite a 
number of our leading horticulturists, with the special request that 
the replies might not be flattering: 
1. How do you like the Hibernal as a stewing apple? 
2. Asa baking apple? 
3. Asa pie apple? 
4. Is it anapple you would care to buy if offered in the market at 
the current price? 
