The Canadiaji Hortiailtiirist. 



^71 



OPEN LETTERS 



A Letter from Russia. 



{Orif;inal in German.) 

 To the liilitor of Thk Canadian Horticui.tl'rist : 



SiK, — Latterly, America has made so much 

 progress in fruit growing that soon the cen- 

 tre of that important culture will not be in 

 Europe, l)ut in America, as it is already in 

 some branches, i.^, the cultivation of ber- 

 ries. For this reason I make an effort to 

 know the prominent growers in America. 



I write you because your journal holds 

 the first place among European growers, 

 and your position in North America inter- 

 ests us very much. 



I offer to exchange stock with you, not 

 that I need them for myself or for sale, but 

 because I and some of my friends have 

 experimental farms in different parts of 

 Russia for testing the hardiness of various 

 fruits besides the apple. 



For this purpose we need trees correctly 

 named, and wish to get these not second- 

 hand, but direct, for which we will pay 

 either cash or Russian fruit trees. We 

 wish to deal with only one or two persons in 

 America, and as they may not have every- 

 thing which we require, it would be neces- 

 sary that the lack be supplied by them from 

 nurseries or from other fruit growers. I 

 require : 



1. Twelve kinds of the best American 

 pear (the new varieties, Idaho, Leconte, 

 etc., not excepted) ; loo trees of each kind. 



2. Twelve varieties of the best American 

 peach ; about twelve trees of each kind. 



3. Six varieties of the best American 

 plum; twelve trees of each kind. 



4. Six varieties (my choice) of the Ameri- 

 can blackberry. 



5. All the American raspberry ; twelve 

 roots of each kind. 



6. Some American gooseberry. 



The efforts of Dr. Budd, of his associates, 

 and of those interested in the Russian apple 

 m America, are not without influence in 

 Russia. This has directed greater attention 

 to the native fruit. The 200 kinds of apples 

 which until then were considered the origi- 

 nal varieties, are well known and increased. 

 Well known growers' have explained to us, 

 apart from local naming, the difference in 

 variety. There is better order in this 

 branch than at the time when Dr. Budd was 

 here and advised only by Dr. Regel in St. 

 Petersburg, a distinguished botanist, but 

 mediocre grower. Many better varieties of 

 apples have been found which are not 

 known in .Vmerica, and also some good 

 winter pears; also the " Mutter baume " of 

 the same variety, which stood the unusually 

 severe winter of '66-'67. These kinds are 

 only 6-8. 



In exchange I offer the following : 



1. Six varieties of the best winter apples ; 

 about 100 or more trees of each kind .\mong 

 these is the Stem Antonooka — not that tree 

 commonly known in America as Anto- 

 nooka, which is also wrongly called (Jueen 

 of the Steppes, because this only in north- 

 ern climates will bear good fruit, and not 

 on the steppes. 



The Stem, or Ruddy Antonooka, is more 

 hardy and better flavored than the green. 



2. Twelve of the best new Russian apple 

 varieties, about 100 or more of each kind. 

 Among these is also the beautiful new 

 orange-hued Sommerkaiivre aus Okuo, the 

 famed " Lindenappel," which ripens early. 



J. One hundred trees of a good " bcssnr 

 iihischcn" Russian apple, of which I export 

 largely ; large (similar to the Belle de I'ou- 

 tois des Remy), hardy, unusually well fla- 

 vored and juicy. The tree grows very large 

 and lives over a hundred years. 



4. One hundred or 200 trees of the hardiest 

 and finest apple of Southern Russia — Linop 

 or Linap, unsurpassed for shipping Before 

 there were any railways in Russia the Linap 

 was the only apple which we could send 

 overland by way of Archangel. The fruit 

 does not rot and keeps for a couple of years. 

 We thought that this tree, which is fjeauti- 

 fully cone-shaped, would l)e well received. 

 This tree in Central Russia has stood 28" 

 well. It bears every year. 



5. Twoof the best " Kaukasischen" apples. 

 G. Two new fine winter pears found in 



Litan, etc. 



When we fully understand one another 

 and enter into negotiations, I can send you 

 each year tested and really good specimens 

 which are suitable for America. Of these 

 we have still a large stock. If yoi^are dis- 

 posed to accept my ofter, answer, if possible, 

 at once (as we must understand one another 

 fully), how and when I shall send the trees, 

 and through whom I'll receive the American 

 stock. As it takes six weeks for a letter to 

 reach America, we can exchange but few 

 letters before .\utumn. In case the editor 

 or one of the subscribers is not able to 

 accept my offer, I beg you to hand this 

 letter to one of the large nursery firms in the 

 Northern States or in Canada. I would 

 prefer the latter Now and again I can 

 send to your estimable journal articles on 

 fruit and vegetable novelties (in the latter 

 we have splendid specimens), but you must 

 translate and arrange these in English. 

 This I know only in theory. 



Continue to send me the pajjer which you 

 have so kindly sent. I do not subscribe for 

 this year only. Could you send me the 

 whole issue of 1888 ? You will tell me to 

 whom I ought to send the money If you 



