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7 HE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



ORIGIN OF THE McINTOSH RED. 



Fig. 1728. Allan McIntosh, 

 Originator of the Mcintosh Red Apple. 



Sir, — At the annual meeting at Whitby 

 of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association, 

 the Mcintosh apple came in for a good deal 

 of praise by all who spoke of the best and 

 hardiest apples. This has reminded me of 

 a long delayed purpose of sending you two 

 photos of the originator of the original tree, 

 with a short sketch of his life. 



From a manuscript autobiography now 

 before me. I find that Allan Mcintosh was 

 born on the 24th of August, 1815, and some 

 one of the family has written in the maga- 

 zine, "Died Feb. 3rd, 1899." His grand- 

 father was a farmer on the Mohawk river, 

 in New York. His father came to Canada 

 at the age of 18, and in the year 181 1 set- 

 tled on the lot in Matilda Township, ever 

 since occupied by the family. 



In clearing away the second growth for a 

 building place, he came across some young 



apple trees, which he spared. One of these 

 was the original Mcintosh Red apple tree. 



His son Allan, about thirty years ago, be- 

 gan to propagate it, and the nursery is still 

 being carried on by his son Harvey. It will 

 be seen in the cut that the tree, and the man 

 standing by, are both decrepid in appear- 

 ance. The homestead was burned a few 

 years ago, and the tree barely escaped with 

 a little life on one side. I believe the old 

 tree has now ceased to stand. 



Let us pay a deserving tribute to the man 

 who has done so inuch for our fruit inter- 

 ests, by preserving his memory in the pages 

 of the Horticulturist. 



Iroquois. W. A. Whitney, 



Fig. 1729. The Original McIntosh Red 

 Apple Tree. 



