238 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



He had often seen these mixed sweet and sour apples, but it was 

 only a freak of nature. 



Dr. Jarvis thought that if any mixture had occurred, it was 

 throngh a mixing of pollen and not a union of buds. No such 

 anomalies are found in the natural condition of fruit. It is possi- 

 ble that the nature of these apples has been entirely changed by 

 cultivation, so as to produce fruit of the hybrid character men- 

 tioned. 



Dr. Snodgrass thought we must take that statement as authority 

 in opposition to all theorj\ 



Mr. John G. Bergen contended strongly for the point as to the 

 origin of the apples presented by Mr. Kimball, because he told 

 him that was the way in which they were produced. 



Mr. R. J. Dodge said he did not dispute the fact stated by Mr. 

 Bergen, but did dispute the possibility of producing any such 

 result. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter had investigated this matter, and thought 

 and found what appeared to be the parent tree of this kind of 

 apples; it grew in Putnam county, New York. A great many 

 persons have obtained buds and grafts from that tree for the mere 

 curiosity of growing apples Avhich are both sweet and sour. The 

 kind is now pretty thoroughly diffused over the country. The 

 fruit is nearly worthless for anything but curiosity. He thought 

 it had been proved that no two grafts from that tree produced 

 apples exactly alike. The character of the fruit is very much 

 owing to its exposure to the sun. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Now, to put an end to this matter, IavIU 

 here make this public proposition, that whoever wnll produce an 

 apple ])y inserting the halves of two buds from sweet and sour 

 trees, so distinctly marked that it shall be indisputably produced 

 by such union, for instance, the sweet half shall be of a red apple, 

 the sour half, a white, yellow, or green one. or showing any other 

 characteristics of distinction which mark of the parent trees, I 

 will pay the first producer of such apple $100, whenever it is 

 exhibited before this Club, with sufficient proof of the manner of 

 budding and growth. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter said he would indorse this proposition, 

 and Mr. Robinson said he would publish it in the reports of this 

 meeting, as a standing offer open to all the world, to the first man 

 who should make an exhibition of an apple which should answer 



