THE APPLE 229 



Most of these new varieties from another 

 hemisphere appeared to be surprised to find the 

 winter over so soon and the spring now opening 

 upon them. Some varieties immediately put out 

 buds and blossoms and continued to do so at in- 

 tervals throughout the summer; others stub- 

 bornly declined to bud or blossom until nearly 

 the beginning of the following spring. For two 

 or three years thereafter all seemed quite con- 

 fused and disturbed by the transposition of the 

 seasons ; but ultimately they became adjusted to 

 the new order of things. One or two of them 

 have proved to be unusually fine apples, and are 

 now thriving well in northern Sonoma and Men- 

 docino Counties. 



About 1894 I began experimenting with our 

 native western crabs, crossing them with pollen 

 of our best cultivated apples, more to see what 

 would result than with any expectation of secur- 

 ing improved commercial varieties. 



One striking result was produced by using the 

 pollen of the Gravenstein. Numerous seedlings 

 were thus produced from this little native crab. 

 Strange to say, among the seedlings of the first 

 generation was an apple which was fully as large 

 as the Gravenstein and very much like it, except 

 that, though quite good for a short time just be- 

 fore ripening, it changed rapidly to a punky or 



