56 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE PKESEXT STATUS OF TOE KUSSIAX APPLE QUESTIOX 



[X THE XORTHWEST. 



By W. A. Taylor of the Depaitmeiit at ^^'ashiug•toIl. 



The report of the adaptation of Russian and other fruits to the 

 extreme northern parts of the United States, issued b}' the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in 1888, marked a distinct step in the progress 

 of hardy fruit testing in this country. Though it dealt to some 

 extpnt with all the leading fruits grown in the colder sections lying 

 north of latitude 40°, more than half of the report was devoted to 

 the apple, which as our mo-t important fruit, both for home use 

 and market, was deserving of special attention. 



The searcii for varieties of good quality that would stand our 

 northern winters, part cularly in the northwest, had been carried on 

 for years by private experiinenlers and in some cases had been 

 aided by the states. 



Concerning the decision reached by Mr. Lyon, the special agent 

 to whom the investigation was intrusted, it must be admitted that 

 it was unfavorable to the claims of those txperiment rs who had 

 advocated the widespread planting of the Russian varieties. 

 Though many of them had proved sufficiently hardy to endure the 

 winters in the intermediate prairie district. It must be said hovs'- 

 ever, that at that time, not many of the later importations, from 

 central Russia, which were expected to furnish true winter apples 

 for the northwest, had been fruited sufficiently to determine their 

 value. 



During the autumn of 18'J2 a second investigation was made by 

 the department ; — Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and north- 

 ern Iowa having been visited by a special agent, Mr. John 8. 

 Harris of Minnesota. The main object was to determine the 

 progress made in that sectioa during the four years since the report 

 of 1888 was published in determining which of the many varieties 

 were really valuable. Of this report, which will appear in the 

 report of the Secretary of Agriculture for 1892 the following con- 

 densation is made : ''The season was in many respects an unfav- 

 orable one, first, owing to a check in growth apparently caused by 

 excessive rainfall and low temperature during the blooming season, 

 preventing, perfect fertilization of blossoms, and second, a very 



