90 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



In the appendix to the Agriculture of Massachusetts for 1880 i& 

 an extract from a report of a committee of the Essex Count>' Societ}' 

 on fruit, in which it is stated that a variety of ap[)les was referred to 

 in the report of the committee of a year ago, said to have ori<iinated 

 by a cross of the Baldwin and Roxburj^ Russet ; and as little was 

 known of its origin and some persons doubted the theory of cross- 

 grafting, the matter had caused much discussion. Accordingly at a 

 meeting of the trustees of that Society, the committee on fruit were 

 reqjuested to obtain information as far as possible as to the origin 

 and value of this, said to be, new variety of fruit, and make report 

 thereon. 



The committee applied for information and received the following 

 letter from W. H. B. Currier of Salisbury : 



Salisbury, Mass., July 17, 1880. 

 To Mr. J. Howe. 



My Dear Sir: Yours of the 2d inst., received; I regret that I was not 

 present at the List meeting of the trustees, althonojh 1 might not have 

 been able to satisfy the inquiries made concerning the apple you speak of. 

 The whole matter has been talked over with Mr. Hill some months since 

 who has gathered many facts. Mr. Hill visited the farm where Mr. Lucy 

 purchased his apples, and at the time they were stored in the cellar. Hill 

 pronounces them the "Red Russet,"' and has raised them for several years. 

 They originated on the farm of Aaron Sanborn of Hampton, N. H.. who 

 had an orchard of Russet trees, and Mr. Lewis Sanborn grafted tliem into 

 Baldwins. All the trees so grafted, but one, bore Baldwin apples. From 

 this one graft orio^inated the Red Russet. This was about the year 1840, 

 as near as can be ascertained now. Therefore it was what fruit-men some- 

 times call a "sport," a very unusual thing in fruit culture, but common 

 among plants. 



The Red Russet is remarkable for its keeping qualities, under certain 

 conditions. It requires a cool cellar, and the apples must be lieaded up, 

 or they are liable to "shrivel." It is a great bearer and a good growler, 

 but I am iiifoimed it has one "out;" it bears only every olhi-r j'ear. 



The gentleman who raised the fruit is dead, but the facts were gleaned 

 from his family, who only remember the grafting of the orchaid and its 

 results. One fact I failed to learn whether all the grafts upon the one tree 

 were of this variety or only one or more of them. 

 Very respectfully yours. 



W. H. B. CURRIEK. 



The committee go on to say : 



'^Some time last winter an article was published in one of the 

 Boston papers saying there had recently been a meeting of th# 



