98 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Atiterton asked whether the origin of the Red Russet was 

 from hybridizing or from ingrafting. 



Sec. Gilbert. I understand that the opinion of those who have 

 investigated the matter is that it was simply a sport in the first place 

 and from that sport there had been propagation into other trees and 

 thus it became an established variety. 



Mr. SwEETSER. I exhibited at our pomological show one year 

 some of the apples which some of our best informed men pronounced 

 genuine Baldwins ; and others of which they did not feel certain 

 but which they pronounced Roxbury Russets, saying they hardly 

 knew whether they were so or not. When I sold my apples year 

 before last I put most of my Red Russets, except the most russetty 

 ones, right in with the Baldwins. Nobody could tell the difference. 



Mr. Merrill. I think the Red Russett is a good shipping apple. 

 I have had some experience in shipping Red Russets this winter. I 

 have been buying in the vicinity where this Red Russet originated — 

 in Salisbury, Northampton and Exeter. In one purchase that I 

 made, of 352 barrels, I think 50 were Red Russets. I objected to 

 the Red Russets for this reason : Not being known in the Liver- 

 pool market, I thought it would be difficult to sell them. But they 

 resembled the Baldwin so much in quality and color that I concluded 

 to buy the lot and stencil them Baldwins, and I must say the 352 

 barrels proved profitable ; they sold well ; there was no complaint of 

 there being two varieties. I thought it would be well, in the season 

 of Baldwins, to stencil them Baldwins. I thought no one would be 

 cheated in buying them for Baldwins, for the}' were of good form 

 and color, and I thought they would stand well. The}^ resembled 

 the Baldwins so much that I thought I would risk it. They looked 

 more like a Baldwin than a Russet. I decided to mark them as 

 Baldwins. 



Question. How did they compare in quality, for eating? 



Mr. Merrill. I am not an expert in the flavors of apples, but if 

 I were going to buy a barrel of apples to use I would take Red 

 Russets as quick as Baldwins, and even quicker if I were buying to 

 eat later in the season. 



Mr. Blossom. I think we had better take up the next paper 

 which I believe to be of more interest to us as a fruit growing com- 



