100 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Augur has some information iu regard to the apple and if he will 

 submit it now it will be a pleasure to me. 



Mr. AuGUK. I think the Baldwin has its defects, even in Connecti- 

 cut being killed once in a while during an exceptionally bad season. 

 Yet we find that to have an orchard the most profitable it should be 

 all Baldwins. But knowing the defects of the Baldwin apple the ques- 

 tion has been in m}' mind for several 3'ears, what can we look to to 

 take its place? There may be an improvement. We ought to have 

 an improvement. We ought to be getting hold of something in 

 case we should find, by heavy losses, discouragement sufficient to 

 almost discard the Baldwin, when we should want to fall onto some- 

 thing else. For some years we have had the Red Russet in our 

 nurseries. 



All I can sa}' personally is in regard to how it has behaved with 

 us. As a nursery tree we like it ; we like its habit of growth ; and 

 from what experience we have had I shall be inclined to give it the 

 preference over the Baldwin. It has grown beautifully with us, and 

 I have said to people: ''Here is something that purports to be a 

 cross between the Baldwin and the Roxbury Russet. Why don't 

 you try it?" We have offered it at the same price, of course, as 

 the Baldwin ; but we find people exceedingly slow to take hold of a 

 new thing. We want to be on the alert, and if there is any improve- 

 ment in prospect or any probabilit}' of it we want to be on the look- 

 out for it and have the advantage of it. 



In connection with the admirable paper which Mr. Prince has given 

 us, it seems to me that, while it undoubtedl}^ would be well to be 

 cautious about making any large ventures at first, until 3'ou are sure 

 of your ground, it does seem to me that the Red Russet, from what 

 I know personally and from what I have heard of it, is one worthy 

 •of a fair trial in this State. And it may be that you will find it of 

 sufficient value to adopt it as one of your standard apples, if not 

 the standard apple. Because a healthy vigorous tree whose fruit 

 has the merits that have been described here including that of being 

 a late keeper, has strong points to recommend it to the people of 

 Maine it seems to me. 



You raise apples that surpass ours, at least judging from the beauty 

 and color of your fruits here. My own experience would rather 

 dead me to think that the Red Russet is not quite equal in size to 

 ith€ Baldwin ; but in perfection I should think it was full}' equal and 



