la 



PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 429 



resistance which the tree has shown thus far suggest the probability 

 of its possessing considerable merit for the Middle West. 



The specimen shown in Plate LII was grown by Mr. O. H. Aver. 

 Sibley, Douglas County, Kans. 



RUSSELL PEACH. 



SYNONYM : Russell No. 1. 



[PLATE LIII.] 



In the development of new peach varieties with a view to extending 

 the culture of this fruit, especially in middle and northern latitudes, 

 improvement along the line of increased hardiness offers, perhaps, 

 a wider field for advancement than almost any other. Any variety 

 which possesses merit as to dessert and shipping qualities, productive- 

 ness, etc., and which can withstand without injury unusually low 

 temperatures in winter or early spring is likely to prove an important 

 factor in the peach industry as soon as its characteristics become 

 generally known. The Russell peach appears to be a variety which 

 possesses these qualities to a considerable degree. 



EARLY HISTORY. 



This variety originated at Wymore, Gage County, Xebr., about the 

 year 1890, in an experimental seedling orchard belonging to J. M. 

 Kussell & Son, who at that time had a peach orchard of budded 

 varieties at Wymore consisting of 65 acres. 



The trees in the seedling orchard were produced from seeds se- 

 lected from their best and hardiest varieties. The one in question 

 grew from a seed of the Chili (Hills Chili) peach. Some of the char- 

 acteristics of the tree and fruit are similar to the Alexander peach, 

 and in view of the fact that a tree of that variety stood close to the 

 Chili tree which produced the seed from which the Russell tree de- 

 veloped, there is some reason for supposing that it is a cross between 

 these two varieties. 



The first crop of fruit borne by this tree was in 1893, when it pro- 

 duced about 1 bushel. 



This variety was originally designated as " Russell Xo. 1," and 

 under this name it was briefly described by Mr. J. M. Russell in 

 1894. 1 Later, Messrs. Russell & Son developed the " Russell No. 2 " 

 and "Russell Xo. 3," but neither of these was disseminated to any 

 extent. 2 Under the name " Russell " it was described in the report of 

 the assistant pomologist in 1893. 3 This report, however, was not 

 published until some time during the year 1894. 



1 Annual Report, Nebraska State Horticultural Society, 1894, p. 116. 



2 Letter from J. M. Russell & Co., November, 1896. 



3 Report of the Secretary of Agriculture, 1893, p. 291. 



