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Some account of the Virginia Crab Apple^ by the Hon. 

 Timothy Pickering. 



Read May 10, 1814. 

 City of JVashington^ April 7, 1814. 



Dear Sir, 



I duly received your letter of the 4th, in which you 

 mention your fruitless attempts to get *' the history of 

 the Hughes's, or Virginia crab apple ;" and suggest 

 that perhaps it might be obtained at Washington. 



Having lately conversed with colonel John Roan, of 

 Virginia, relative to an apple of distinguished excel- 

 lence for cider, which he has cultivated ; and observ- 

 ing in him a disposition to more than ordinary atten- 

 tion to the subject generally ; it seemed probable that 

 I could derive from him the most satisfactory informa- 

 tion concerning Hughes's crab. I have just returned 

 from visiting him. — As I had some knowledge of 

 the apple, my first inquiry respected the age of the 

 species. His answer was general, that the name was 

 common, from his earliest remembrance ; and that it 

 must be a very ancient apple. Presently he recollect- 

 ed, that about twenty years ago, a Virginia gentleman 

 of the name of West, then about ninety years old, men- 

 tioned an orchard, consisting wholly of Hughes's crab, 

 which was planted when he (Mr. West) was a boy, 

 on the plantation now owned by colonel Roan. Some 

 of the trees remain, and continue to bear well. 



Colonel Roan remarked, that there are several vari- 

 eties of Hughes's crab, varying in appearance and good 



