328 POMOLOGY 



crab, known as P. prunifolia, in his crosses. The best hy- 

 brids obtained from these crosses with P. haccata and P. 

 prunifolia were again crossed with the large fruited P. Mains 

 and thus he introduced a second quota of "blood" of the 

 larger varieties. Several of these second crosses are now 

 fruiting and are promising sorts. 



From the work in Canada the following conclusions are 

 reached in regard to originating new varieties of apples: 



1. To produce a hardy apple where no apples have yet 

 been hardy: (a) cross the apple with the wild Siberian crab 

 (Pijriis haccata) ; (b) sow seeds of apples which have ripened 

 in a climate as nearly similar as possible. 



2. To produce a hardy long-keeping apple of good quality: 

 sow seeds of long-keeping varieties of good quality of which 

 both parents are long-keeping. 



3. To produce an apple having certain characteristics, as 

 regards hardiness, vigor, and productiveness of tree, and 

 quality, size, and appearance of fruit: sow seeds of varieties 

 having most of the characteristics desired. 



4. In cross-breeding apples where quality is an important 

 factor, as it should be in most places, cross two varieties 

 which are both good or very good in quality. It has been 

 the experience at Ottawa that in crossing a variety of good 

 quality with one inferior, the crosses will nearly always bear 

 fruit of a quality inferior to that of the better parent. 



288. Work of Peter Gideon and other pioneers in the 

 United States. — The name of Peter Gideon will always 

 be associated with the early struggles to produce an apple 

 which would be of good quality and hardy enough to with- 

 stand the severe climate of the Upper Mississippi Valley. 

 His work continued for more than thirty years, in which 

 time he grew thousands of seedlings of apple, peach, plum, 

 and cherry, and shortly before his death (1899) he wrote 

 that of all these thousands of seedlings and named varieties 



