Hardy Apples. — Siberians. 203 



HARDY APPLES. — SIBERIANS. 



The sad experience of many of our orchardists in that portion of the 

 great North-west which lies north of latitude forty-two degrees, and west 

 of the Great Lakes, has discouraged many from planting fruit-trees. The 

 same causes have stimulated others, lovers of fruits, to seek, among those 

 varieties that originated in northern regions, for such as might withstand 

 the trying climate of the North-west. 



It was soon observed that the apples known as Siberian Crabs were 

 pre-eminently hardy, even where the favorite orchard-fruits of rugged New 

 England had failed to survive through a series of winters of the trying cli- 

 mate. Some orchardists confined themselves exclusively to plantations of 

 this class of apples. Many new varieties were produced from seed, some 

 of which are of increased size and beauty. Many of these are annually 

 exhibited at the fairs ; most of which, however, present little improvement 

 in any respect upon those well-known varieties, the Large Red and Large 

 Yellow Siberians. What is wanted in this direction of progressive devel- 

 opment is increased size, with improved quality, and a later period of 

 ripening. These properties are already making their appearance, as will be 

 shown in this paper. 



Whether the improvement in this class of -fruits is the result of crossing, 

 or has arisen from a tendency to variation after long civilization, no one 

 can tell : if from the former, the crossing has been accidental. 



It is doubtful whether any true hybrids have been produced ; indeed, it 

 has been questioned by some botanists whether these Siberian apples con- 

 stitute a distinct species, or are merely a well-marked variety or sub- 

 species. 



These fruits, commonly called Siberian Crabs, have generally been re- 

 ferred to the wild species of Northern Europe and Siberia, as the common 

 apples are believed to have descended from the Pyrus t?ialus, or Wild Crab, 

 of Southern Europe and Western Asia. If this be correct, it is somewhat 

 strange that the strong character of the Pyrus haccata has been lost ; and 

 this is a remarkable thing to happen in the way of variation. The Currant 

 Crab may be taken as the type of the native Siberian apple : in it the fruit 



