26 DR. Wli. SAUNDERS. 



By Mr. Wilson : 



Q. Have you the apples here that you crossod with ? 



A. I did not bring them with me. They were the Wealthy and the Tetofsk}\ 

 These varieties are so well known that I did not think it nccessaiy to bring them. 



Q. It would have been nice to have had them together to compare and see the 

 improvement ? 



A. It would, I fear, however, that the only preserved specimens we had, have 

 gone forward with the collection sent to Paris. 



By Mr. Rogers : 



Q. The Tetofsky I think is no'- an annual bearer, it bears only every two years ? 



A. On the Experimental Farm here it bears almost every year. It depend* 

 largely on the amount of the crop. It is a very heavy bearer at times, and if it 

 bears heavily one year the crop is generally light the year following. All these 

 varieties of cross-bred apples to which I have referred are remarkable for the per- 

 sistent manner in which the fruit is attached to the tree. The stems are so firmly 

 fastened that they require a considerable effort to detach them. The trees are all very 

 strongly built with the branches bound to the trees with bands of woody fibre which 

 are difficult to break. These peculiarities will be very advantageous whore strong 

 winds prevail. Root grafts were made of some of these varieties two years ago on 

 account of their promising growth before we knew what the fruit would be like, 

 and some of these, notably the Charles, which is perhaps the best of them all, wintered 

 last year at Brandon and came through very well. A further suppl}- was 6ent again 

 last spring, also in advance of fruiting, both to Brandon and Indian He:id, and now 

 these varieties which have fruited will be sent for test in larger numbers. There is 

 every reason from their parentage to expect that they will prove hardy, and there 

 is no doubt if they do they will bo highly appreciated. It is not anticipated that 

 these now fruits will bo much esteemed where larger apples can be grown, but if 

 such fruits aw these can be grown without special caro or protection by farmers 

 generally throughout the colder sections of our country, they will prove a groat 

 boon to the settlers, in these districts and furnish a wholesome and healthful addi- 

 tion to the food of the people. 



As the five varieties named have all been selected from the first 36 crosses 

 which have lruited. it is probable that many other equal or possibly superior sorts 

 to these here described may be found as the other cross-bred specimens come into 

 fruit. Amonir those which are yet to fruit are crosses which have been made with 

 a number of our best and hardiest sorts of apples. 



The results I am now reporting are but the first steps in a series of experiments 

 that are full of interest and promise to be of great importance and value to large 

 areas in the Dominion. As the more promising of the cross-bred sorts bear fruit, 

 seeds from the largest and finest specimens are being sown, from which we may expect 

 many interesting sorts ; and now that the continuity of nature has been broken 

 by the work of croas fertilization, it is proposed to carry on the work of selection 

 with seedlings of those crosses from which increase in size and improvement in the 

 quality of the fruits will in all probability bo gained, and within a tew j-ears we 

 shall no doubt have a considerable number of useful sorts of apples, ripening at 

 different periods, which will endure the climates of all the settled regions of the 

 North-west country. Similar improvements were made by our forefathers with the 

 original wild crabs, which wore the only apples in early times, and there is no 

 reason to doubt but that, by raising a large number of seedlings from the best 

 examples of fruit, while some will sport back to the original, others will probably 

 give us fruits of superior character. 



By Mr. Dug as : 



Q. Is this (referring to the photograph shown the committee) a different kind 

 of apple or the same ? 



