The Canadian Hurticulturist. n 



mind a fact in the same line that he had never thought of before. Several 

 years ago he had occasion to regraft a promiscuous orchard. He had in 

 mind Northern Spy worked onTalman Sweet and Rambo trees; and though his 

 attention had not been called to it before, he remembered that the crop on 

 the trees worked on Talman Sweet was heavier and fruit larger and more 

 fair than that on the trees grafted on the Rambo, and this difference would 

 amount to several dollars in value of crop on each tree for one year. This 

 being true, how great would be the difference in the value of an orchard of 

 one hundred trees during their natural life ! 



Another member spoke of an orchard mainly of Baldwins, Greenings, 

 and Golden Russets top-grafted on Colvent stock twenty-four years ago. 

 The Greenings bore one good crop at the age of twenty-one and no other, 

 but Baldwins and Russets none at all, yet the trees were large, vigorous and 

 healthy. He asked if this was attributable to the Colvent stocks. None 

 could answer. It occurred to me that here was a good field for investiga- 

 tion. Have any of your fruit growers any experience in this line ? In 

 planting an orchard shall we buy all Duchess or all Talman Sweet or Lis- 

 come and then top-graft ? Was it a fatal mistake grafting that large orchard 

 on Colvents ? Can anyone tell ? 



In conclusion let me say that from the discussions on cut worms, cur- 

 culio, borer in peach, apple, and currant, army worm, moth, yellows, black 

 knot, etc., that the golden harvests of our friends in the west part of the 

 State are the price of eternal vigilance and untiring industry, and perhaps 

 that the same intelligent labor would develop many other places where fruit 

 growing would be profitable, though perhaps not to such an extent as there. 



Port Huron, Michigan. L. B. RICE. 



LETTERS FROM RUSSIA.— V. 



BABUSKINO OF GRANDMOTHER APPLE. 



THIS Russian apple may be classed with the best winter varieties. I think 

 it is known in America, perhaps under some otherViame, but with us this 

 is its only one. For localities, where the high winds prevails, there is no 

 better variety than this, because the fruit has such a tight hold upon the tree 

 that the most vigorous storm cannot knock it down. 



The tree is a spreading grower, has a large leaf, is hardy and very produc- 

 tive. The fruit, which hangs firmly by its stem, may be gathered about the first 

 of October, at which time it is quite green and flavorless. About Christmas 

 time it becomes a light yellow color, with a little red, and by the spring it be- 

 comes a rich yellow with a deep red blush, covered with small russety dots. It 

 keeps in good condition until the end of June and even later. At maturity, this 



