46 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



-^ ]^[eLo OP Little }Kr)oU)r) T^f^its. ^ 



LETTERS FROM RUSSIA.— VI. 



GRAND DUCHESS OLGA.* 



HIS is one of the best Russian winter Reinettes, and our cele- 

 brated pomologist Lieb has given it the name of Grand Duchess 

 Olga ; the same apple is also known in Germany as "Reine Olga." 

 In the gardens and markets it is usually called Little Crimean 

 Apple, Red Crimean Apple, etc. The fruit is large in 

 size, and has a pleasant aroma ; the skin is thick and quite 

 smooth. The color at the calyx is green ; the rest of the 

 fruit is beautifully shaded with deep carmine dots and 

 stripes on golden yellow ground. Whitish dots are obser- 

 vable on the red ground. The closed calyx is usually 

 surrounded with five characteristic humps, which do not extend over 

 the surface of the fruit and therefore do not change its round form. 

 The flesh is yellow, fine grained, juicy, of pleasant vinous flavor, and 

 delicious. It ripens in March and keeps till July and even later. 

 It bears shipment well, and is very little affected with worms ; indeed, it possesses 

 every quality which a commercial apple should possess, for it is suitable both 



THE OLGA. 



' The Grand Duchess of Russia is now the Queen of Wurtemburg. 



