FRUIT CULTURE IN AMERICA 309 



that are very popular in one district are almost worthless in another. In the 

 Central and Western States all sorts begin to bear earlier than in the east, and 

 die sooner. In the northern part of the Mississippi Valley the clinnate is so cold 

 in winter that our ordinary varieties will not succeed, and to meet these 

 conditions hundreds of Russian ones have been introduced ; but they have 

 proved to be of such poor quality, with few exceptions, that seedlings have been 

 originated, some of which already combine hardiness of tree with good quality 

 of fruit. Through these efforts it is expected that apple culture will become 

 a success almost to the southern line of Manitoba. The list of popular varieties 

 is so large that it is difficult to decide which to omit in mentioning those that 

 are most esteemed. There are two classes, one for family use, which is properly 

 composed of such varieties as are of high quality, regardless of their beauty, 

 productiveness, or other points that make them suitable for the commercial 

 orchardists ; and those of a strictly commercial character, regardless of their 

 finer qualities. In some of the varieties we have both requisites combined, for 

 some of the very best of those for home use are equally good for market purposes. 

 All things considered, perhaps Baldwin and Ben Davis are the two leading 

 commercial apples of America, but neither of them is of high quality. York 

 Imperial, Winesap, Jonathan, Missouri, Gano, Rhode Island Greening, and 

 Northern Spy are also very popular. Grimes is the very best of the dessert 

 apples, and Esopus Spitzenburg, Yellow Newtown, Roxbury, Fameuse, and 

 Hubbardston are all varieties of great excellence. All of those so far named are 

 winter apples, and yet not one of them is of foreign origin. There are summer 

 and autumn varieties in abundance and of good quality. Of the former are 

 Early Harvest, Red June, Summer Rose, Benoni, Early Joe, Garden Royal, 

 and Primate ; and of the latter, Jefferis, Maiden's Blush, Fall Wine, Bonum, 

 Fall Pippin, Gravenstein, and Mother. All of these except Gravenstein are of 

 American origin. 



THE PEACH 



Next to the apple the peach is the most important fruit cultivated in America. 

 It was first grown by the Spaniards in their early settlements on the coast of 

 Florida and Mexico. The native Indians seeing that it was of easy culture 

 carried seeds into the more remote regions and planted them there, thus adding 

 greatly to the distribution of this fruit. From this stock there is to-day a type 

 of the peach, and a very good one too, known as " Indian," to which belong 

 some of our best varieties. The French pioneers also introduced peach culture 

 wherever they located, but it was planted in very few of the early English 

 settlements. Sooner or later this fruit became widely distributed, and was at 

 first used largely for distilling into brandy. For this purpose the common 

 seedlings were good enough, but, as our people under the better enlightenment 

 of modern civilisation gave up the custom of drinking this fiery beverage, it has 

 become practically restricted to the saloons, and the peach crop is put to better 

 uses. 



Types of Peaches. — The choicest seedlings have been selected, given 

 varietal names, and been propagated by budding. Such a thing as an orchard 



