THE PROBLEM OF VARIETIES. 43 



perfection, it is doubtful if it has sufficient merit to recommend it for planting more 

 widely. It is sometime? badly attacked by apple .-cab. and heavy dropping of the 

 fruit commonly occurs. 

 Minkler. Synonyms: Mumper, Mumper Vandevere. 



The original tree of this variety appears to have stood in a seedling orchard near 

 Pillsburg. York Co.. Pa., which was planted and owned by one John Mumper. 

 This tree is referred to as having been of large size more than 60 years ago. 1 It was 

 apparently introduced into Illinois in the form of scions 2 as early as the middle of the 

 last century. The Illinois State Horticultural Society recommended it "for further 

 trial"' in 1860 3 and possibly even at an earlier date. 



In Pennsylvania it was known at an early day as Mumper Vandevere, though it 

 now appears that this name was not published until 1876. 4 In Illinois it was tenta- 

 tively named Minkler. because it was grown by a man of that name (S. G. Minkler), 

 evidently with the expectation that it would at some time be identified as a variety 

 previously named and described. 5 Because of being the first published, the name 

 Minkler is approved in accordance with the code of nomenclature of the American 

 Pomological Society, even though another name was applied at an earlier date. 



This variety is quite widely distributed throughout this region, though it has not 

 been planted extensively. The tree makes a fine, vigorous, healthy growth — one 

 of the best of any of the varieties grown in this region; the fruit attains good size and 

 color and keeps well; but it has produced such Aery light crops, with almost no 

 exception, that it is practically without value as a commercial sort in the Ozarks. 

 Missouri. Synonym: Missouri Pippin. 



There is some conflict of statement regarding the origin of this variety. From the 

 historical account 6 which appears to be the best authenticated, it originated as a 

 seedling with Mr. Brinkley Hornsby at Kingville, Johnson Co., Mo., about the middle 

 of the last century. This Mr. Hornsby was one of the early settlers in northern 

 Missouri, going to that section from Tennessee. Having a great interest in fruit 

 growing, he brought with him apple seeds from his native State, which he planted 

 at his new home. His first orchard in Missouri was thus composed of seedling trees, 

 the best varieties of which he propagated for distribution. 'Whenever a graft failed 

 to develop, if the seedling stock on which it was worked grew and manifested prom- 

 ising characteristics, it was Mr. Hornsby's custom to let it remain until it fruited. 

 It appears that the variety now under consideration was one of these stocks on 

 which the graft failed to grow. The tree which developed therefrom fruited for the 

 first time in 1854, but it was not until the crop of 1859 that Mr. Hornsby became 

 satisfied with it. He had intended to name it "Missouri Orange,'' but finally 

 accepted the suggestion of the late G. C. Brackett and called it Missouri Pippin, 

 under which name Mr. Brackett received scions of it from Mr. Hornsby in the spring 

 of 1861. It has become widely known and disseminated under that name. 



One of the first, if not the first, published descriptions of this variety was by Warder 

 in his American Pomology, under the name Missouri Keeper. It appears, how- 

 ever, that it was Warder's intention to adopt Missouri Pippin as its name in case he 

 should revise American Pomology. Under the code of nomenclature of the Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society, the name Missouri Pippin is reduced to Missouri. 



This variety has been widely planted in many sections of the country and lias fre- 

 quently been reported to be one of the most profitable of the commercial sorts. It 



1 Letter from Trot. S. B. Heiges, June 15, 1910. 



2 Letter from Mr. S. G. Minkler, Mar. 27, 1894. 



3 Transactions of the Illinois State Horticultural Society, 1S60. p. 30. 



< Downing, A. J. The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. 2d revision, p. 59 of 2d Appendix. 



5 Downing, A. J. Op. cit., p. 276. 



« Report of the Kansas State Horticultural Society, 1881, p. 2G9. 



275 



