470 



NOTES FROM A GARDEN HERBARIUM—VI. 



to those of the wild crab, and also to the fact that the 

 flesh, seeds and core surroundings of the Soulard were 

 identical with the wild varieties. Mr. Soulard insisted 

 that the color was changed, that the size of fruit was 

 larger, that the flesh was less acrid, and that the tree 

 attained much larger size than the native specimens. 

 Hence he concluded that it was what the French call a 

 deflexion, if not a real hybrid. But recent observation 

 has shown that at Davenport and other points are found 

 native crabs with larger and better fruit, and fully equal 

 in size of tree. Downing's mistake as to its origin came 

 from the fact that Mr. Soulard brought with him from 

 his old home in St. Louis a very excellent summer 

 apple, which was named in its new home at the north, 

 Soulard." 



The statement that "Mr. Soulard brought with him 



Fjg 2. Pyrus coronaria , FROM New York. 



from his old home in St. Louis a very excellent suiiuiwr 

 apple," is directly contrary to Mr. Soulard's statements 

 above, that the St. Louis fruit is a crab and " will keep 

 for two years." The discussions of many years have 

 apparently mixed the records, and I therefore accept 

 Mr. Soulard's statement that his crab is the seedling of 

 a native crab apple from near St. Louis. The Soulard 

 apple, a summer fruit, I know nothing about. 



There is a great difference of opinion concerning the 

 value of the Soulard crab, due in large part to a mis- 

 conception of its merits. It must be remembered that 

 it is a crab apple, and is not to be compared with eating 

 apples. As a crab, it appears to possess some advan- 

 tages, particularly as a possible parent of a new race of 

 fruits for the west. Professor Budd speaks of it as fol- 

 lows, in Rural Life: " The only value of the Soulard 

 crab known to the writer is for mixing sparingly with 



good cooking apples for sauce, to which it imparts a 

 marked quince flavor, which most persons like. It is 

 also said to make a jelly superior to that of the Siberian 

 crabs. " 



D. B. Wier, for many years a fruit grower in Illinois, 

 writes me as follows concerning it : "It is simply a 

 variety of the common wild crab of the northern United 

 States. Its fruit is quite large for the type, smooth, 

 round, somewhat elongated, and of a clear, bright gold- 

 en yellow when ripe ; and it keeps with little loss, with 

 care, until spring, when it becomes, we may say, nearly 

 eatable. The fruit, like the type generally, is very fra- 

 grant, and cooked with plenty of sugar it makes a most 

 delicious preserve or sweet-meat, highly prized by the: 

 pioneer housewife. The tree is a fine pyramidal grower, 

 rather ornamental in form, leaf and flower. It is prop- 

 agated by root-graft- 

 ing on seedlings of 

 the common apple. 

 With me in Illinois it 

 was not fully hardy^ 

 our severe test win- 

 ters reducing its vital- 

 ity plainly. I could 

 not recommend the 

 Soulard crab as be- 

 ing a fruit of much 

 value. With me it 

 was for many years a 

 scanty bearer. It is 

 a rather fine ornamen- 

 tal tree, and did not 

 have the suckering 

 habit, which would 

 make most of the va- 

 rieties of the species 

 nuisances in the gar- 

 den." 



J S. Harris, of La 

 Crescent, Minn., gives' 

 me these notes of it : 

 "The Soulard crab 

 was introduced here about 24 years since, as being a- 

 cross between Pyrus coronaria and the common apple ; 

 as hardy, fruitful and a good substitute for the quince, 

 which it is supposed will not grow here. At one time- 

 it was planted quite freely with the view of making' 

 cider from the fruit, but I think it has never proved 

 satisfactory. The fruit is used to some extent in our 

 western cities as a substitute for the quince for preserves, 

 and mixing with better fruit, to which it imparts its 

 aroma; but it has never had a "boom," and hence the 

 demand for the fruit is limited and its commercial value 

 not great. It is no better than the wild crab as a stock 

 upon which to work the apple. There is no reliable evi- 

 dence that it is a hybrid, and I believe it to be a natural 

 variation. " 



The Farmer's Union, of Minneapolis, published the 

 following statement in 1873, in reply to a remark made 



