THE Y SA Y. 



753 



were eight inches or more in diameter, and fifteen feet 

 high. I have never found a sun-scalded wild crab in 

 Minnesota, except the Soulard. We have a tree in 

 open ground, headed five feet high, and leaning to the 

 northeast on an angle of nearly 45°. It is apparently 

 perfect in all its parts. All of our Duchess trees leaning 

 -in the same direction, and headed three feet high, are 

 isun-scaided. I firmly believe that the wild crab of 

 Minnesota is the most hardy apple tree known in the 

 United States. With us it has been more free from 

 iblight than the Duchess, while the Soulard has suffered 

 most. 



The improvement of our native crab-apple was 

 brought before our horticultural societies in Minnesota 

 .for the first time last January, and resulted in a prize 



had considerable amusement oat of my correspondence 

 with well-known horticulturists on this subject. I cor- 

 responded with one of the best horticulturists of Wis- 

 consin on this subject before writing anything for pub- 

 lication. He wrote me very frankly that "The wild 

 crab subject had been taken up more than 40 years 

 ago, and put through for all there was in it !" I staicd 

 in reply that it reminded me of a conversation held a 

 short time since with an old farmer who went out to 

 the "Rockies" many years ago to dig for gold ; and 

 like many others, the more he dug the poorer he grew. 

 He is now delving away on a poor farm, with not much 

 better results. Knowing his history well, to see what 

 he would say, I asked him why he did not go out to the 

 gold mines and get rich ? He remarked that he had 



The Worden Pear. (See p. 751.) 



"being offered for the best plate of fruit of this sort by 

 the Souilit'rn Minnesota Fair Association, and also by the 

 Winona Fair and Inter-State Exposition . The crab- 

 apple that won the first prize was of only medium size, 

 perfect in shape, and in color much like the Maiden's 

 Blush. 



The seeds from the hybrids, as Professor Budd tells 

 us, are very difficult to germinate. Out of twenty-two 

 seeds kindly sent me by C. G. Patten, from his hybrid, 

 only one germinated. Diamonds are not easily found, 

 but very valuable when once secured. This may prove 

 true of the northernmost type of the wild crab-apple, 

 after a few generations of crosses with the hardiest and 

 (best of the Russians. There is nothing but theory to 

 indicate that this field is not rich in promise. I have 



" Put the Rockies through more'n 40 years ago for all 

 there was in 'em, and wanted no more Rockies in 

 his'n." Yet it is true that others have taken up the 

 work where he left it, with better plans, better ma- 

 chinery, and better heads on their shoulders, and while 

 they have as yet, "put through " but a very insignifi- 

 cant portion of the Rocky Mountains, they have al- 

 ready brought many millions of treasure to light, and 

 several of them have retired with princely fortunes. 

 May not some intelligent man take up the wild apple 

 of the North and do likewise ? — A. W. Sias. 



Fruit Inducements in Oregon. — Each year sees a 

 steadily increasing consumption ; and as many of the for- 

 e'gn fruit producing centers have reached their utmost 

 capacity of production, it is left for these newer sec- 



