THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
114 
like the Borsdorf, Red Queen and others tested, prove 
winter apples about the same in season as in their native 
country ” Out of that thirty not one is a winter apple 
in Central Iowa. A change in latitude of a thousand 
miles ripens them all prematurely. In report for 1879, 
page 123, the professor says that of scions imported for 
the society: “About forty varieties of winter apples 
have been received from near Moscow and have grown 
with almost perfect uniformity top-grafted in the experi¬ 
ment orchard.” These forty sorts have never been shown 
at our winter meetings, nor any explanation of the failure 
given, and it is now fifteen years. Again, why not ? 
In report for 1881, page 374, Professor Budd says: 
“ We wish to say a good word for Prunus Simonii. In 
exposed positions it endured our past severe winter, 
where Weeping Birch and other trees, supposed to be 
hardy, were badSy injured or killed. We believe it will 
prove a valuable fruit and a fine ornamental tree in the 
northern half of the state.” It winter-kills badly at Des 
Moines, while the birch is entirely hardy, yet I find no 
correction of his statement by the professor, and a good 
deal of money was wasted in consequence. Why has he 
failed ? 
In the summer of 1882 Professor Budd accompanied 
Charles Gibb of Canada, on a visit to Russia and returned 
with, if possible, more confidence than ever in Russian 
fruits. This confidence he based upon the supposed 
similarity of physical conditions in Russia and in Iowa. 
His confident recommendations caused his importations 
to be propagated and planted to an immense extent and 
with immense disappointment and loss. The money loss 
must have been in the hundreds of thousands and the loss 
in confidence and hopefulness can never be estimated in 
dollars. 
On page 76, report for 1882, he says of his Russians: 
“ Our nurserymen need not hesitate to propagate and 
distribute them as rapidly as possible.” Then follows a 
list of twenty-six sorts, described and recommended 
through a half dozen pages. I think I tested them all ; 
lost most by winter-killing or blight and dropped all but 
one as worthless. These sorts have substantially dis¬ 
appeared from our nurseries. Many of them were recom¬ 
mended to “ keep through the winter.” Not one has ful¬ 
filled the promise. I find no report by the professor 
setting forth these facts. 
On page 82 of the same volume, the professor strongly 
recommended twenty-two other varieties from Poland and 
H ungary as winter-keepers and worthy. I propagated them 
all and lost them all by winter-killing and blight. I find 
no report from the professor of the failure of these sorts. 
Why has none been published? Other members of the 
society having similar experiences began to murmur and 
question, but they were silenced by more enthusiastic be¬ 
lievers in the Russians. From this time matters have as¬ 
sumed a sort of personal, almost theological cast, and 
those who reported unfavorably of the Russians, did so in 
fear and were treated as heretics and infidels have always 
been treated. 
On page 103, report for 1883, the professor sa\ s of 
pears imported by him: “Yet if our people will believe 
in them, we can soon have Bessemianka and Russian 
Bergamots over the whole northern part of the continent.” 
Yet the Russian pears have proved dismal disappoint¬ 
ments in Iowa and, in the last Minnesota report, Mr. 
Cook of the Windom Experiment Station, says: “My 
best trees of these Russian pears are going out without 
bearing a specimen of fruit. I had some hopes of the 
Russian plums, but after some ten years’ trial of several 
of the best varieties selected by Professor Budd, I don’t 
believe they are worth the ground they occupy. In grub¬ 
bing out trees this spring I find them nearly all dead.” 
Why does Professor Budd refuse to publish a report set¬ 
ting forth the exact facts; the failures as well as the suc¬ 
cesses of these fruits? I can find none. 
On page 89 of same report he says : “ The sooner we 
relinquish the common impression that the winter apples 
Orel, Voronesh, Saratov and other provinces of Central 
Russia in the region of the Volga will not keep fully as 
well with us, the better it will be for our horticultural in¬ 
terests.” If that statement does not show ignorance of 
the commonest laws of nature, what does it show? Those 
regions are seven hundred to one thousand miles further 
north than Central Iowa. Will Mr. Bomberger explain? 
On the same page the professor says: “A large ledger 
has been already provided in which are entered state¬ 
ments received concerning each variety sent out. We 
have already sent these fruits to about one thousand 
parties in all parts of Iowa and to some extent, in Min¬ 
nesota, Wisconsin, Dakota, Wyoming, etc.” Therefore, 
the facts for and against their successes must have been 
known long since, if the ledger ever existed, for that was 
twelve years ago 
On pages 311 and 312, report 1885, a list of seventeen 
sorts is recommended on account of their promising be¬ 
havior at Ames. Not one of them is now recommen'ded 
as useful over Iowa by any reputable nurseryman or fruit 
grower that I know. Where is the professor’s report of 
their having failed to give full satisfaction everywhere? 
In report for 1886, page 436, the professor says : “ The 
work at Ames consists chiefly in testing new varieties 
from Europe and elsewhere. These new fruits are exceed¬ 
ing our expectations already.” Why have not the failures 
been published even more widely than the successes? 
All civilized governments place lights on rocky coasts and 
shoals to warn mariners of danger. 
In report for 1888, page 404, Professor Budd, in a dis¬ 
cussion relating to making a list of reliable Russian apples, 
said: “I have been keeping ledger accounts with these 
varieties, but have not had time to sum up my accounts.” 
Why? In report for 1892, page 307, Professor Budd read 
a paper on “ Valuable Russian Fruits.” A few quota¬ 
tions will be interesting: “This is a subject fora large 
book rather than a brief report.” “A summarized report 
made up from our experimental ledger would alone do 
justice to the title.” “As this cannot be done (Why?) we 
will comment on a few varieties which have attracted 
