(Meeting held at La Crosse, Wis., Aug. 30-31, 1898. Report made at
Annual Meeting Dec. 8, 1898.)

President, CLARENCE WEDGE, Albert Lea, Minnesota.
Secretary, N. E. HANSEN, Brookings, South Dakota.

It is well known to fruit men that the nomenclature of Russian apples imported into the Northwest is much mixed. There are various reasons for this confusion. The scions as originally imported were in many cases mixed, and in Russia itself the nomenclature has not yet been fully worked out for all parts of the fruitgrowing sections. To this must be added errors in handling such an immense list of varieties in this country. Also the fact that among the great number of Russian apples are found well-defined groups or families. By this is meant that some varieties so closely resemble each other as to be nearly or quite identical. Slight differences may be apparent in season, quality, size and appearance of fruit, and in habit and other characteristics of tree, but for all practical purposes they are too nearly the same to warrant more than one representative of the group being put into general cultivation. To cut down the list would greatly simplify matters pomological, and the need of it has been long felt.

In order to make a beginning in this work the State Horticultural Societies of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota appointed a Commission, which met in the annex of Hotel Espersen, La Crosse, Wis., August 30 and 31, 1898. Wisconsin was represented by A. G. Tuttle, of Baraboo, Prof. E. S. Goff, of the State University at Madison, and by A. J. Philips, Secretary of the State Horticultural Society, West Salem. Iowa was represented by J. B. Mitchell, of Cresco, C. G. Patten, of Charles City, and J. Sexton, of Ames. Prof. J. L. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, the highest authority on Russian fruits, was represented by Mr. J. Sexton, who has been his chief assistant for the past twenty-three years. Minnesota was represented by J. S. Harris, of La Crescent, Prof. S. B. Green, of the University of Minnesota, and Clarence Wedge, of Albert Lea. South Dakota was represented by Prof. N. E. Hansen, of the State Agricultural College, at Brookings.

All the members were present except Professor Goff, who was unavoidably detained from attending the meeting. The Commission was called to order Tuesday morning, August 30. Upon unanimous motion Mr. A. G. Tuttle, the senior member of the Commission, was elected temporary President. Mr. Tuttle thanked the members for the honor conferred, but stated that his eighty-three years ought to excuse him from the heavier duties of the meeting. The Commission adjourned to the Inter-State Fair at the La Crosse Fair grounds to inspect Mr. Tuttle's large collection of Russian apples. Upon returning, the work of unpacking sample apples brought by the various members was completed and the Commission was ready for work.

Clarence Wedge was elected President and N. E. Hansen, Secretary. Mr. Wedge thanked for the honor conferred and said that our object is to find out our agreements rather than our differences; to correct the nomenclature rather than to get at their value as varieties.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted as a preamble to the groups or families of apples brought under consideration:

"The varieties here grouped as members of the same familles, while in a few cases differing somewhat in characteristics of tree, are so nearly identical in fruit that for exhibition and commercial purposes they are practically the same and should be so considered."

In the following lists the word "spurious" indicates that the name preceding it properly belongs to another variety with which it has been mixed. The word "group" or "type" may be used if preferred for the word "family." The descriptions adopted serve to fix the varieties which have attracted special attention in part or all of the region represented by the Commission. No attempt was made to make a complete report on all the Russian apples. The numbers indicating size of fruit are according to the scale adopted by the American Pomological Society.

In the following lists the heading of each group is the name adopted as the official name for the group.

All varieties sent out from different sources are included to help locate errors and duplicates. The season given is that on the north boundary of Iowa.

THE HIBERNAL GROUP.

Hibernal, No. 378; Lieby or Recumbent, 240; Yellow Arcadian, 327 Juicy Burr, 544 (spurious); Romenskoe, 599 (spurious); Silken Leaf, 75 M.; Recumbent, 41 M.; Zuzoff, (spurious); Pendent Ear; Omensk, (spurious); Romna, (spurious); Ostrakoff, United States Department, (spurious.)

DESCRIPTION: Hibernal-Size, 5; form, oblate; color, yellowish green, stripes and splashes of pale red, many white dots; cavity, medium narrow, deep, russeted extending over base; stem, medium; basin, broad, medium deep, corrugated; calyx, half open; flesh, yellowish green, medium fine; flavor, sour; season, early winter; origin, Russia.

C. G. Patten: I find that Pendant Ear is not one-tenth the value of Hibernal with me, because it does not bear, and yet the fruit is the same.

DUCHESS GROUP.

Duchess; Duchess of Oldenburg; Oldenburg; Arabian, 184; Borovinka, 245; White Krim; Anisette, 185; Glass Green.

DESCRIPTION: Duchess-Size, 6; form, roundish oblate; color, greenish yellow with red stripes; cavity, regular, medium deep, narrow, light russeted; stem, medium; basin, broad, corrugated; calyx, half open; flesh, light yellow, rather coarse; core, medium, closed; flavor, rather sharp acid; season, August: origin, Russia; tree, medium upright.

A. G. Tuttle: My Glass Green colors up more than Duchess, and keeps its flavor longer than Duchess after coloring. It is a better apple in my experience to grow than Duchess. Of late years I have set Glass Green instead of Duchess, as it is a better tree, and more valuable because keeping its quality longer after coloring.

C. G. Patten: The Anisovka I got from Dr. Regel is distinctly of the Anis family and of very upright habit. Peterson of Wauconia and Reeves of Waverly say that Borovinka is better than Duchess.

S. B. Green: That is J. M. Underwood's opinion.

C. Wedge: Mr. Peterson said his Borovinka was a better keeper, but his Duchess were old decrepit trees, while his Borovinka were young trees.

LONGFIEld group.

Longfield, 161; 57 M; English Pippin, 587; Good Peasant (spurious); 387 (spurious).

DESCRIPTION: Longfield-Size, 4 to 5; form, roundish conical; color, shady side yellow with greenish bloom, sunny side yellow and red with small gray dots in skin; cavity, deep, smooth; stem, long; basin, flat, ribbed; calyx, half open; core, closed; flesh, white, fine grained; flavor, slightly sub-acid, aromatic; season, November to January; origin, Russia; tree, strong, spreading, drooping grower, grayish woolly leaves and shoots.

J. Sexton: No. 31 M is the true Good Peasant as received by Professor Budd direct from Moscow, but some Anisim scions were mixed with it, and the No. 387 spurious was simply mistaken for No. 587. We find 31 M hardier than Longfield and a good bearer.

A. G. Tuttle: I have 300 Longfield in orchard, and think it hardier than Duchess and that it will bear more abuse than any tree I know of, not excepting Hibernal. Longfield is a great annual bearer, a good table apple, and the leaf never scabs.

CHARLAMOFF GROUP.

Charlamoff, 262; Peterson's Charlamoff; Champanskoe; Pointed Pipka, 361; Champagne, 112 M. This Charlamoff is entirely distinct from the Charlamoff as grown by J. B. Mitchell and A. G. Tuttle, which is a flat apple of upright habit of tree, and not as valuable as many more of the same season. The Charlamoff of Mitchell and Tuttle it was decided to name Schroeder's Charlamoff. In other words, two varieties have been imported under the name Charlamoff, and this name is now given to the better one of the two.

DESCRIPTION: Charlamoff-Size, 5 to 6; form, oblong conical; color, greenish yellow striped and splashed with red; cavity, medium deep, often with large lobes; stem medium slender, basin, deep wrinkled; calyx, nearly closed; flesh, greenish white, tender; flavor, pleasant, vinous acid; season, September; origin, Russia; tree, strong, regular, spreading grower, thick topped; the whole tree has a distinct yellowish green aspect; leaves, large. lightish green with many red veins.

S. B. Green: The Charlamoff grown by Andrew Peterson, of Wauconia, Minn., and hence called Peterson's Charlamoff, is generally a little later than Duchess; tree a spreading grower, with foliage and bark lighter than Duchess; flavor, a mild subacid.

J. S. Harris: I do not think this variety is quite as hardy as Duchess. The Charlamoff of Tuttle is a flat apple, with upright habit of tree, and is too near Duchess to be of special value.

A. G. Tuttle: My Charlamoff is not as valuable as many more of the same season, yet I would put it in my list of the best fifty varieties.

N. E. Hansen: In European nurseries Charlamofsky is a synonym of Duchess. J. B. Mitchell: I would put Tuttle's Charlamoff in my list of the best sixteen varieties.

C. G. Patten: Peterson's Charlamoff I find makes a large, spreading tree, and bears reasonably young.

S. B. Green: It might avoid confusion to name Peterson's Charlamoff Champagne.

ROMNA GROUP.

Romna, 599; Romenskoe. The large, round, green winter apple as grown by Mr. Tuttle, of Wisconsin, under the name of Romenskoe, will hereafter be known as the true Romna. This settles the matter definitely, as Hibernal has been mixed with Romna as originally sent out from Russia.

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DESCRIPTION: Romna-Size, 6; form, smooth, round conical, very regular; color, dark green with brownish red on sun side, covered with grayish bloom, thickly sprinkled with large grayish dots; cavity, acute, deep, regular: stem, medium and stout, often knobbed; basin, shallow, narrow, wrinkled; calyx, closed; flesh, white, fine grained; flavor, mild, pleasant acid; season, late winter and spring; tree, spreading, irregular, dwarf.

A. G. Tuttle: Romna is a good apple, but not one of the first dozen varieties that I would plant. It keeps till April or May, but does not get good until April. Tree has an irregular top and is a slow grower,

C. G. Patten: I regard Romna as the most valuable of all the Russians from which to grow seedlings with the hope of getting winter varieties.

J. Sexton: Romna is a fine apple. The tree is spreading and has the largest leaf of any that we have.

CROSS GROUP.

413 Department. The name Cross was adopted as the official name of the No. 413 of the United States Department, which has also been disseminated under tчe name of Large Anis. It is distinct from Cross 15 M,8 M, Skrischapfel and Cross Vor, the synonomy of which was not taken up.

DESCRIPTION: Cross-(No. 413 Dept.)-Size, 5; form, oblate conical; color, greenish yellow, nearly covered with a light carmine, dotted with green specks, with distinct bloom; cavity, green, broad, deep; stem, medium; basin, well defined, nearly smooth; calyx, large, closed; flesh, light yellow; flavor, slightly sub-acid; season, October to 'December; origin, Russia; tree very spreading, medium grower; wood, grayish.

A. G. Tuttle: No. 413 Dept. does not blight a particle with me. Chas. Gibb sent me the scions. Mr. Gibb visited me once and looked through my collection. He said I had nearly everything, but should have one or two more, so he sent me Cross and Grandmother.

CHRISTMAS GROUP.

No. 310. The variety grown under the number 310 by Mitchell, Peterson, Green and others, was decided to be the true Christmas

DESCRIPTION: Christmas-Size, 11; form. round, conical, often oblique and slightly angular; color, yellow with red stripes at base and deep clear red towards the eye; cavity, medium, rather narrow; stem, medium; calyx, closed on a flush wrinkled or narrow ribbed surface; flesh, white, fine grained; flavor, pleasant acid; season, December; origin, Russia.

ANTONOVKA GROUP.

Antonovka, 16 M and 236; No. 224; Vargul, 277; German Calville, 324 (spurious); Russian Gravenstein, 105; Bergamot, 424.

DESCRIPTION: Antonovka-Size, 6 to 7; form, roundish, angular, flattened at the ends; color, straw yellow, with dots that give the skin a rough appearance; cavity,