The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-15
A Wise BeGuest.

his will bequeathed all his posthumous
papers and unpublished works to Pro-
fessor Joseph l.. Budd, the horticul-
tural instructor of the Iowa Agricultu-
raj College, and his valuable horti-
cultural library to Professor Budd's
department of the college. The latter
contains Gas our old friend, the pro-
fessor, informs us) "many rare old
works, not now attainable." From one
of these it appears that the Russian
summer apple, the Yellow Transparent
(Which is making a sensation in the
horticultural world hardly second to
the Wealthy was introduced into Eng
land along with the Duchess of Olden-
burgh, and was known there, as far back
as 1900, as the "Sugar-loaf Pippin."
1t is probable that it proved unsuited
to that mild, damp, sunless climate, as
it dropped out of sight, and we here
have it only as the importation of the
American department of agriculture in
1870. Of the cions distributed by the
department single one was sent to us.
All the others seem to have been lost,
and, so far as we know, the entire
stock of that variety in America to-day
is derived from the tree grown from
that cion, and now standing in our Or
chard.
In a later letter Professor Budd says:
/" l was surprised, over a year ago,
when Mr.. Downing wrote me that he
had willed his library and papers to the
distant West, when his whole life's
work and associations had been east
ward. His true idea was, as he wrote
me, that the United States had followed
too blindly the horticulture of the soft
est and mildest parts of Europe. We
expected these apples, pears, cherries,
etc., to be at home with us, yet had to
admit that their grapes, raspberries,
strawberries, etc., were failures here.
He truly came to the belief that the
great East Plain of Europe should have
given the start to American horticulture
for all parts. The idea grows on me
that even you do not know what the
East Plain has for us. did not know,
until this winter. For instance, on the
Bogdanoff estates, near KOursk, we
saw trees loaded with apples better
than Baldwin, and pears better than
Flemish Beauty. I was afraid some
benign influence we did not understand
might permit these few things to thrive
there, and they might not be true iron.
clads here. But now we have crucial
test. We cut cions to-day March 25)
in perfect condition, while by their side
with the same treatment and same eX.
posture, Wealthy is colored, and Vol
River and Gideon's Martha are Sc
riously blackened On the same ground
your hardy pear-wood is absolutely
black, while the best pear of Bogdanofl
is clear and bright.
"This pleases me very much. This
winter about clears out everything less
hardy than Fameuse and Scott's Winter
over large part of the Mississippi
valley, and the serious loss extends tt
Southern Iowa, Illinois and Indiana
I am glad to report the cherries from
even Eastern Poland and Northern
Sflesia perfect in wood where earl,
Richmond is spoiled"
The past winter is certainly a " test
one for all tree fruits along the north
ern borders of the United States, ant
in Canada. 1t will reduce the numbe
of our safe varieties of orchard tree
greatly, and we fear will exclude ever,
one of the pears of European origin o
parentage from cultivation for prof
in all that section. But as the Al
mighty sent us petroleum when tn
whales were gone, so he has sent u
the Russian fruits to take the place O
the weaker stock of Western Europ
with which American orchards hav
been, so far, exclusively planted. HOY
grandly fortunate it was that the n obi
state of Iowa supplied the funds t
send our Jealous and clear-heade
friend Budd to Russia, in 1882, as
commissioner of genealogical explors
ton and discovery! From the ampl
grounds of Iowa's Agricultural Colleg
these invaluable fruits will now be dil
tributed, as fast as they can be props
gated. And how notifying it is
reflect that the legislature of Vernon
bartered away, for less even than I"
mess of pottage," the power to do viii
is so much needed for the interests
our cold but fertile territory. Yet SON
of the seed of congressional bount
sown by Senator Morrill,, did fall in
good ground, and is bringing forth 9
abundant harvest in which, thank Co
Vermont may still share, so that it W
not quite be Gas it might have beef
said to us of the Green Mountains " s
DOS, non UObis." So the selfishness
man is overcome by the goodness
God.
Agricultural Departments"