This is the first time I have brought myself into believing I should tell the public anything in detail of what is going on here at Ettersburg in the line of apple-breeding. While I don't intend, to tell everything even now, I will tell enough to make it interesting and readable. Few people realize how much of this apple work is really under way. To simply say I have worked into a total of twelve to fifteen thousand varieties pictures nothing definite to the average person. But when I say that supposing those fifteen thousand trees were set out along the highway in a single row, thirty feet between trees, they would form a continuous row almost ninety miles long, it looms up considerably. In other words, it would take the speed limit with an automobile, two and one-half hours to ride by, and every tree a different variety. Of course, not all ever came to fruit, but there is a long list of them that do. And with this year's selection of seed, the grand total another year will be increased by at least fifty per cent.

How the Work Is Kept Within Practical Bounds.

The seed is soaked up in January and then subjected to several sharp frosts. It is then planted and grown in nursery rows. About six to the foot are planted. After two or three year's growth, a scion is taken from each tree that has made anything like a satisfactory growth, and it is grafted into the top of a large tree. Some of these trees grow as much as four hundred varieties. In this stage of their existence they are "infants." At five to seven years from the seed, they reach the same stage of development as boy is when he is fourteen to sixteen years of age, and they begin to bear fruit. Still the fruit is not normal, and will not be until ten to twelve years from the seed. In the early years of production, the fruit is usually more or less woody and tough. Some varieties that at first fruiting are so woody as to be a joke, become very crisp and tender when the tree is matured. I doubt if it hastens fruit by top grafting, but it does make it practical to fruit out a very large number in little space, yet the final proofs are delayed, because these comparatively small limbs must again be grafted into other trees for more extensive trial. On the other hand, the more promising varieties are given the tree by removal of the inferior ones. While the various grafts are developing, careful pruning keeps them in bounds and gives them all a chance to develop, instead of a few of the strong ones taking the whole tree and smothering the others out.

When Did This Work Begin?

It was primarily planned over thirtythree years ago," and actually begun twenty-eight years ago. It is a curious coincidence that I had come to Ettersburg (I brought the name with me, too, because it was not Ettersburg before I settled there), with the premeditated intention to make it a great apple experiment station, and the anniversay of my arrival here to begin operations was afterward made National Apple Day—the 17th of October. Is This Work Scientific? The question has been asked if my work was scientific? Of course it all depends on who is judge in the matter, I suppose. The choice of location was scientific, and my training was also scientific to enable me to carry on my work. The school I entered was the "University of Nature," where with Agassiz's motto, we "Study nature, not books." No degrees are ever given in this great institution of learning, and proficiency is recognized only by results obtained. The mere details of procedure are overshadowed by results that are positively worth while, and can be progressively followed up and increased. That much I do claim, and what is outside this I am not worrying about. Fortunately at the very time I had

arrived at the place where I wished to gather a large collection of almost 600 varieties of apples they had collected from all over America and Europe. Through the interest of Chas. H. Shinn, whom I believe is now with the forestry service at Sacramento, and who at that time was in charge of the Sub-stations of the University, I was enabled to get scions of all these varieties. These were grown and fruited to study apple characters and select material. With a perfect climate chosen, and the best material studied and selected, the foundation was well laid, and all one needs is the training to drive them to success. Those are the three essential links to guarantee success, and if success does not materialize the person in charge is to blame.

Decisive Results from the Beginning.

It is generally recognized that it is difficult to produce a really meritorious new apple, even by extensive work. But here we seem at last to have a method of attack on the problem of apple breeding that seems so successful that one dare not guess what is in store for us.

In looking over the volume known as Bulletin No. 56—Bureau of Plant Industry, "Nomenclature of the Apple," we find only five varieties rated as "best." These five are Esophus Spitzenberg, Mother, Famuse, Fort Massie and Muster.

In judging two lots of my seedlings from samples submitted, Professor Geo. P. Weldon of Ontario, California, found no less than six varieties he would rate as "best." Besides these six, I feel I still have three other varieties of equal merit. Most of these are still likely to improve, as no seedling apple is ever at its best until about twelve years after it comes into existence as a seedling.

The only fair way to judge quality in an apple is by comparing the variety with various standard varieties growing under the same conditions. This is the method by which these new seedlings have been rated.

Unusual Parentage. It is very interesting to quote the parentage of these new aspirants' to honor. They are 2 Wagner, 1 Manx Codling, and one unknown parentage. The other five are seedligs of a little French Crab known as Reinette Ananas. In about 100 Reinette Ananas seedlings, 75 of which have already fruited I have marked no less than 20 varieties with fruit that will rate up among our best varieties. Among these twenty are five that as far as we are able to judge are' worthy of being classed among the very best in existence. I would not at this time care to overrate these varieties, but I know such varieties among standard as are universally considered as among the best, and it has come to this: On the average or individually the seedlings outclass the standard sorts. I also feel safe in saying that it will be strange indeed if the next generation (seedlings grown from these remarkable new seedlings), will not be superior to their parents. There is no mystery to me, or any uncertainty as to where I am drifting. Scientific or

non-scientific, I have the system to deliver the goods, and I am satisfied to see good things come so frequently as they have in my preliminary work. Truly, if I had more time to look after this work, I could keep better records, but as it is, it is more important to the great majority that they get these improved kinds than it is as to where or how they came into being.

Many New Forms Possible.

Nearly twenty years ago I got the notion into my head that all the world had in apples was far from what the material at hand justified one to expect. I felt I couldn't help but get results, and the truth of it is I have succeeded far beyond my expectations, as well as far easier. In talking the matter over years ago with Luther Burbank, he told me I couldn't help but get some wonderful things in apples under such favorable conditions as we have here at Ettersburg. As regards continued progress, I am sure seedlings grown of these seedlings will continue to give more and more highly developed forms. I could go on and describe a dozen of the best of these new apples in a way that would make the reader's mouth water, but the Editor told me to cut this article short —or rather, not make it too long.