THE peculiar necessities of the Northwest have been the means of developing a peculiar class of fruits, which on account of their hardy character in tree, have acquired the soubriquet of "iron clads." Of the common apple we have now quite a list, that are classed under this head. The Morello Cherries, the Native Plums, the Wild Crab of the country, the Siberian species of the apple, the grape and the small fruits have each given us varieties, which appear to be proof against the peculiarities of our climate, and which are giving us an abundance of valuable fruit that in many respects more than replaces the tenderer sorts of their class.

Most of the old-time favorites among apples have either been wholly abandoned or have failed to give us paying returns for the trouble of rearing the trees. This is also true to some extent, of the pear and the plum, while the sweet cherries, the peach, apricot and quince have almost entirely disappeared.

Yet in the face of these facts, there are a few fossil theorists in adjoining sections, who stoically regard with disfavor the new acquisitions of the warlike title. They allege that coarseness of texture in the apple and plum, acidity in the cherry and crab, and small size in the Siberians, are objections sufficient to discard them from cultivation. In connection with this the idea has been persistently and somewhat plausibly brought forward, that the public should be educated to grow and consume none but the best fruits. That to plant coarse fruits was little better than pander-in.- to popular prejudice, checking the growth of correct taste and the increase of good fruits. As an argument in favor of true horticultural progress we are willing to give to this idea its full force and value. If we could grow the best fruits in abundance, no new sorts not equally good should be recommended for the reasons above claimed. But since we cannot, there is no reason why we should give up our hardy fruits because our neighbors can grow better ones, and which, forsooth, they wish to sell us with railroad tariffs and commissions added! We wish to grow our own fruits, for use, for profit, for pleasure, for social and aesthetic culture, fine fruits if we can, coarse ones if we must.

Aside from the incidental advantages of fruit-growing, which can scarcely be calculated, the money value of our coarse culinary fruits (admitting that they are nothing more), will be just so much saved with which to buy finer fruits grown beyond our limits, and we have yet to learn that a taste for costly fruits is diminished by a supply of cheap ones. On the contrary, the habit thus formed is the initial measure by which a taste for the best fruits is created.

But the point involved in these objections will bear examination. We do not admit that our hardy fruits are so much inferior to the tenderer sorts as to render them unworthy of cultivation.

Some of our hardy cherries, plums, crabs and Siberian apples, have developed traits - either in healthiness of trees, productiveness, or richness of fruit - that are causing them to be largely sought after even in our best fruit districts. The Early Richmond Cherry is unrivalled as a cooking and canning cherry. The Miner Plum is in size, quality and productiveness, perhaps superior to any of our market varieties. The Soulard Crab is a formidable rival of the quince, for the same purposes, and can be grown with far less cost. The Transcendent, Hislop, Marengo, and other Siberian apples, are richer cooking fruits than any of the common apples, besides furnishing superior fancy dessert fruits. In apples of the common species we have now no hardy sort equal in texture to the best old sorts. We cannot grow greenings or oranges to perfection in our climate. But that forms no reason why we should not grow an abundance of Oldenburgs, Codlings and Crabs. In the meantime we intend to grow all we can grow of better sorts, and improve upon these, and if any benevolent savan will show us some feasible plan by which we can grow greenings or oranges in the latitude of Chicago, we will thankfully "rest his debtor".

Marengo, Ill.