As it happened, Antonovka apples (a variety of apple) did not grow well in Kharkiv. We can learn this from the second volume of the 1895 reference book *All of Russia*.

For this reason, it was recommended that the “Good Peasant” and “Gray Renet” varieties be grown in our city and province.

Although the phrase “I ate a good peasant today for my health” does sound a bit creepy…

Experience shows, however, that in dry and hot Kharkiv, the Antonovka becomes smaller, drier, and loses its valuable ability to keep well for a long time. So why grow it at all, when right there in Kharkiv, the “Good Peasant,” “Gray Renet,” and even some “Berré” pears—all of which are valued at twice the price of the Antonovka—thrive so well?