SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



219 



beauty, and as hardy as it is beautiful ; succeeding in the severest 

 climates where the apple is grown at all. The tree combines 

 thrifty, vigorous growth, productiveness and perfect hardiness. 

 The fruit is good as well as beautiful,' though not of the 

 highest excellence, and its season is rather short ; if left on tbe 

 tree too long it becomes mealy ; size large, roundish, a little 

 flattened; skin fair, smooth, rich brilliant crimson on the sunny 

 side, a little paler in the shade, and covered with a rich bloom. 

 Flesh white, sometimes stained with pink, fine, crisp, tender, 

 juicy, subacid. Its productiveness, beauty and good quality ren- 

 der it a universal favorite, and a profitable, early market fruit. 

 August and September. 



Rock Sweet, 



Rock Sweet. Introduced from West Newbury, Mass. Rather 

 below medium size ; skin reddish yellow in the shade, but mostly 

 covered with purplish or brownish red, and sprinkled with small 

 light dots, except about an inch around the stem, where it is 

 usually of a cinnamon russet color, and occasionally a small pro- 

 tuberance or patch of the same russet ; stem slender, an inch long^ 

 inserted in a rather deep cavity. Flesh yellowish, fine grained, 

 juicy, very sweet, with a rich aromatic flavor. No sweet apple 

 surpasses it in quality. Tree very hardy, thrifty, and very pro- 

 ductive — young shoots slender. November to December. 



Rhode Island Greening. Too well known as one of the best 



