142 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



(There was quite a general response.) Now you who do not think 

 that it is the best apple raise your hand. 



The question seems to be divided — there are about as many hands 

 for one side as the other. Personally I think the Northern Spy is the 

 best apple there is, although it is rather hard to keep. Out of fifty thou- 

 sand barrels, if you get four or five thousand that are prime you will 

 do pretty well. We can sell that apple for more money than other ap- 

 ples. We, however, are obliged to put our best men on them when we 

 <ome to packing. It has lots of quality but the skin is very tender. 

 It will not keep as well as the Baldwins but when packed right we 

 can do better with the Northern Spy than with any other apple. 



A Member — Do you think it will excel the Steel's Red? 



Answer — Yes, although we consider the Steel's Red a great apple. 

 There are many things in common, with these two apples. Neither of 

 these apples will turn brown in cold storage. We have trouble with the 

 Greenings and the Baldwins, also other varieties. This is a great thing 

 to know from a commercial standpoint. I sold a friend of mine a 

 barrel of Wagners. This man had a rather warm place to keep that 

 barrel and I did not hear any more about it until the first start of 

 spring and then he came down to the store and said to me: "That 

 barrel of apples you sold me have turned out to be Russetts." (Laugh- 

 ter.) What I am telling you now, I think is commonly known by you, 

 but I would like to get some of your ideas, for I am sure you all have 

 reasons why you think this or that apple to be the best, both as a seller 

 and for eating purposes. Personally, I think from a commercial stand- 

 point the Michigan Greening is very superior to the Greening grown 

 in other states. We could get Greenings from New York and other 

 places but your Greenings with the blush on them will keep for a month 

 longer than from any other point, without turning brown. The Michi- 

 gan Jonathan, I think, has lost some in quality and they are also 

 under-sized. However, Jonathans from Michigan will keep longer than 

 from any other part of the country. 



A Member — Longer than the Missouri Jonathans? 



Mr. Smith — Yes, sir. I have been in the apple business for twenty 

 six years and that is what we feel to be the facts in the case. The 

 Jonathan apples from Missouri or Illinois seem to have a little better 

 flavor than those from Michigan and they are not as good keepers as are 

 your apples. The Jonathans from these two states seem to have a very 

 distinct flavor. I cannot tell why this is so but I know that this is 

 true of other apples. For instance, you cannot raise the Northern Spy 

 in Virginia at all for it is a fall apple. It ripens early even in the 

 mountains of Virginia. The Northern Spys belong to the North. You 

 cannot raise Northern Spys in Missouri or Illinois. The Steel's Red, 

 Northern Spy, Greening, King, Russetts, Snow, Mackintosh, belong to 

 the north. Grimes Golden is in the same class as the Jonathan and 

 where one will grow the other will grow. Sometimes we get good ones 

 from Iowa but usually they are rather small. They grow better in 

 the south. They need much warm weather. 



A Member — What about early apples? 



Mr. Smith — Of course, the Duchess, Wealthy and Alexandria are 

 good specimens. Oftentimes we have both as the appearance and as 

 a good apple. There is another apple which is a fine one and that 



