DISCUSSION OF VARIETIES. 45 



tender, juicy, sprightly subacid; quality is excellent as a dessert fruit. Not only 

 the flesh, but the skin also, is so tender that bruising results from any other than the 

 most careful handling. The small size of the fruit also further renders it of little value 

 for commercial purposes, but its high dessert quality recommends it for home use. 

 It is in the height of its season about the middle of July or a little later at central 

 points in this region. 

 Tetofski. Synonym: TetofsJcy. 



This is another one of the Russian introductions which was brought to this country 

 through England. Further historical details appear in a quotation under Alexander. 

 The dissemination of this variety has been quite extensive, though it is not grown 

 in large quantities in any section. It is in a few quite widely separated orchards in 

 the Chesapeake peninsula and New Jersey sections of this region but it is of quite 

 secondary importance. 



The tree is a very upright fairly strong grower and a prolific bearer. The fruit is 

 medium in size; roundish, oblate conic; juicy, sprightly acid; of good quality. It 

 is more desirable for market and for cooking than as a dessert apple. Its season in 

 the central part of the Chesapeake peninsula begins usually from July 10 to 15, with 

 a rather short period of duration. 



Several growers variously located in the Chesapeake peninsula and New Jersey 

 consider this a fairly good variety for its season, though perhaps not of sufficient 

 value to take the place of other better-known varieties of the same season of ripening. 



The tree is especially hardy and is probably rather better adapted to sections far- 

 ther north than it is to this region. 

 Thaler. Synonym: Charlottenthaler, Government List No. 342. 



This is one of a large number of varieties introduced from Russia in 1870 by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. It has never become widely known, at 

 least not under its correct name or either of its synonyms. So far as observed it is 

 confined in this region to a single orchard which is located in Caroline County, Md. 



In the present connection the chief point of interest is the similarity of the fruit 

 to Yellow Transparent, which is one of the most important commercial varieties 

 grown in this region. It is also very similar to Grand Sultan, previously mentioned. 



Comparing this variety with the Yellow Transparent, the fruit of the two sorts is 

 practically identical so far as any constant distinguishable characters of individual 

 specimens are concerned. Thaler is claimed by some to be a very few days later in 

 ripening the bulk of its crop, though this is open to question. The owner of the one 

 orchard in Caroline County, Md., in which these two varieties, also Grand Sultan, 

 are growing, after a considerable number of years of close observation, is convinced 

 that as they grow in his orchard, these two — Thaler and Yellow Transparent — are 

 not distinguishable from each other in season, productiveness, or fruit characteristics, 

 but that there is a marked difference between the trees. Thaler being a more vig- 

 orous grower, which is readily noticeable even in the nursery, and being much less 

 subject to twig-blight than Yellow Transparent. 



In some sections of the country the Thaler tree is reported to be less vigorous and 

 productive than the Yellow Transparent. The limited range of observation in this 

 region does not warrant definite conclusions regarding the relative merits of these 

 two varieties for this region, but a thorough test of Thaler in the different sections 

 appears desirable. 



Townsend. 



This is a very old variety, the origin of which traces to Bucks County, Pa., where 

 it was discovered by Mr. Stephen Townsend nearly a century and a half ago in an 

 old Indian clearing. While grown more or less in various sections in the older orchards, 

 it is unknown to most fruit growers. It has been observed in but a single orchard 

 in this region, located in west-central New Jersey. 

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