THE APPLE. ITS VARIETIES. 199 



368. VALE MASCAL PEARMAIN.— Hort. 



Identification. — Hort. Soc. Cat. ed. 3, n. 561. 



Fruit, below medium size, two inches broad, by two inches high ; 

 ovate, regularly and handsomely shaped. Skin, greenish-yellow on the 

 shaded side ; but bright red next the sun, and covered with 

 spots of russet. Eye, closed, with broad flat segments, and set in a 

 round, shallow, and plaited basin. Stalk, half an-inch long, inserted in 

 a narrow and shallow cavity. Flesh, yellow, crisp, sugary, and richly 

 flavored. 



369. VEINY PIPPIN.— Hort. 



Identification. — Hort. Soc. Cat. ed. 3, p. 44. 



Fruit, small, two inches and a quarter broad, and an inch and three 

 quarters high ; roundish-oblate. Skin, greenish-yellow, covered with 

 veins, and reticulations of russet. Eye, open, set in a round and deep 

 basin. Stalk, short, inserted in a round, and slightly russety cavity. 

 Flesh, yellowish, tender, crisp, juicy, but wanting both sugar and acidity. 



An indifferent and worthless apple, in use from December to 

 February. 



The tree is a great bearer. 



370. VIOLETTE.— Duh. 



Identification. — Duh. Arb. Fruit, i. 284. Mill. Diet. Fors. Treat. 121. Hort. 

 Soc. Cat. ed. 3, n. 849. 



Synonymes. — Grosse Pomme Noire d'Amerique, Cal. Traite. iii. 44. Violette 

 de Quatres Gouts, Cours. Comp. cVAgric. xii. 220. Violet Apple, West. Bot. 

 iv. 39. Red Calville, of some, ace. Hort. Soc. Cat. but erroneously. Black 

 Apple, ace. Ron. Pyr. Mai. 



FiGUEE. — Ron. Pyr. Mai. pi. xx. f. 2. 



Fruit, above medium size ; roundish-ovate, or conical, even and 

 regularly formed. Skin, smooth and shining, covered with a fine violet- 

 colored bloom, and yellow, striped with red, on the shaded side ; but of 

 a dark red, approaching to black, on the side exposed to the sun. Eye, 

 closed, set in a rather deep and plaited basin. Stalk, three quarters of 

 an inch long, stout, and inserted in a deep cavity. Flesh, yellowish- 

 white, tinged with red under the skin, which is filled with red juice, 

 leaving a stain on the knife with which it is cut ; firm, juicy, and sugary, 

 with a vinous and pleasant flavor. 



A culinary apple of good, but not first-rate quality ; in use from 

 October to March. 



Duhamel, and following him, almost all the French writers on 

 pomology, attribute the name of this apple to the perfume of violets 

 being found in the flavor of the fruit ; a peculiarity I could never detect. 

 It is more probable it originated from the fruit being covered with a 

 beautiful blue violet bloom, a characteristic w^hich was observed by 

 Rivinius and Moulin, a hundred and fifty years ago. 



