VARIETIES OF APPLES 277 



flat at the base, varying from oblong to conic, obscurely ribbed; stem 

 medium ; cavity acuminate, deep, wide, red or yellow or with outspreading 

 rays of thin yellowish-russet; calyx small, closed or open; basin often 

 oblique, abrupt, narrow, shallow, sometimes compressed, furrowed and 

 wrinkled; skin tough^ waxy, roughened by the russet dots, deep rich yellow 

 covered with bright red, inconspicuously striped with darker red, marked 

 with pale yellow and russet dots numerous toward the basin, larger and 

 much elongated toward the cavity; calyx-tube elongated, cone-shape; 

 stamens median; core large, abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical and open 

 but sometimes closed; core-lines clasping; carpels large, round-ovate, 

 mucronate, tufted; seeds large, long, wide, acute, dark shaded with light 

 brown; flesh yellow, firm, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, aromatic, sprightly 

 subacid; very good to best; November to February. 



Group 12. — Russet Apples 



430. Pomme Grise. — The fruit of Pomme Grise is distin- 

 guished by small size, golden russet color, and crisp, tender, fine- 

 grained, sprightly, aromatic flesh. The trees are hardy, healthy 

 and annually produce fruit in great abundance. The variety 

 had its origin and finds greatest favor among the French in the 

 valley of the St. Lawrence. 



Tree vigorous, dense, round or spreading. Fruit small, oblate, sym- 

 metrical; stem slender, pubescent, often streaked with reddish-brown; 

 cavity large, obtuse, deep, wide; calyx small, closed; lobes long, narrow, 

 acuminate, pubescent ; basin pubescent, narrow, shallow, obtuse, furrowed ; 

 skin thick, tough, yellow covered with russet, the cheek often smooth and 

 yellowish-brown, mottled and striped with red; dots gray or white, scatter- 

 ing and inconspicuous; calyx-tube cone-shaped; stamens basal; core 

 abaxile ; cells closed or partly so ; core-lines clasping ; carpels round, emargi- 

 nate, mucronate, smooth or tufted; seeds plump, irregular, obtuse, tufted; 

 flesh yellow, firm, crisp, fine-grained, juicy, rich, subacid, aromatic ; very 

 good to best ; November to April. 



431. Roxbury Russet (Fig. 106).— The 

 rough, tough-skinned, yellowish-brown, rus- 

 seted fruits are known by all. The flesh, 

 also, is distinct in its yellow-green color, its 

 tenderness, and its pleasing sprightly flavor. 

 The variety does best in rich intervale soils, 

 and is most popular in New England and Fig. lOG. Roxbury 

 Westward into Michigan. Roxbury is sup- 

 posed to have originated in Roxbury, ]\Iassachusetts, nearly 

 three hundred years ago. 



