New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 297 
and Orleans to be identical varieties while others hold that they 
are distinct. But Hart has fruited an American Blush which is 
distinct from Hubbardston. See note on American Blush. Hub- 
bardston is one of the most variable varieties of apples. 
It is a very uncertain keeper and should go out early. Morgan 
remarks that it is thick-skinned and as such would be expected 
to keep well, but it does not. 
In the Station tests fruit was stored in 1896, ’97 and ’98. The 
mean dates were October 2 for storing; March 3 for average life; 
and June 9 when last fruit went out. The rate of loss was com- 
paratively low till the first of January after which it increased 
rapidly and remained high. Although at the first of March a 
considerable percentage of the fruit remained sound it had lost 
much of its original high flavor and quality. The results of the 
tests were pretty uniform indicating that the commercial limit 
of this variety is December or possibly early January. 
In the Department cold storage tests small, hard, immature 
fruit, stored October 11, was in prime condition May 1. The 
results of this test were exceptional. This variety from five other 
localities, including two in this State, was also tested, but in 
no other case did it keep nearly so well. 
According to storage men the season of this variety extends in 
cellar storage to December and in chemical cold storage to Janu- 
ary. It is not so much affected by heat as some varieties but 
should nevertheless be kept cool. It goes down quickly. A major- 
ity of our correspondents report variously that the inside of the 
fruit becomes discolored before final decay, that it loses in color 
and firmness, shrivels, becomes mealy and bursts. But experi- 
ences differ greatly on these points, that of Graham especially 
being unlike the majority of the others. Howes reports that if 
the fruit is of good color it does not vary much in keeping quality, 
taken one season with another ; but some seasons it is off color and 
such seasons it soon deteriorates. But Morgan remarks that 
highly-colored specimens go down quicker than those not so 
highly colored. Wilson says the keeping quality of this variety 
depends more on size than on color. If there is only a medium 
crop on the tree the fruit is large and goes down quicker than 
if the crop is heavy and the individual fruits smaller and firmer. 
