The Apples of New York. 19 



been introduced from Canada grow to perfection along Lake Cliamplain 

 and the St. Lawrence but do not succeed so well in either the central 

 or the southern parts of the state. Blue Pearmain, Bethel, Jewett Red 

 and other kinds which succeed well in Northern New England and in 

 northern counties of New York do not usually develop as good quality 

 nor as high color when grown in the central and southern parts of the 

 state. 



This general law as to the adaptability of varieties to regions having 

 about the same latitude as that in which they have originated is verified 

 in the experience of apple growers in other portions of the continent. 

 In the fruit districts of Washington, for example, where the length of 

 the growing season more nearly approximates that of New York and 

 New England the apples which are gaining prominence in the commercial 

 orchards, barring local seedlings, are Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, 

 Esopus Spitzenburg, Yellow Bellflower and other kinds which are taken 

 from the lists of the New York and New England apples. jNIoreover in 

 the upland orchards of that state York Imperial cannot be brought up 

 to its best ciuality, while in the valleys good York Imperials are grown, 

 as well as other kinds which require for their proper development a 

 climate milder and a season longer than that of Central New York. 

 Wealthy in Southern New York becomes a September apple but at 

 Ottawa, Canada, it may often keep well into the winter. The Baldwin, 

 which in New York is a standard winter variety, becomes a fall apple 

 in Virginia and Arkansas. It thus appears that each variety has its own 

 peculiar requirements as to length of season and amount of heat needed 

 to bring it to its best development. Those varieties which, like Ben 

 Davis, Grimes Golden and York Imperial require a warmer and longer 

 season for their proper development than do such apples as Baldwin, 

 Rhode Island Greening and Tompkins King, can never become standard 

 sorts in Central and Western New York, by reason of climatic limitations. 



But the adaptability of a variety to a particular region is not altogether 

 a matter of latitude, or length of season, nor prevailing temperature 

 during the growing season. The general character of the soil, the pre- 

 vailing climatic conditions during the blooming season, and other condi- 

 tions peculiar to the local environment also enter into the question. 

 Probably there is no region of New York where better Esopus Spitzen- 

 burgs are grown than in the Schoharie valley; or better Newtown 

 Pippins than in certain locations on the north shore of Long Island and 

 in the Hudson valley; or better Fameuse than along the St. Lawrence 

 river and Lake Champlain, yet there are other locations having corre- 

 sponding latitude and altitude where these kinds do not succeed as well 

 as they do in the regions named. Just what are the peculiar local condi- 

 tions favorable or unfavorable to a particular variety cannot all be defi- 

 nitely stated, but it is beyond question that some localities do afford 

 peculiar advantages for certain varieties and also that some other local- 

 ities are not particularly favorable or are even unfavorable to these 

 varieties, aside from the factors of the length and warmth of the season. 

 Since these peculiar favorable or unfavorable conditions are not all defi- 

 nitely known it is unwise to plant any variety extensively till it has been 

 first tested and proved satisfactory either in that region or in an appar- 

 ently similar region. 



