252 The Apples of Xew York. 



Historical. Origin unknown (i). It is but very little grown in New York. 



Tree. 



Tree medium in size, moderately vigorous to vigorous with moderately long, 

 slender, crooked branches. Form roundish or nearly upright, open. Tzvigs 

 medium to short, straight, moderately stout; internodes medium to short. 

 Bark brown or somewhat tinged with red, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, 

 pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous but not conspicuous, small, roundish or 

 elongated, not raised. Buds medium to small, plump, obtuse, free or nearly 

 so, pubescent. 



Fruit. 



Fruit below medium to above. Form oblate varying to roundish, flat at 

 base, inclined to conic, somewhat ribbed and often irregularly elliptical ; sides 

 often unequal. Stem short to long, sometimes swollen. Cavity rather large, 

 acute, moderately deep, rather broad, furrowed, usually russeted. Calyx small 

 to above medium, closed or partly open. Basin small to medium, shallow to 

 moderately deep, narrow to moderately wide, abrupt to rather obtuse, some- 

 times furrowed, often wrinkled. 



Skin moderately thin, rather tender, smooth, clear pale yellow or whitish, 

 often with a faint blush sometimes deepening in part to pink, mottled about 

 the cavity w'ith whitish scarf-skin and overspread with a white bloom which 

 produces a delicate and beautiful effect. Dots numerous, whitish or areolar 

 with russet point, often submerged. 



Calyx tube usually funnel-shape and rather narrow with wide limb, some- 

 times conical. Stamens basal. 



Core medium or below medium in size, abaxile ; cells usually symmetrical, 

 sometimes open ; core lines clasping or meeting. Carpels elliptical to some- 

 what obcordate, emarginate, smooth. Seeds few, above medium to rather 

 small, wide, obtuse. 



Flesh whitish tinged with yellow, very firm, moderately fine-grained, break- 

 ing, tender, very juicy, rather briskly subacid, perfumed, slightly astringent, 

 good or sometimes very good in quality. 



Season December to May or June. 



PEARMAIN. 



The term Pearmain, like the term Pippin, has been apphed to very 

 many different varieties of apples. In this country it is used now 

 much less than it was formerly. Hogg states that it " signifies the 

 Great Pear Apple. In olden times it was variously written Peare- 

 maine or Peare-maine, being the Anglicised equivalent of Pyrus 

 Magnus, just as Charlemagne is of Carolus Magnus. A Pearmain, 

 therefore, ought to be a long or pear-shaped apple." 



Among the varieties described in this volume with the term Pear- 

 main appearing either in the accepted names or in synonyms are 

 those listed below. Synonyms appear in italics. 



