The Apples of New York. 279 



cider fruit; it has been cultivated extensively in this country, by the descend- 

 ants of the English settlers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 

 climate of America is supposed to have revived the character of this apple, 

 which had deteriorated in its native soil, from the long duration of the 

 variety — the fruit is rather small ; the form is oblong, flattened at both ends, 

 the stem and crown both sunk — the skin is red, faintly streaked and spotted 

 with yellow — the flesh is yellow, rich, firm, and dry ; it hangs late, and re- 

 quires to be matured by housing to make the finest cider. The character of 

 the cider, when properly made and fined, is very high, both for strength and 

 flavour — the apple keeps well through the winter, and is much esteemed as 

 an excellent kitchen fruit in the latter part of the winter. The tree is of 

 handsome, regular growth, and a great bearer; the opinion of dealers is, that 

 this cider is difficult to fine fit for bottling: when perfectly cleared, it ranks 

 among our first fruit liquors." 



RED WINTER PEARMAIN. 



References, i. Elliott, 1854:141. fig. 2. Elliott, 1854:115. fig. 3. Down- 

 ing, 1857:182. 4. Downing, 1859:329. fig. 5. ///. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1870. 6. 

 Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bui, 56:256. 1905. 



Red Winter Pearmain is not now accepted by pomologists as the correct 

 name of any apple but it is recognized as a synonym for several different 

 varieties. The following is a list of synonyms as corrected by Ragan (6). 



Red Winter Pearmain (3, 4). Synonym of Buncombe. 



Red JVinter Pearmain (i). Synonym of Long Red. 



Red JVinter Pearmain (5). Synonym of Milam. 



Red JVinter Pearmain (2). Synonym of Westfield Seek-No-Further. 



REINETTE. 



The term Reinette, as designating a certain class of apples, has 

 been introduced into English from the French. Leroy^ tells us that 

 French horticultural literature shows that the word has been in use 

 about four hundred years. Starting in with only one variety 

 of this name the number has gradually increased until to-day there 

 are several hundred. Leroy thinks they are all descended from the 

 original variety, the Reinette franche or Reinette Blanche, which is 

 the French Reinette of Downing.^ The derivation of the word is 

 a disputed point, certain etymologists holding that it is the diminu- 

 tive form of Reine, or queen, and others thinking that it is a cor- 

 ruption of Rainet, a colloquial French word meaning a small frog. 

 While European pomologists speak of the Reinettes as a distinct 

 type, an examination of the technical descriptions of the various 



'Leroy. 1873:6 14. 

 2 Downing, 1869: 184. 

 V(;L. I — 12 



