THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 57 



able conditions. It stands handling well because of its firm 

 texture and thick skin. It is a favorite market variety because 

 of its desirable season, good size, attractive red color and good 

 quality. 



The Baldwin is preeminently the leading variety in the com- 

 mercial orchards in New York, New England, certain regions in 

 Southern Canada, in the southern peninsula of Michigan and on 

 the clay soils of Northern Ohio. In many localities in Northern 

 New York it is apt to winter-kill, especially in the higher alti- 

 tudes. For the same reason it also fails in portions of Michigan 

 and west of the Great Lakes. In the South and Southwest it is 

 not desirable because it there becomes a fall apple and also be- 

 cause it does not attain as good quality as it does in the Baldwin 

 belt. From Colorado to Washington it is more or less grown in 

 many localities. 



Not only is the Baldwin a standard fruit in American markets 

 but it is one of the leading apples used for export trade. It is 

 one of the principal varieties handled in cold storage. The apples 

 of this variety which are unsuitable for barrelling supply a large 

 part of the evaporator stock in New York state, and are also used 

 to some extent by canneries. 



The tree is a strong grower, long-lived and vigorous. The 

 accompanying view illustrates the vigorous development of 

 mature Baldwin trees, as also does the frontispiece. It is some- 

 what slow in reaching bearing maturity, but when mature it 

 bears very abundantly. In fact, one of the faults of this variety 

 is its habit of producing an overload of fruit biennially and bear- 

 ing little or none on alternate years. On rather light, sandy or 

 gravelly soils the fruit is apt to have a better color, or at least to 

 color earlier in the season, than it does when grown on heavy 

 clay lands. Some hold that fruit from the lighter or more grav- 

 elly soils ripens earlier and consequently scalds earlier in storage 

 than do the duller colored Baldwins grown on heavier soils. The 

 Baldwin is grown successfully on various soils and under various 

 climatic conditions. Besides the other good points of the Bald- 

 win which have been noticed above, it has the advantage of yield- 



