THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 137 



GIDEON SWEET. 



REFERENCES, i. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bui., 205:42. 1903. 2. Beach and 

 Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bui., 248:121. 1904. 



Received for testing at this Station in 1888 from Peter M. Gideon, 

 Excelsior, Minn. It is clearly of the Blue Pearmain class. This is 

 shown by the form and colors of the fruit, the characteristic large 

 dots, the blue bloom, the color, texture and quality of the flesh, and 

 the tendency of the fruit to shrivel when held too long in storage. 



It has been fruited at the Geneva Station for several years, and 

 appears to be worthy of planting for trial where a sweet apple of 

 the Blue Pearmain type is desired. It colors well, is quite attractive 

 in appearance, desirable in size, good in quality, and a good keeper. 

 The flesh is yellowish, juicy, aromatic, mild subacid mingled with 

 sweet, eventually becoming sweet ; good to very good. It is in 

 season from November to April. The tree is vigorous, wide- 

 spreading or roundish, almost an annual bearer, alternating lighter 

 with heavier crops. On the average it is satisfactorily productive. 



The fruit resembles that of Bethel very closely, but we have not 

 yet been able to determine definitely whether or not the two are 

 identical, not having had the privilege of comparing them when 

 grown under similar conditions. Bethel from Northern New York 

 and Northern New England, as compared with fruit of Gideon 

 Sweet from the orchard at this Station, shows no constant differ- 

 ences from Gideon Sweet in the form of the fruit or in the charac- 

 teristics of either the cavity or the basin, but the skin is redder and 

 the flesh is sometimes tinged with red while the Gideon Sweet has a 

 yellower skin, its flesh is not tinged with red, is sweeter and better in 

 quality and the core is more widely abaxile. In both the Gideon 

 Sweet and the Bethel the stem is characteristically curved to one side. 



TREE. 



Tree vigorous ; branches short, moderately stout, crooked. Form roundish 

 to wide-spreading, rather dense. Twigs short to below medium length, 

 straight, rather slender to moderately stout ; quite pubescent towards the tips ; 

 internodes short to medium. Bark clear reddish-brown over olive-green, very 

 lightly coated with gray scarf-skin ; slightly pubescent Lenticcls moderately 

 numerous, scattering, small, roundish or elongated ; the elongated ones are 

 raised. Buds small to medium, broad, obtuse, appressed, quite pubescent, 

 deeply set in bark. 



