182 THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 



well enough in ordinary storage till midwinter there is but little 

 occasion for holding it in cold storage. 



Historical. According to Leroy, who gives an excellent historical account 

 of this variety, the Lady apple, or as it is there known, Api, has been in 

 cultivation in France for at least three hundred years. It has been sparingly 

 disseminated throughout this country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It has 

 long been recognized in the New York market as one of the most desirable 

 apples for fancy trade at the holiday season. 



TREE. 



Tree at first moderately vigorous, eventually becomes a rather slow grower ; 

 size medium or somewhat dwarfish ; branches erect, rather slender. Form 

 rather dense, erect. Twigs long and slender, or on old trees rather short; 

 internodes short. Bark bright bro\vn approaching black, partly overlaid with 

 thin scarf-skin, slightly pubescent towards the tips. Lenticels numerous, con- 

 spicuous, round or sometimes elongated, usually medium to small, sometimes 

 large. Buds usually large, rather narrow, acute to acuminate, plump, quite 

 pubescent, free. Leaves not large, rather narrow. 



FRUIT. 



Fruit small to very small, uniform in size and shape. Form usually oblate 

 but varies to roundish inclined to conic, often obscurely ribbed, symmetrical. 

 Stem medium, slender. Cavity pretty large and wide, obtuse to acute, moder- 

 ately shallow to deep, gently furrowed, sometimes thinly russeted. Calyx 

 small, closed ; lobes small, acute. Basin rather wide, shallow to moderately 

 deep, obtuse, narrowly ridged and wrinkled. 



Skin moderately thick, tough, smooth, glossy with a deep red blush which 

 is often irregular and sharply outlined against the clear pale yellow or whitish 

 ground color. Dots whitish or with russet point, inconspicuous. Prevailing 

 effect beautiful bright red and yellow. 



Calyx tube conical or somewhat funnel-form with short truncate cylinder. 

 Stamens marginal. 



Core small, axile; cells symmetrical, closed; core lines clasping. Carpels 

 smooth, roundish or inclined to elliptical, emarginate, mucronate. Seeds 

 plump, wide, obtuse, completely filling the cells. 



Flesh white, firm, fine-grained, crisp, rather tender, juicy, pleasantly aro- 

 matic, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet, good to very good for dessert. 



Season December to May. 



OTHER VARIETIES OF THE LADY GROUP. 



The Lady often produces seedlings which have a general similarity to the 

 parent. Some of these have found their way into cultivation but up to the 

 present time none of them has superseded the Lady. 



Downing (22) mentions besides the Lady four other varieties of the Lady 

 group, namely: the BLACK LADY APPLE (Api Noir), the STAR LADY APPLE 

 (Api fitoile), the LARGE LADY APPLE (Api Gros), and the ROSE-COLORED 

 LADY APPLE (Api Gros Pomme de Rose). Of these the Large Lady apple 

 appears to be the only one which has been disseminated to any considerable 



