THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 327 



people who know its good qualities. The fruit is usually of good 

 size and form but not very attractive in color. Downing observes 

 that this variety requires a deep, rich, sandy loam to bring it to per- 

 fection but that it does not succeed well in damp or cold soils, and 

 adds that in its native soil he has seen it 12 inches in circumference 

 and of a deep, golden yellow color (10). The tree is not as long- 

 lived nor as hardy as either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening. In 

 many cases it is injured by apple canker 1 or by sunscald and occasion- 

 ally it suffers from winter injury. In some localities it appears to be 

 thriftier, hardier, and, on the whole, more successful when top- 

 worked upon some hardier and more vigorous variety such as Bald- 

 win, Rhode Island Greening or Northern Spy than it does when 

 grown upon its own trunk. Generally speaking it has the reputation 

 of being a shy bearer, yielding moderate crops biennially ; but in some 

 cases it is regarded as a heavy cropper and an annual bearer. Often 

 a comparatively large amount of the crop is lost in drops and culls. 

 Its season is somewhat variable but in ordinary storage commonly 

 extends from November or December to March or April (32). 



Historical. Downing states " This is a truly noble American fruit, pro- 

 duced by the Dutch settlers on the Hudson, near Esopus " (10). Coxe (3) 

 remarks that " In the Low-Dutch language this name signifies a heavy apple 

 it is a highly celebrated winter table fruit in some parts of New- York, and 

 New;-Jersey ; it is a large green apple, of great and uncommon flavour and 

 richness ; highly deserving of cultivation, in every collection of fine fruits." 

 It has been widely disseminated through the state and often a few trees of 

 it are still found in old orchards but it has nowhere been cultivated extensively 

 and is now seldom planted. 



TREE. 



Tree usually medium or below medium size, moderately vigorous ; branches 

 somewhat inclined to droop. Form roundish to quite spreading, rather dense, 

 somewhat resembling that of Rhode Island Greening. Twigs below medium 

 to short, straight or nearly so, rather slender to stout with prominent terminal 

 buds; internodes short. Bark of the trunk and older limbs peculiarly rough, 

 that of the new twigs clear dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green, 

 lightly streaked with scarf-skin and pubescent. Lenticels numerous, small 

 to medium, elongated, slightly raised. Buds prominent, below medium to 

 large, plump, acute, free or nearly so, slightly pubescent. 



FRUIT. 



Fruit above medium to large, fairly uniform in size and shape. Form 

 roundish varying from oblate to somewhat oblong, often ribbed, regular, sym- 



1 For an account of this disease see Paddock, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 18:331. 1899 and 

 18:342. 1900. 



