THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 355 



moderate to rather heavy crops biennially or nearly annually. In 

 many cases it overbears so that the fruit does not all develop prop- 

 erly in size and color. Under such circumstances it is a great 

 advantage to thin the fruit. To get best results the thinning should 

 be done as early as June. Under favorable conditions the crop is 

 pretty uniform in size, color and quality. 



The tree is often short-lived, but some report that it is longer- 

 lived when top-worked upon hardier and more vigorous stock such 

 as Northern Spy, Baldwin and Tolman Sweet. On account of its 

 dwarfish form and habit of coming into bearing at an early age it 

 is recommended by some fruit growers as a filler to plant between 

 the rows of longer-lived apple trees. Some fruit growers consider 

 it a profitable variety, but many do not. Although it was introduced 

 about a half century ago and it is now sufficiently well known so 

 that it may perhaps be regarded as a standard market variety, yet 

 it has not established itself to any considerable extent in the com- 

 mercial orchards of this state and is not being extensively planted. 



. Historical. The first published reference to the Wagener which we find is 

 that given in the Report of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society for 1847, 

 in which it is stated that it was awarded second premium as a seedling of 

 merit (i). In 1848 it was again presented for competition and was placed by 

 the committee in the list of first-class apples, awarded an additional premium 

 and also a diploma. An illustrated description of it was published in the 

 report of this Society for that year with the remark " This very fine apple the 

 committee consider a desirable addition to the list of first-rate fruits. Its 

 appearance is prepossessing as is also its size and form" (2). An account 

 of the history of Wagener was also given in which it was stated that 

 in the spring of 1791 Mr. George Wheeler brought with him from Dover, 

 Dutchess county, N. Y., to Penn Yan, Yates county, a quantity of apple 

 seeds which he sowed that spring in the nursery upon his farm which 

 he was then reclaiming from the wilderness. In 1796 Abraham Wagener, 

 from whom the name of the apple is derived, bought this seedling nursery 

 and planted trees from it upon his place in what is now the village of 

 Penn Yan. In 1848 it was remarked that the old tree was producing an 

 annual and abundant yield of beautiful and delicious fruit (2). It continued 

 to bear full crops till about the year 1865 (15). After it was brought to 

 the notice of the State Agricultural Society, the Wagener soon began to be 

 propagated quite extensively and it has since become widely disseminated 

 throughout the country. In 1892 Wagener was being offered quite generally 

 by nurserymen throughout the country except in the North Mississippi valley, 

 the Rocky Mountain region and the plains from Nebraska to Texas (22). 

 It is generally known throughout New York but is not planted extensively 

 in any section of the state. 



