152 THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 



and goes down rather quickly, particularly if the weather is unfa- 

 vorable. When sent to distant markets it should be shipped under 

 ice. The fruit ripens in succession so that several pickings are 

 required in order to secure the crop in prime marketable condition. 

 It is in season during late August and September, but it may be 

 used for culinary purposes before it is fully ripe. The tree is 

 highly valued because of its great hardiness. It is vigorous when 

 young but with age it becomes a rather moderate or slow grower. 

 It is only moderately long-lived, but is a reliable cropper, yielding 

 good crops biennially, often with lighter crops alternating. Gener- 

 ally speaking, the trees require good cultivation, thorough fertilizing 

 and careful spraying in order to secure the best commercial results. 

 The fruit hangs fairly well to the tree till it is ripe. It is quite 

 uniform in size and quality, with but a small percentage of loss 

 from unmarketable fruit. 



Historical. This is one of the four pioneers among Russian apples in 

 America, the other three being Alexander, Tetofsky and Red Astrachan (38). 

 These four varieties were imported by the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society from the London, England, Horticultural Society about 1835. Olden- 

 burg was brought to England from Russia about twenty years prior to that 

 date. It was tested by Robert Manning, Superintendent of the Test Gar- 

 den of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Salem who published the 

 following description in 1838 (3) : "A valuable and handsome apple said to 

 be of Russian origin. The size is middling, form round and rather flat; 

 skin of a beautiful yellow, striped with red; flavor very pleasant and good. It 

 bears well and ripens in September and October." In 1850 Hovey wrote, 

 " Mr. Manning, we believe, first proved the Duchess of Oldenburg and gave 

 a brief account of it in his Book of Fruits. Since then it has been con- 

 siderably disseminated, and though yet far from being common is to be 

 found in many fine collections of fruit" (9). Later it became disseminated 

 throughout the Middle West and Northwest where it proved to be much 

 superior in hardiness to Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, Northern Spy 

 and other varieties which have been commonly cultivated in this state. Its 

 ability to withstand severe climates encouraged the importation of other 

 Russian sorts some of which have proved valuable in the northern portion of 

 the apple belt. Oldenburg is commonly listed by nurserymen (31) and its 

 planting both in home orchards and in commercial orchards is increasing in 

 this state. 



TREE. 



Tree medium in size. Form at first upright spreading but eventually 

 roundish. Twigs moderately long, curved, slender ; internodes long. Bark 

 dark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels 



