THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 41 



AKIN. 



REFERENCES, i. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234. 2. Riehl, Am. Pom. Soc. 

 Rpt., 1897:137- 3- Taylor, U. S. Dept. Agr. Yr. Bk., 1903:268. col pi. 4. 

 ///. State Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890. 



SYNONYMS.! Akin Red, Akin Seedling, Akin's Seedling, Aikin's Red, Aiken, 

 Aken not "Aiken's Winter " of Downing which is a crab of Minnesota origin. 

 (3). Akin's Red. (4). 



When the Akin is well developed it is a beautiful, dark red, winter 

 apple of pretty good quality. It appears to be specially adapted for 

 fancy trade and for dessert use. Although it has not been suffi- 

 ciently tested to determine its value for cultivation in New York, 

 it promises to be hardy, healthy and reliably productive. It seems 

 to be best suited to more southern localities, but it has usually devel- 

 oped well at Geneva, although in occasional seasons its fruit has not 

 attained good color here. With ordinary care the fruit does not 

 average much above medium size. In ordinary storage it keeps well 

 till midwinter and in cold storage till March or later. It is suffi- 

 ciently promising to be worthy of testing for commercial purposes. 



Historical. Taylor gives an excellent account of the origin of the Akin (3) 

 from which it appears that the original tree was grown from seed brought 

 from Tennessee and planted in 1831 near Lawrenceville, 111., on the farm 

 now owned by W. J. Akin. It was first propagated for sale in 1868. Mr. 

 Akin exhibited it in December, 1890, at the Cairo meeting of the Illinois State 

 Horticultural Society, where it was awarded first premium both as a " Seed- 

 ling " and a " New Variety good enough to be recommended." Taylor says 

 (3), "It has now been fruited in several states, and is one of the most promis- 

 ing of the recently introduced sorts for the apple growers who desire a variety 

 well adapted to the needs of the fancy trade in the larger cities. It succeeds 

 well in the Middle West and in the winter apple districts of the Allegheny 

 Mountain region, and is worthy of thorough test on rich, warm soils in the 

 northern apple districts from New York westward." 



TREE. 



Tree upright, becoming somewhat spreading, dense, medium in size, moder- 

 ately vigorous. Branches long, moderately stout. Twigs long, straight, 

 stocky, with thick tips ; internodes short to medium in length. Bark olive- 

 green varying to dull purplish-brown, largely covered with a gray pubescence 

 that becomes thicker and heavier towards the tips. Leniicels numerous, con- 

 spicuous, oblong or roundish, raised. Buds medium size, obtuse, broad ap- 

 pressed, quite pubescent. Leaves large, broad. 



1 Numbers in parentheses designate authors or publications cited in the preceding list. 

 This plan is followed with all of the formal descriptions given in this report. 



