70 THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 



grown farther south. It often keeps here in ordinary storage till 

 May, and in cold storage till June, or often till July. In the Ben 

 Davis belt the fruit becomes large and handsomely colored, but in 

 many portions of New York state it does not range much above 

 medium in size and color. The fruit is thick-skinned, does not 

 show bruises easily, and presents a good appearance in the package 

 after being handled and shipped in the ordinary way. 



Nurserymen like it because of its free-growing habit and the ease 

 and rapidity with which trees of marketable size can be grown. In 

 the orchard the tree is very hardy, healthy and vigorous. Although 

 it does not appear to be as long-lived as Baldwin, it comes into 

 bearing at an early age, and usually bears annually and abundantly. 

 Often it makes a good growth, even while bearing good crops. The 

 top is rather dense, and in pruning, particularly in the case of young 

 trees, especial care should be taken to keep it open and spreading 

 so as to give the best possible opportunity for the fruit to color well. 

 Its habit of blossoming late in the spring is an advantage in some 

 regions because the weather is then more apt to be favorable during 

 the pollinating period, and the result is that Ben Davis in such cases 

 often bears good crops, when with other varieties there is more or 

 less of a crop failure. 



Historical. The origin of this apple will probably never be definitely known. 

 It has been variously credited to Tennessee ( 16, 19) , Kentucky ( i ) , and Virginia 

 (7, 1 6, 19). It is supposed to have originated about the beginning of the last 

 century. This view is supported by the fact that before the Civil War it had 

 spread throughout the states just mentioned, and following the routes of 

 migration had been carried into Southern Indiana, Illinois and pretty gener- 

 ally disseminated throughout Missouri and Arkansas. Downing does not 

 mention it in his first edition, but it is described in the first revision (i) of 

 his book on The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. Warder (6) refers to 

 it as a comparatively new sort in Ohio and the Northwest but common in the 

 South and Southwest. During the last quarter century it has been dissemi- 

 nated extensively through all the apple-growing portions of the United States. 



TREE. 



Tree medium in size, rather rank-growing, especially when young, forming 

 coarse strong wood which seldom breaks under heavy crops ; branches strong, 

 with numerous rather short laterals and spurs, often inclined to bend or droop. 

 Form upright becoming roundish, and in old trees rather spreading. Twigs 

 long or very long, straight or slightly curved, moderately stout; internodes 

 long. Bark bright, rather dark brownish-red, continuously mottled with fine, 

 thin scarf-skin, pubescent. Lenticels scattering, round, sometimes oblong, 



