THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 179 



in France as December to April. Here at Geneva its season extends 

 to May or June. It is worthy of planting in those cases where a 

 choice late keeping dessert apple is desired for home use. 



Historical. Probably originated with the Cherokee Indians in Western 

 North Carolina. Introduced into Georgia about 1851. It was sent to France 

 in 1860 from the Berckmans Nurseries of Augusta, Georgia, and since 

 that time has been continuously propagated there. It is there regarded as a 

 fruit of first quality and the tree is very productive (4). It is grown to a 

 limited extent in the South but is practically unknown in New York. 



TREE. 



Tree a moderately vigorous or rather slow grower with rather slender 

 branchlets. Form spreading, somewhat open. Twigs medium to rather short ; 

 internodes rather short. Bark olive-green with some brownish-red, some- 

 what pubescent. Lcnticels dull, rather conspicuous, moderately numerous, 

 small, roundish, somewhat raised. Buds rather long, narrow, flat, appressed, 

 rather acute, pubescent. 



FRUIT. 



Fruit small to sometimes medium, uniform in size and shape. Form varies 

 from roundish ovate or roundish conic to slightly oblate, regular, pretty 

 symmetrical, often obscurely ribbed. Stem usually long and rather slender. 

 Cavity moderately shallow to rather deep, narrow to rather wide, obtuse to 

 acute ; usually it is at least partly russeted and often it has outspreading russet 

 rays. Calyx small to medium, usually closed ; lobes acute to acuminate, re- 

 flexed. Basin usually very shallow, obtuse, wrinkled and often gently 

 furrowed. 



Skin thin, tough, smooth, clear yellow often shaded with a bronze blush. 

 Dots small, russet or submerged and whitish. 



Calyx tube cone-shape, sometimes approaching funnel-form. Stamens 

 median to marginal. 



Core medium to rather small, somewhat abaxile; cells fairly symmetrical, 

 usually somewhat open; core lines somewhat clasping to meeting. Carpels 

 very broad and pointed with truncate base varying to broad pointed ovate. 

 Seeds numerous, dark, medium or below, rather narrow, plump, acute. 



Flesh yellowish, firm, very tender, crisp, rather fine-grained, perfumed and 

 aromatic, sprightly, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet, very good for dessert. 



Season December to May or June (8). 



LACKER. 



REFERENCES, i. Watts, Horticulturist, 1:482, 483. 1847. 2. Thomas, 1849: 

 168. 3. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:101. 1851. fig. 4. Elliott, 1854:142. 5. 

 Downing, 1857:163. 6. Hooper, 1857:53. 7. Warder, 1867:443. 



SYNONYMS. Lacker (2, 4). LACQUIER (i). LAQUIER (2, 3, 6). Laquier 

 (4, 5). LECKER (4). 



A red-striped winter apple evidently of the Rambo class. Fifty years ago 

 in some sections of Western New York it was held to be one of the most 



