THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 291 



colored is not subject to scald (39). It has an established reputa- 

 tion in market and sells at good prices. As compared with Baldwin 

 it is not quite so good in quality either for dessert or for culinary 

 uses but the tree comes into bearing at a much earlier age and under 

 right conditions is more nearly an annual cropper. It is not as well 

 adapted as Baldwin for general cultivation in New York state, the 

 fruit often being less reliable and less satisfactory in size and color, 

 the foliage less healthy and the tree less vigorous and not so large. 

 Although it is an old variety it has not been sufficiently tested in 

 New York to determine the range of its proper cultivation. Gener- 

 ally speaking it succeeds better farther south, as, for example, in 

 some districts in New Jersey and along the Ohio river. It appears 

 to be better adapted to bottom lands and to fertile sandy or gravelly 

 loams than to heavy clay soils. Evidently it develops proper size, 

 color and quality more often when grown in Southeastern New 

 York than it does in cooler and more elevated regions in the interior 

 of the state yet in some localities in Western New York on warm, 

 fertile, well-drained soils it attains good size and good color and 

 gives promise of being satisfactory in commercial orchards. The 

 tree is apt to overbear and in unfavorable locations as it advances 

 in maturity there is often a considerable loss in undersized or poorly 

 colored fruit. Although it is a good grower there appears to be 

 some advantage in top-grafting it upon some more vigorous stock. 

 When top-worked on bearing trees it usually produces some fruit 

 within two or three years from the time of grafting or budding. 

 The fruit is supported by a long stem and usually hangs to the tree 

 remarkably well even in high winds. It is somewhat subject to the 

 attacks of the scab and requires thorough and careful preventive 

 treatment in order to protect it from injurious insects and diseases. 



Historical. Originated by H. N. Gillett m Lawrence county, Ohio. Brought 

 to the notice of the Ohio Convention of fruit growers in 1848 as a new variety 

 (i, 14). It is holding its own as a profitable commercial variety in that section 

 of the country (31) and also in certain other southern apple-growing districts 

 (30, 34, 38), but Stinson reports that in Missouri it is an uncertain bearer 

 and not a safe variety to recommend for general planting although some 

 Missouri fruit growers recommend it for planting in some locations (34). 

 Although occasionally old trees of this variety are found in New York, Rome 

 is as yet but little known among New York fruit growers. Within recent 

 years it has been planted or grafted in commercial orchards to a limited extent 

 and for the most part in an experimental way. 



