THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 365 



only for dessert purposes it commonly finds but a limited demand 

 in general market and often brings less than the average prices for 

 the leading standard commercial varieties of its season. It has 

 gained the reputation of being a very hardy variety, being superior 

 to Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening in this respect, but its suc- 

 cessful cultivation is more restricted to particular districts or regions 

 than is the case with either of the other varieties named. It does 

 not commonly develop as good color or quality on heavy, cold 

 soils, particularly if they are not well drained, as it does on well- 

 drained, fertile, gravelly or sandy loam. In 1854 Elliott observed 

 that in Ohio and adjoining states the fruit of this variety differed 

 remarkably when grown in different regions. He reported that as 

 " grown in rich loamy alluvial soils of the South, it is much rus- 

 seted, and about the stem the russet has appearance of rich bronze ; 

 progressing northward, it gradually loses its russet, until on light 

 sandy soils in Michigan, it becomes a pale-yellow ground, with 

 stripes and splashes of clear red and minute dots." 



In many parts of New York it has not proved reliably productive, 

 but in other regions, particularly in certain localities in the Lake 

 Ontario apple belt, it has been a regular and abundant cropper, 

 developing good color and fine flavor and is still regarded as a good 

 commercial variety. Generally the tree is very hardy, remarkably 

 healthy and long-lived. There is usually little loss from drops if 

 the crop is picked at the proper season. The fruit is quite uniform 

 in grade and the amount of culls is comparatively small. 



Historical. This old variety found its way into this state from New Eng- 

 land with the early settlers more than one hundred years ago. It was intro- 

 duced into Ohio from Connecticut as early as 1796 (2). In 1846 the com- 

 mittee of the New York State Agricultural Society on the selection of the 

 best varieties of apples for cultivation in New York reported concerning the 

 Westfield Seek-No-Further: 



" This truly excellent apple originated in Westfield, or its neighborhood, a 

 beautiful meadow town, about ten miles west of Springfield, in the Connecti- 

 cut valley, in Massachusetts. For many miles up and down, and round about 

 that river, it is the apple, par excellence, of that locality ; as much so as is the 

 Newtown Pippin on Long Island, or the Esopus Spitzenburgh in Ulster. 

 Whole orchards are planted of this fruit, and no where does it flourish in 

 higher luxuriance and perfection. It loves a warm, free soil ; is hardy, vigor- 

 ous and prolific. In flavor, it is excelled by few apples whatever for all house- 

 hold purposes. It flourishes well in this State, particularly in the western 



