THE APPLES OF NEW YORK. 371 



large and nearly symmetrical. The prevailing color, though some- 

 what dull, is a pretty good red with contrasting green showing 

 through the stripes. It is not recommended for general planting in 

 New York state. 



Historical. The origin of Willow is uncertain. The first that written 

 pomology knows of this variety is that it was being grown in the state of 

 Ohio about the middle of the last century. It was said to have been brought 

 there from New Jersey (i, 4), but these statements are hardly convincing 

 because they lack definiteness. Warder refers to it as a Virginia fruit but the 

 authority for the statement is not given. Its cultivation gradually spread 

 from Ohio throughout the Middle West. The fruit was found particularly 

 desirable for shipping to New Orleans and other southern markets. Up to 

 about twenty years ago, Willow was esteemed very highly as a commercial 

 variety in the apple-growing portions of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and 

 Kansas, but during the last two decades it has fallen very much into disfavor 

 on account of its susceptibility to scab, blight, and bitter rot and many culti- 

 vators have gone so far as to cut the trees out altogether on account of the 

 menace from the spread of these diseases to other varieties. So far as we 

 have learned it has been quite free from disease when grown in this state. 

 It has been cultivated in New York in a limited way only and the planting 

 of it does not appear to be increasing very much. 



TREE. 



Tree makes a poor growth in the nursery but under favorable conditions 

 it becomes large and vigorous in the orchard. Form upright spreading with 

 terminals drooping on bearing trees. Twigs short to medium, very slender, 

 straight, limber ; internodes long. Bark clear yellowish-green or light reddish 

 with no noticeable scarf-skin ; quite pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, 

 generally elongated, raised. Buds small to medium, projecting a little, moder- 

 ately obtuse, rather pubescent, adhering to the bark. 



FRUIT. 



Fruit large to medium. Form usually roundish inclined to conic, varying 

 sometimes to roundish oblate, regular or faintly ribbed, symmetrical. Stem 

 short. Cavity acute, deep, wide, often irregular or compressed, sometimes 

 lipped, usually smooth green or red with pale dots but sometimes thinly 

 russeted. Calyx small, closed. Basin medium size or above, moderately wide 

 to wide, irregular or compressed, rather deep, often abrupt, sometimes ridged, 

 wrinkled. 



Skin smooth, pale yellowish-green or dull green mottled and blushed with 

 red and irregularly striped and splashed with deeper red. Dots numerous, 

 rather large, russet-gray or yellowish. Prevailing color fairly good red but 

 usually rather dull. 



Calyx tube rather long, narrow, funnel-shape. Stamens marginal to median. 



Core medium or above, axile ; cells not uniformly developed, symmetrical, 

 closed or partly open ; core lines clasping. Carpels thin, tender, rather flat, 

 broadly roundish narrowing toward the base. Seeds medium to large, flat, 

 wide, plump, rather blunt. 



