52 



and the Eome Beauty extends as far north as the Grimes. 

 But this intraregional overlapping of Rome Beauty and 

 Baldwin is largely a matter of dovetailing due to variations 

 in elevation. .Thus in southern Pennsylvania, as the Bald- 

 win in its southerly extension seeks its soil at higher eleva- 

 tions to offset the climatic changes, so does Rome Beauty in 

 its northern extension seek the same soil at a lower elevation 

 for the same reason. 



The Baldwin tends to become a fall variety with increasing 

 distance south, and where this tendency is sufficiently pro- 

 nounced to materially lessen its desirability, it may well be 

 replaced by the Rome Beauty, which is adapted to the same 

 kind of soil. 



Rome Beauty is grown with fairly good success in the 

 lower Hudson valley and at low elevations in western Xew 

 York, but there is some question whether it will become a 

 leading commercial sort in either region. 



Ben Davis and Gang. 



These varieties are mentioned, not to encourage their plant- 

 ing in Massachusetts, for it is believed that they should not be 

 planted here, but rather to show their relation to other va- 

 rieties better adapted to conditions in this State. 



Both Ben Davis and Gano show less effect from variation 

 in the soils upon which they are grown than any others ob- 

 served. Their well-known quality is probably somewhat in- 

 dicative of why this is so, yet there are differences to be noted 

 in the character of the fruit as affected by soil and climate. 

 The latter feature is believed to be of great importance, for 

 while there is no gainsaying the fact that the Ben Davis v/ill 

 grow anj^'here and produce fruit of some description, it re- 

 quires a good deal of warm weather for its best development. 



The mere fact that the Ben Davis may well be called the 

 " apple of neglect," because it will probably stand more 

 neglect than any other commercial variety and still bear 

 fruit, accounts for the commercial growers' dictum that it is 

 " a good barrel filler and a good shipper ; " while they may 

 follow this saying with the words, " and that is all." Xo 



