67 



goes back to the seventeenth, century. From a commercial 

 standpoint it is undoubtedly the best of the russets, and is 

 especially valuable as an export variety, the English market 

 being particularly strong on russets, and especially the Eox- 

 bury, since it is marketed late in the year. It is being 

 planted less since cold-storage facilities have improved, but 

 I believe it is still worthy of a place among our list of market 

 varieties. As a cropper it is somewhat variable, but has a 

 strong tendency to annual bearing when well cared for, as it 

 does not tend to overbear. The tree is medium to large in 

 size, and rather a vigorous grower, making usually a flat 

 top. Its principal weakness, so far as the writer knows it, is 

 a tendency to European canker where that disease is common. 

 It makes a characteristic twiggy growth, being full of short 

 fruit spurs, and easily recognized by one familiar with the 

 variety. The fruit is medium to large, being rather variable 

 in both size and shape. It is sometimes oblate, sometimes 

 somewhat conic, and almost always irregular in cross-section. 

 For this reason it is not a good variety for boxing, though 

 these objections apply less to the fruit on well-cared-for trees 

 than on those which receive less care. The flesh is yellowish 

 in color, very firm, but reasonably tender and juicy, with a 

 sprightly sub-acid flavor. In quality it would rank, in the 

 writer's opinion, as good to best. There seems to be consider- 

 able objection to it as a commercial variety for our American 

 markets, but I believe that this olDJection is going to dis- 

 appear as people become accustomed to attaching less impor- 

 tance to the red skin of an apple. 



Good points: — 



1. Reliable bearer. 



2. Keeps late. 



3. Good quality. 



4. Well known. 



5. Handsome. 



Boxhury Russet. 



Bad points : — 



1. Canker. 



2. Eussets not wanted. 



(9) Palmer Greening (or Washington Royal.) — This is 

 still another Massachusetts apple, having originated at Ster- 

 ling, Mass. The tree is only moderately vigorous, even when 



