PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 473 



brilliant color, yielding fruit uniformly fair and smooth. Supposing 

 it to be an old variety, he sent specimens for identification to various 

 pomologists, including the late Charles Downing. None of the experts 

 recognized the variety, and Mr. Peters, considering it worthy of dis- 

 semination, dubbed it "Unknown," and offered it for sale in his 

 catalogue as early as 1884 under that name. From this nursery it was 

 quite widely introduced, and in recent years has attracted attention in 

 Nebraska. Arkansas, Maryland, and Delaware, being most widely 

 grown in a commercial way in the last-mentioned State. One of the 

 iirst to recognize its merit after it was distributed by Mr. Peters 

 appears to have been Mr. H. T. Vose, of West Point, Ark., then of 

 Otoe County, Nebr. Mr. Vose states that he solicited and obtained 

 the consent of the introducer to name it "Randolph," in honor of the 

 discoverer. 



While not of the highest dessert quality, the Randolph is a good 

 eating apple of mild flavor, distinctly better than most varieties of 

 its season, with a firmness of texture and brilliance of color that 

 render it one of the best summer varieties for long shipment by either 

 rail or sea. Mr. Vose reported it in 1895 as the most vigorous grower 

 in his collection of sixty or more varieties, and an early, annual 

 bearer, ripening about two weeks later than Red June. The fruit 

 sets singly or rarely in pairs on the fruit spurs, and as it does not 

 overload, its crop is more even in size than varieties that set their 

 fruit in clusters. 



On Plate LVIII is illustrated a specimen grown by Mr. Thomas O. 

 Duvall, Spencerville, Montgomery County, Md., in 1902. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form oblate, very symmetrical; size medium to large; surface 

 smooth and glossj'; color creamy white, washed with crimson and 

 beautifully striped with darker crimson; dots few, gray, indented; 

 cavity regular, of medium size and depth and gradual slope, striped 

 and russeted; stem short to medium, rather stout; basin regular, of 

 medium size and depth and abrupt slope, slightly furrowed; skin 

 thick, tenacious; core medium, oblate couic, partially open, clasping 

 the eye; seeds plump, brown, medium, numerous; flesh yellowish, 

 with a satiny luster, moderately fine-grained, very firm, breaking, 

 moderately juicy; flavor mild subacid, good. Season second half of 

 July in Delaware and tide-water Maryland. 



The tree is a vigorous grower, with brownish wood and light dots. 

 It is regularly and sufficiently productive. 



The variety is considered by Mr. Duvall the most profitable sum- 

 mer apple of his section in Maryland, arid from its behavior in the 

 < 'xpci-iincntal export shipments referred to it is considered well worthy 

 of testing as a commercial summer apple throughout the country. 



