20V 



PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 265 



As the " Smith farm," near Woodsboro, is but 9 or 10 miles distant 

 from the " Baumgardner place," referred to in the earlier account,, the 

 occurrence of 3 tree or trees of the variety of fruiting age at Woods- 

 boro as early as 1865 is not difficult of satisfactory explanation. 



As already indicated, the names " Smith " and " Hoop " are applied 

 locally to this apple; in other localities it is still known as the 

 " Baumgardner " or " Bill Baumgardner " apple. The name " Monoc- 

 acy," so far as known, was first suggested for this variety in 1897 

 by Mr. J. A. Ramsburg, 1 of Frederick, Md. The identity of the va- 

 riety was then apparently unknown to him, and because of the fact 

 that it originated near and for many years' had been considerably 

 grown at points in the vicinity of the Monocacy River this name 

 seemed to be an appropriate one. In recent years the name " Monoc- 

 acy " has become more widely known than any one of the others, 

 the variety having been commercially propagated and disseminated 

 under this designation. So far as known, the other names, though in 

 use locally for many years before the name " Monocacy " was sug- 

 gested, have not previously been published in connection with the 

 variety. 



Though this variety has become somewhat more widely distrib- 

 uted in recent years, it remains very largely unknown except in the 

 northeastern portion of Frederick and the western part of Carroll 

 County, Md. It is to be found in many small home orchards in 

 this region, where in most cases its distribution has been by means 

 of scions top-worked into trees of bearing age. 



The original tree died some years ago, having become greatly 

 weakened, it is said, from the excessive cutting of scions from it. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form roundish, some specimens slightly oblate conic, sometimes 

 slightly ribbed; size medium to large; cavity regular, medium to 

 large, rather deep, slope abrupt, sometimes .slightly russeted, but 

 without markings in the majority of specimens; stem short, rather 

 slender; basin regular, medium in size and depth, slope gradual, 

 some leather cracking, slightly furrowed ; calyx segments medium to 

 large, converging; eye rather large, closed or nearly so; surface 

 smooth ; color yellowish green, almost entirely overspread with dark 

 crimson, shading to a purplish crimson in very highly colored speci- 

 mens, splashed and striped with darker crimson, with an overspread 

 of mottled gray in many specimens; dots yellowish white, rather 

 numerous, increasing in numbers toward the apex, rather large and., 

 conspicuous; skin moderately thi'ck, tenacious, and firm; flesh yel- 

 lowish white, sometimes slightly tinted with red; texture moder- 

 ately fine grained, juicy; core large, oblate, clasping, closed or par- 



1 Letter from Mr. Ramsburg, October, 1897. 



