CRAB-APPLES. 215 



Zolotareff (No. 275). Origin, Russia. A large handsomely 

 colored apple of the Vasilis Largest type and much resembling that 

 variety. 



Zusoff (No. 585). Origin, Russia. For a time Anisim was 

 mixed with this variety, but the two are very distinct. 



Fruit large, heavy, roundish oblate, regular or faintly angular; 

 surface smooth, glossy, greenish yellow, almost or wholly covered 

 with a peculiar dark brownish red, no stripes nor splashes, a showy 

 fruit; dots minute, numerous, whitish, distinct; cavity abrupt, 

 very deep, regular, green and russet, the russet sometimes extending 

 out in irregular rays; stem very short; basin small, regular; calyx 

 closed; segments small, erect convergent. Core regular, clasping; 

 tube conical; stamens median; seeds few, plump; flesh white, with 

 greenish tinge and veinings, juicy, firm, fine-grained, subacid, good. 

 Winter. 



CRAB-APPLES. 



In the prairie Northwest considerable attention has been paid to 

 Siberian crab-apples because of their superior hardiness and value for 

 culinary use. Botanically considered, Siberian crabs are of two 

 types: Pyrus baccata and P. prunifolia. The true Siberian crab 

 (Pyrus baccata), according to Russian writers, has deciduous calyx 

 segments (i.e., the segments fall off as the fruit ripens) ; in P. pru- 

 nifolia the segments persist in the ripe fruit. Prof. L. H. Bailey has 

 recently considered the crabs of the latter type to be hybrids of 

 P. baccata with the common apple, P. Mains. Thomas Andrew 

 Knight, a century ago, in England, produced several hybrids between 

 the common apple and the pure Siberian crab, which proved specially 

 valuable for cider. Since the introduction of the Siberian crabs into 

 America they have been grown in apple orchards containing many 

 varieties and have hybridized very freely with the common apple. 

 There are now literally thousands of these crab hybrids, especially 

 in the Northwestern States. Owing to the limited demand the 

 distribution of many, even of the better ones, appears to be largely 

 local. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society's recommended 

 list of crabs and hybrids at present includes: Best for general culti- 

 vation: Virginia, Martha, Whitney, Early Strawberry, Minnesota, 



