50 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY. 



Muscatine counties, Iowa. It does not seem to be the Black Annette 

 of Downing as the fruit keeps till June or later. Has been raised in 

 northern Iowa and merits attention. 



Fruit medium, roundish oblate, regular; surface green, almost 

 wholly covered with dark brownish red, with darker splashes, well- 

 colored specimens black red, with splashes mostly lost in the depth of 

 coloring; dots very conspicuous, large, numerous, whitish and russet; 

 cavity regular, obtuse, green and russet; stem medium to long; 

 basin shallow, wide, smooth, sometimes leather-cracked; calyx open; 

 segments erect convergent. Core closed, distant; cells round, nearly 

 entire; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds short, plump; 

 flesh white, mild, pleasant, subacid, very good. Season, all winter 

 and spring. 



Black Ben Davis. Originated about thirty years ago on the farm 

 of the Rev. M. Black, near Lincoln, Washington County, Arkansas. 

 Reagan was at first given preference, but the above name has priority, 

 and the name Reagan resembles too closely Ragan, an old Indiana vari- 

 ety. It now appears that Mr. Reagan bought the farm from Mr. Black 

 after the tree came into bearing. Recently introduced; promising. 



Fruit large, form much like Ben Davis, the skin also becoming 

 unctuous like that variety; surface very handsomely colored, a dark 

 solid crimson, almost black crimson on sunny side, on shaded side the 

 yellow ground-color shows through, no true stripes nor splashes, but 

 shading varies in depth of coloring; dots distinct, few, minute, yel- 

 low; cavity obtuse, medium deep, with stellate russet; stem short; 

 basin deep, abrupt, sharp-rimmed, somewhat ribbed; calyx open. 

 Core closed, small, pointed; cells obovate, axile, entire; tube funnel- 

 shaped; stamens marginal; seeds few, long, pointed, large, some im- 

 perfect; flesh yellowish white, moderately juicy, mild, pleasant sub- 

 acid; quality good, better than Ben Davis. Winter. 



Black Oxford. Origin, Maine; there esteemed for its long keeping 

 and productiveness; at Cedar Falls, Iowa, it has done well top-grafted. 



Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conical; surface yellow, 

 nearly covered with dark solid brownish red, overlaid with gray net- 

 veining, a peculiar color; dots numerous, conspicuous, light, a few 

 large russet dots; cavity deep, russeted, the russet sometimes extend- 

 ing out over base in large irregular patches ; stem long, curved ; basin 

 shallow, wrinkled, somewhat leather-cracked; calyx open; segments 

 erect convergent. Core closed, outline irregular; cells ovate; tube 



