MASSACHUSETTS 



1341 



and in some sections tlie apple canker 

 attacks it. The form of the tree is de- 

 cidedly drooping and for this reason it 

 might be headed somewhat higher than 

 the varieties of more upriglit growth. Its 

 season is a little earlier than that of the 

 Baldwin and it is a good companion va- 

 riety to plant with the Baldwin in com- 

 mercial orchards. The fruit is a bright, 

 handsome green in color in the autumn 

 and early winter, but changes to a yellow 

 color later in the season. It is undoubt- 

 edly one of the best cooking apples 

 grown. It is more nearly an annual bear- 

 er than the Baldwin, though not strictly 

 annual, and the fruit hangs very well on 

 the tree. The season is from late October 

 until March, though varying somewhat 

 with the culture and storage conditions; 

 but it ripens very rapidly when subjected 

 to heat and is very liable to scald in 

 storage, particularly with large, over- 

 grown specimens. 



(4) Wealthy 

 This variety was originated by Peter 

 Gideon, of Minnesota, from seed of the 

 Cherry Crab. The tree is very hardy 

 indeed and a good, thrifty grower while 

 young; but as the trees get older the 

 rate of growth becomes more moderate 

 until when they reach middle age the 

 growth is very slow, and careful cultural 

 treatment is often required to keep up 

 its rate of growth. The tree never 

 reaches large size and for that reason 

 and others is very useful as a filler. It 

 comes into bearing very early. Fre- 

 quently fruit will be found on the tree 

 in two or three years, though of course 

 only scattering specimens. The fruit is 

 of good quality and finely colored, being 

 a light straw-yellow, splashed and striped 

 and sometimes almost covered with a 

 handsome crimson. It attains good size 

 on younger trees, but on older trees, 

 where, as noted above, growth has be- 

 come slow, the fruit is apt to run small. 

 This has to be overcome by severe prun- 

 ing and high fertilizing. The fruit also 

 needs to be thinned to get the best re- 

 sults. In any case the fruit runs very 

 uniform both in size and shape, and for 

 that reason it makes an excellent variety 

 for boxing. The flesh is tender and juicy 



and requires careful handling in order 

 not to injure it. The season is September 

 and October, slightly before the Mcin- 

 tosh; but it can be kept until December 

 in good storage. The fruit drops badly 

 from the tree and the trees should be 

 picked over two or three times. It is at 

 present being quite largely planted, more 

 so than many other varieties; but, as al- 

 ready noted, its special field is as a filler. 



(5) Hnbbardston 



This is another variety which orig- 

 inated in Massachusetts, having been 

 found at Hubbardston, Massachusetts, 

 very early in the history of the state. 

 The tree is vigorous, particularly when 

 young, and comes into bearing early, fre- 

 quently giving a fair scattering of fruit 

 from the orchard at four years. The tree 

 is only moderate in size, but bears heav- 

 ily, at least biennially and sometimes 

 annually; it is therefore a good variety 

 to be used as a filler. It is apt to over- 

 bear in a productive year, and for this 

 reason should receive careful attention, 

 to keep the soil in a good state of fertility 

 and the foliage free from fungous dis- 

 eases or insects. It will often be neces- 

 sary, also, to thin the fruit, in order to 

 keep it up to the proper size. The tree 

 is considerably subject to canker where 

 that disease is prevalent, and the fruit 

 to the railroad worm. The fruit is of ex- 

 cellent quality, being firm, fine-grained 

 and rich, and when well grown it is finely 

 colored, with handsome appearance and 

 attractive texture, which makes it sell 

 well. As a cooking apple it does not rank 

 so high and ought to be used fairly early, 

 as after it has become more mild it is 

 not nearly as good for this purpose as 

 when it has more acidity. The fruit is 

 uniform and of fair to good size, except 

 when it overbears. Its commercial limit 

 in ordinary storage would be December, 

 and, as with many other varieties, the 

 large-sized, poorly colored specimens do 

 not keep as well as smaller, firmer and 

 better-colored ones. When this variety 

 is well grown it has proved a profitable 

 market sort, standing at present close 

 behind the Greening, and I should have 

 no hesitation in setting it as a market 



