«8 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 355 



Study of Varieties of Fruits. (-J. K. Shaw and staff.) Many new varieties of 

 different fruits were added to our collection and further observations made on 

 those of fruiting age. 



During the past year an evaluation of fruit varieties was made by the Horticul- 

 turists of the northeastern states. Both old and new varieties were considered. 

 Many old varieties were placed in the discard as having little or no commercial 

 value. These evaluation lists are available in a limited way to those interested. 



Apples. Haralson, a comparatively new variety from Minnesota, is of good 

 size and attractive appearance but not of very high quality. 



Several new varieties of the Yellow Transparent season have been under obser- 

 vation for several years. One of them, U. S. D. A. 57, has been released for 

 general propagation under the name Close. No. 34 is of the same season, a little 

 earlier than Yellow Transparent, and seems equal or superior to Close under our 

 conditions. 



Pears. The Gorham pear has been placed on our list of varieties recommended 

 for commercial planting and Cayuga, Conference, and Phelps on our list for trial. 



Plums. Formosa, Stanley, and Albion have been placed on our recommended 

 list and Wrights Early, Santa Rosa, Imperial Epineuse, Hall, and Pacific on our 

 list for trial. Wrights Early is remarkable only for earliness but is the best of its 

 season. Imperial Epineuse is not of attractive appearance but is unexcelled in 

 quality. 



Peaches. Halehaven is rapidly replacing South Haven and others of its season. 

 Golden Globe, Golden East, and White Hale are promising new varieties. Golden 

 Jubilee is well established as a major variety and Oriole is gaining in favor. All 

 these except Halehaven were originated at the New Jersey Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. This Station has several new and very promising varieties which 

 should be tested under our conditions. Peach varieties are rapidly changing and 

 only Elberta of the older varieties maintains its position and this may soon be 

 replaced by some superior variety. 



Grapes. Erie continues to promise well as an early blue grape to precede 

 Fredonia. Eden is almost a vinifera grape, ripens in midseason, and is of excellent 

 quality. It promises well for home use but is of doubtful commercial value. 

 Urbana and Hanover failed to mature properly even in a late season. 



Raspberries. Marcy has thus far been free from mosaic diseases, is of large 

 size and satisfactory in production. It promises to be a valuable variety for us. 

 Taylor suffered seriously from mosaic and apparently will fail to make a place 

 for itself. Newburgh continues to show some mosaic infection and is losing ground 

 though still considered to have some value. Chief and Sodus are the heaviest 

 yielding varieties but have some defects. Sodus is a purple cane. 



Strawberries. Catskill still leads in production. It is of attractive appearance 

 and promises to become a standard variety. Pathfinder is a high producer and 

 attractive in appearance but a little soft for some market conditions. North 

 Star (U. S. D. A. 1425) has good quality and size and is a high producer. It is 

 well worthy of trial as a midseason variety. Beauty, Extralate, Fruitland, and 

 Kanner King have proved unsatisfactory under our conditions. 



Bud Mutations. (J. K. Shaw and W. H. Thies.) It is realized that the so-called 

 red bud sports may differ from the parent variety and from each other in charac- 

 ters other than fruit color. A start has been made in securing various red muta- 

 tions of the Mcintosh and propagating them for test. Three have been budded 

 on clonal stocks and others will be secured as opportunity offers. 



A small branch bearing five highly colored apples was discovered a few years 

 ago in the top of an old Baldwin tree in a station orchard. The general color of the 



