THE IDENTIFICATION OF APPLE VARIETIES 

 FROM NON-BEARING TREES 



By J. K. Shaw, Research Professor, and A. P. French, Assistant 

 Professor of Pomology 



Introduction 



In a former bulletin by the senior author (l.S) leaf charaeter.s of apple 

 varieties were discussed, and a future i)ul)lication dealing with tree char- 

 acters was promised. This paper is presented in fidfillment of that 

 promise and, inasmuch as Bulletin 208 is out of print and is still fre- 

 quently asked for, includes also some of the information .siven in the 

 earlier publication. 



No one can learn to know varieties from the printed page even 

 when supplemented with an abundance of good illustrations; the trees 

 must be studied as they stand in the nursery or orchard. One may first 

 study a single variety, the identity of which is surely known, tintil its 

 distinguishing characters are learned, then observe how a second variety 

 di Iters from the first and what distinguishes it from other varieties, and 

 .so on with a third and additional varieties. Practically all apple varieties 

 can be distinguished one from another by leaf and tree characters by the 

 well-trained observer. An exception obtains in the case of red-fruited 

 bud sports, several of which are now being propagated in nurseries. The 

 -ivriters have compared a number of these with the varieties from which 

 tliev sprung, and the only possil)le distinguishing character observed is 

 a slightly darker color of foliage and bark. It is doubtful if this is 

 marked enough to definitely separate the sjiort from its parent in a 

 mixture. It has not been possible to find means of distinguishing be- 

 tween Ben Davis, Gano, and Black Ben, which may give support to the 

 suggestion that these two varieties may be bud sports of Ben Davis. 



While it lies outside the scope of this paper, it may be said that pear 

 and plum varieties may be identified nearly or quite as readily as apples; 

 clierry varieties may be somewhat more difficult than apples; but some 

 ])each varieties which are quite different in fruit resemble each other in 

 tree characters so closely as to make it difficult if not impossible to tell 

 one from another before they come into bearing. Yet most varieties 

 can be distinguished beyond reasonable doubt, and most Tuixtures in 

 nursery rows can be detected and the misnamed trees eliminated from 

 Ihe row. 



Review of Literature 



Wiiile tills bulletin discus.ses only api)lc varieties, a review of the more 

 important publications dealing with varietal characters of non-hearing trees 

 of various cultivated fruits seems worth while. These vegetative char- 

 acters have received far less attention than fruit characters. Some of 

 the early pomologists included brief notes on plant characters along with 



