McINTOSH 



MAIDEN BLUSH 



43 



McINTOSH. Fig. 33. Mclntosh Red. If 

 one were compelled to choose the apple of 

 apples as the season's varieties pass by, choos- 

 ing in respect to the qualities which, united, 

 gratify the greatest number of senses, few 

 would hesitate in naming Mclntosh sovereign 

 of all. The fruits of Mclntosh are uniquely 

 beautiful, outwardly and inwardly, the flavor 

 is hardly surpassed, and the whole apple is 

 most agreeably perfumed. The bright deep- 

 red color is made more attractive by a heavy 



33. Mclntosh. (X%) 



and characteristic bloom. Well grown, each 

 apple seems to have been turned out of the 

 same mould a sphere modified by a little 

 oblateness. When the apples are cut, flesh 

 of snowy whiteness rimmed and stained with 

 red is exposed firm, fine, crisp, tender, and 

 juicy, with a rich, delicious, and very dis- 

 tinctive flavor. The trees are vigorous, hardy, 

 and healthy. Three serious faults detract from 

 its value as a commercial fruit: apple-scab 

 fungus seriously disfigures fruit and foliage; 

 the crop ripens unevenly; and the apples sel- 

 dom hang until sufficiently mature. The va- 

 riety originated in Dundas County, Ontario, 

 on the Mclntosh homestead, from which its 

 distribution was begun about 1870. 



Tree vigorous, round or spreading, with numerous small, 

 slender laterals. Fruit large, uniform in shape and size, 

 round-oblate, regular ; stem short, stout, slender, usually 

 not exserted, often with irregular protuberances ; cavity 

 large, acuminate, wide, broadly furrowed, often partly 

 russeted ; calyx small, closed or partly open ; lobes 

 short, narrow, acute ; basin pubescent, small, narrow, 

 abrupt, smooth or obscurely furrowed ; skin thin, tender, 

 smooth, readily separating from the flesh, pale-yellow 

 washed and deeply blushed with bright red and striped 

 with carmine, highly-colored specimens dark red with the 

 carmine stripes obscure, overspread with bloom ; dots 

 white or yellow, small ; calyx-tube short, conical, with 

 broad limb ; stamens median ; core abaxile ; cells wide 

 open ; core-lines meeting, carpels elliptical, smooth, con- 

 cave ; seeds brown, large, acute ; flesh white, sometimes 

 veined with red, firm, fine, crisp, tender, very juicy, 

 perfumed, sprightly subacid ; very good to best ; Oc- 

 tober to December or later. 



McMAHON. McMahon White. McMahon 

 in quality is similar to Alexander, of which it is 

 possibly a seedling, but does not equal it in any 

 characters which contribute to making a com- 

 mercial variety. The apple is not good enough 

 in quality for home-growing. The variety 

 originated about 1860 in Richland County, Wis- 

 consin, and its culture is confined to its native 

 and nearby states. 



Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading. Fruit large 

 or very large, round-conic, faintly ribbed ; stem medium 

 in length, thick ; cavity remarkably acuminate, very 

 deep, broad, compressed, russeted and with outspreading 

 rays ; ealyx small, open ; lobes separated at base, short ; 

 basin deep, narrow, abrupt, compressed, furrowed and 

 wrinkled ; skin pale yellow or nearly white with ir- 

 regular stripes and patches of white scarf-skin extending 

 from the cavity over the base, often having the cheek 

 overspread with a thin blush, faintly splashed and 

 slriped with carmine ; dots few, inconspicuous, green or 

 russet ; calyx-tube long, wide, broadly conical or cylindri- 

 cal ; stamens median ; core small, abaxile to axile ; cells 

 symmetrical, closed or open ; core-lines meeting ; carpels 

 round or elliptical, emarginate ; seeds dark brown, 

 plump, obtuse ; flesh white, fine, tender, juicy, sprightly 

 subacid ; fair to good ; October to February. 



MAGOG. Magog Red Streak. Magog has 

 been on probation for nearly a half century 

 not good enough to recommend and too good 

 to condemn. If worth growing at all, it is 

 only in northern latitudes where hardiness is 

 necessary. The variety originated at Newport, 

 Vermont, about 1870, and its culture is con- 

 fined to New England, Canada, and the Great 

 Plains, being most popular in the last-named 

 region. 



Tree vigorous, upright-spreading. Fruit large, uniform 

 in size but variable in shape, round-oblong, sometimes 

 conic or ovate, regular or faintly ribbed, sides often 

 unequal ; stem short, thick ; cavity acute, medium in 

 depth, narrow, usually smooth, occasionally lipped, 

 often irregularly russeted ; calyx small, closed ; lobes 

 narrow, acute ; basin medium in width and depth, some- 

 times abrupt, coarsely wrinkled ; skin thin, tough, 

 smooth, waxy, pale yellow, lightly washed and mottled 

 with thin brownish-red, sparingly striped and splashed 

 with deeper red ; dots numerous, light, submerged, 

 areolar, brown and russet ; prevailing effect yellow ; 

 calyx-tube long, conical, with long cylinder ; stamens 

 marginal ; core large, abaxile ; cells open ; core-lines 

 clasping the funnel cylinder ; carpels broad-obcordate, 

 sometimes tufted ; seeds light brown, small, wide, short, 

 plump, obtuse ; flesh yellow, firm, fine-grained, tender, 

 very juicy, sprightly, pleasant subacid, aromatic ; good ; 

 season, October to January or later. 



MAIDEN BLUSH. Fig. 34. Lady Blush. 

 Red Cheek. This old favorite, known by fruit- 

 growers in America everywhere for over a 

 century, attained and holds its popularity 

 chiefly by virtue of its distinctive and very 



34. Maiden Blush. 



handsome crimson-cheeked, lemon-yellow ap- 

 ples. The fruits are unique in form as well 

 as color, each an oblate sphere. The apples 

 are not high enough in quality to relish out 

 of hand, but are very good for cooking, evapo- 

 rating, and for the markets. The crop does not 

 mature uniformly, is very susceptible to the 

 scab-fungus, and does not keep well in either 



