74 



MARTHA 



PICTA STRIATA 



larger in tree and fruit, with coarser foliage 

 and longer and more slender twigs. Large 

 Yellow Siberian and Yellow Siberian differ 

 from these two varieties chiefly in having 

 yellow fruit. All four varieties are from the 

 Old World, but when and by whom introduced 

 does not appear. 



Tree very hardy, healthy, moderately long-lived, pro- 

 ductive biennially and sometimes annually. Fruit of 

 medium size, uniform in size and shape, round to round- 

 ovate, regular ; stem medium to long, slender ; cavity 

 acuminate, shallow, broad, often furrowed, usually rus- 

 seted ; calyx closed ; lobes long, narrow, acuminate ; 

 basin shallow or none, obtuse, wrinkled, having mammi- 

 form protuberances ; skin thin, tough, smooth, pale 

 yellow, overlaid with bright red and marked with ob- 

 scure, narrow stripes of dark red ; dots small, light, 

 inconspicuous ; calyx-tube short, wide, urn-shape ; 

 stamens median ; core medium size, axile ; cells closed ; 

 core-lines meeting ; carpels ovate, emarginate ; seeds 

 glossy, dark brown, small, short, wide, obtuse ; flesh 

 yellow", firm, subacid, astringent ; good ; September and 

 October. 



MARTHA. Fig. 68. The large fruits, 

 handsomely colored with bright red on a 

 yellow background, perfectly turned in oblate 

 spheres, and the uniformity in size and shape, 

 make Martha one of 

 the most prepossess- 

 ing of all crabs. The 

 yellowish flesh, 

 though a little 

 coarse, is so crisp, 

 juicy, and well-fla- 

 vored that one is 

 tempted to say that 

 this is the very best 

 crab for culinary 

 purposes. The trees, 

 while of but medium 

 size and vigor, are hardy, come into bearing 

 young, bear annually, and are usually fruitful. 

 Furthermore, the season, late fall, makes this 

 one of the most desirable crabs for home or 

 market. This is another of Peter Gideon's 

 crab-apples first described in 1839. 



Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open, droop- 

 ing. Fruit large, uniform in size and shape, round or 

 oblate, regular or faintly ribbed, usually symmetrical, 

 sides sometimes unequal ; stem long, slender ; cavity 

 acute, broad, sometimes furrowed, often thinly russeted ; 

 calyx small, closed or partly open, occasionally de- 

 ciduous ; basin shallow, wide, obtuse, smooth ; skin 

 thin, tough, smooth, pale yellow almost covered with 

 bright, light red overspread with bloom ; sometimes faint 

 narrow stripes extend from the cavity to calyx ; dots 

 numerous light colored, small ; calyx-tube short, narrow, 

 very small, conical ; stamens median to marginal ; core 

 of medium size, axile ; cells closed ; carpels round or 

 obovate, tufted ; seeds narrow, acute ; flesh yellow, firm, 

 coarse, crisp, juicy, brisk subacid ; good to very good ; 

 September to November. 



MINNESOTA. In the northern part of the 

 Great Plains, where the hardy crab-apple is a 

 favorite fruit, Minnesota finds favor; else- 

 where it is hardly known. The variety is an 

 old one, having originated in Minnesota .some 

 time previous to 1872. 



Tree rather small, compact, spreading, moderately 

 vigorous, moderately productive, very large, round ; skin 

 pale yellow, blushed or mottled on the sunny side and 

 overspread with thin, white bloom ; flesh white, firm, 

 crisp, juicy, fine-grained, mild subacid or nearly 

 sweet, slightly astringent ; quality good ; September and 

 October. 



68. Martha. (X%) 



MONTREAL BEAUTY. This crab is 

 listed by nurserymen in both Canada and the 

 United States, but is now seldom found in 

 orchards except in the vicinity of Montreal 

 and in parts of Quebec. The variety origi- 

 nated in Quebec some time previous to 1833. 



Tree hardy, strong, vigorous, large, upright, compact, 

 bearing heavily but does not come in bearing early. 

 Fruit large, oblong-conic, or round-oblong, truncate ; 

 skin yellowish-white, tender, juicy, subacid with little 

 astringency ; good ; late September and October. 



ORANGE. This is an old eastern crab- 

 apple, at one time a favorite, but now seldom 

 grown east of the Mississippi. Nurserymen 

 on the Great Plains list it and speak well of 

 it. Its origin is not known, but it seems to 

 have been first described by Downing in 1869. 



Tree round-topped, spreading, dwarfish, rather slow in 

 growth, hardy, long-lived, productive, bearing annually. 

 Fruit of medium size, round or slightly oblate ; stem 

 very long, slender ; cavity open, deep, acute, with a trace 

 of russet ; calyx closed ; basin very shallow, wrinkled ; 

 skin orange-yellow, often netted with russet ; dots white, 

 obscure ; core open ; flesh light salmon-yellow, rather 

 dry, mild subacid with a sweet after-taste ; quality good ; 

 September to November. 



PAUL IMPERIAL. Paul Imperial is an 

 English crab imported in 1888 by Ellwanger 

 & Barry, Rochester, New York. The fruits 

 are less attractive in appearance than those of 

 several American crab-apples, falling short both 

 in size and color, and are not so good in 

 quality. The trees are only medium in size, 

 but come in bearing young, and are very pro- 

 ductive. This variety is said to be a cross 

 between Red Astrachan and Siberian crab. 



Tree vigorous, spreading, open, with short, stout, 

 crooked branches having numerous small spurs. Fruit 

 small, uniform in size but not in shape, usually oblate, 

 often irregularly elliptical, strongly ribbed, sides un- 

 equal ; stem long, slender ; cavity obtuse, deep, broad, 

 furrowed, not russeted ; calyx large, closed, prominent, 

 persistent ; lobes long, broad ; basin shallow, wide, 

 obtuse, furrowed and wrinkled and sometimes mammil- 

 late ; skin thin, tender, smooth, yellow, often covered 

 with dark red, overspread with bloom ; dots numerous, 

 indistinct, light ; calyx-tube small, short, wide, urn- 

 shape ; stamens marginal ; core large, axile ; cells closed 

 or open ; core-lines meeting ; carpels round, narrowing 

 toward apex, tufted ; seeds small, wide, acute, light 

 brown ; flesh yellow sometimes stained with red, firm, 

 coarse, crisp, tough, juicy, brisk subacid ; good ; Sep- 

 tember and October. 



PICTA STRIATA. This crab, too small 

 for a good commercial fruit, has a place in 

 the crab-apple flora because of its late season. 

 The apples are handsome but a little too mild 

 in flavor to be generally acceptable. The 

 variety was introduced by Ellwanger & Barry, 

 Rochester, New York, about 1888. 



Tree large, upright-spreading with drooping laterals. 

 Fruit of medium size, uniform in size but not in shape, 

 oblate or round-oblate, irregularly ribbed ; stem long, 

 slender ; cavity obtuse, deep, broad, compressed, smooth ; 

 calyx usually small, closed ; lobes separated at base, 

 long, acute ; basin shallow, obtuse, smooth ; skin thin, 

 tender, smooth, glossy, pale yellow covered with crim- 

 son, blushed and striped with carmine ; dots indistinct, 

 gray ; calyx-tube short, narrow, conical ; stamens mar- 

 ginal ; core medium to large, axile ; cells open or closed ; 

 core-lines clasping ; carpels round to elliptical, concave, 

 deeply emarginate, sometimes tufted ; seeds dark brown, 

 wide, short, obtuse ; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, tender, 

 juicy, astringent, sprightly subacid ; good ; October to 

 early winter. 



