APPLE VARIETIES 235 



best and is one of the most widely known of our 

 American apples. When grown in the North 

 the fruit keeps well and always sells for an 

 average price, never at the top of the market 

 and seldom at a loss. The tree is strong and 

 vigorous and bears large crops after it once 

 starts. Often it is slow in coming into bearing, 

 however, and this one fact has caused planters 

 to turn to other sorts in many cases. 



Ben Davis 



Probably more trees of Ben Davis have been 

 planted than of any other apple. It has also 

 inspired more literary endeavor than any 

 other I know. If there is a humorist in the land 

 who has failed to poke fun at the Ben Davis 

 I have failed to read his books. In Indian- 

 apolis, Kin Hubbard writing under the caption 

 of "Abe Martin" has so continuously and so 

 successfully ridiculed the Ben Davis that it is 

 practically impossible to sell that variety in 

 that city — at least under its own name. In that 

 city's municipal market I have seen people buy 

 Ben Davis under the name of "New York Pip- 

 pin," "Rome," "Gano," "York," "Greasy 

 Pippin," "Kentucky Red Streak" and others. 

 Probably the most of them never knew 

 the difference because the apple is of fair 

 quality when used late in the season, and I have 

 noticed that many folk are not very discrimi- 



