246 FRUIT-GROWING 



Ralls 



When I was a boy we grew many Jenitons, 

 or as the word was sometimes spelled Genitons. 

 This variety is now correctly listed as Ralls 

 for some dark reason that has not been made 

 clear. It is an old French variety, said to have 

 been introduced by the French Minister who 

 presented some of the trees to President 

 Jefferson. The Frenchman's name was Mon- 

 sieur Genet, and it is supposed that the variety 

 took its former name from him. The apple 

 was one of the old-time favorites and I still 

 think it is the best apple of its season. It is 

 really not ready to use until spring and at that 

 season is as full of juice as it can well be. It 

 positively squirts when you bite into it and the 

 cider made from it would tempt even Pussyfoot 

 Johnson. The variety has some bad char- 

 acteristics, however, and is now seldom planted. 

 In the first place it is often late in starting to 

 bear. Then the trees overproduce and as a 

 result the fruit is small in size. Its worst fault, 

 however, is that it cracks badly on the tree and 

 as a result its normal keeping quality is ruined. 

 It is also subject to disease of various kinds 

 and will try the patience of any grower. It is 

 an old-time favorite and I hate to see it go, 

 but we have no time in this age to fool with 

 backward varieties when good ones are to be 

 had. 



