DEVELOPMENT OF HARDY FRUITS 47 



Before beginning this work it was expected that a large proportion 

 of the seedlings would prove to be crab apples, but quite the con- 

 trary is the case. Of 1211 seedlings taken as they came only 3.95 

 per cent are small or crab-like. There are 12.75 per cent which are 

 below medium in size and are not considered of marketable size, 

 but the remaining 83.30 per cent bear medium to large fruit. It 

 has been found that in most varieties many of the characteristics 

 of the mother parent come out quite strongly. 



Out of the 1211 varieties there were 378 which seemed sufficiently 

 promising for some part of Canada that they were propagated to 

 save the variety, and out of this number 99 were considered so 

 promising that they were named. 



Let us now analyse the seedlings of a few well-known apples 

 beginning with the Mcintosh which, though an apple of Canadian 

 origin, is well known in Massachusetts. 



The Mcintosh is a highly colored red apple above medium in 

 size, briskly subacid and of very good flavor and quality. Its 

 season at Ottawa is from November to February or March. Of 

 120 seedlings described 65.83 per cent were highly colored red or 

 crimson apples; 76.67 per cent were medium to large in size; and 

 23.33 per cent were below marketable size, being a larger propor- 

 tion than from most parents; 19.16 per cent were sweet apples; 

 4.18 per cent mildly subacid; 60.00 per cent subacid; 15.83 per 

 cent briskly subacid and .83 per cent acid. As regards quality 

 only 11.66 per cent were medium or inferior in quality; 41.67 per 

 cent were above medium or pretty good eating apples; and 46.67 

 per cent were good to very good in quality or really good dessert 

 apples. The season of 1.67 per cent was August to mid-September; 

 of 18.33 per cent mid-September to mid-October; of 28.33 per cent 

 October and November; of 34.17 per cent November to February 

 or about the same season as Mcintosh; and 17.5 per cent were in 

 season from December to March or April. Some of these seedlings 

 have a strong resemblance to Mcintosh in color and flavor, but are 

 of different season. Three of the best of these are Melba, an 

 August apple; Joyce, a September apple; and Pedro, an October 

 apple. Of 120 Mcintosh seedlings, 19 have been named. 



The Northern Spy is well known as a well-colored winter apple 

 of very good quality. Of 136 seedlings which fruited only 12.5 



