No. 4.] 



VARIETIES OF APPLES. 



51 



with handsome appearance and attractive texture, which 

 makes it sell well. As a cooking apple it docs not rank so 

 high, and ought to be used fairly early, as after it has become 

 more mild it is not nearly as good for this purpose as when it 

 has more acidity. The fruit is uniform and of fair to good 

 size, except when it overbears. Its commercial limit in ordi- 

 nary storage would be December, and, as with many other 

 varieties, the large-sized, poorly colored specimens do not keep 

 as well as smaller, firmer and better-colored ones. When this 

 variety is well grown it has proved a profitable market sort, 

 standing at present close behind the Greening; and I should 

 have no hesitation in setting it as a market variety, particu- 

 larly on light soil, where it does especially well. 



Hubhardstqn. 



Good points : — 



1. Quality excellent. 



2. Early bearer. 



3. Handsome when well grown. 



4. Good bearer. 



Bad points : — 



1. Overbears and runs small. 



2. Railroad worm. 



3. Loses quality as cooker. 



{6) Williams Early. — This is another of our Massachu- 

 setts apples, and, like a great many things which Massachu- 

 setts has done, this is a good job. It originated in Roxbury, 

 Mass., more than one hundred and fifty years ago, and in my 

 opinion is one of the best and most profitable of the early va- 

 rieties. The tree is rather a poor grower, and is therefore 

 often best top-worked on some better-growing variety, as 

 Pewaukee or Spy. It is a fairly good cropper, and has a 

 decided tendency to be an annual bearer when it receives the 

 right treatment. The fruit is only medium in size, but a beau- 

 tiful bright red, with a very fine though mild flavor. Its 

 strong point is for dessert, but, contrary to the opinion of 

 some others, I consider it a very fine cooking apple. The 

 fruit ripens unevenly, so that it needs more than one picking ; 

 and, as it is tender both in skin and flesh, it ought to be han- 

 dled with care and packed in boxes. It is a prime favorite in 

 the Boston market, and I should not hesitate to plant it as a 

 commercial variety. 



