1910.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 203 



south, and tlioso from Arkansas longer than those from farther 

 north. This suggests the possibility that near the northern and 

 southern extremes of distribution the general rule of elonga- 

 tion, as one goes north, is reversed, and that in the extreme 

 north they are a little flatter than they are a little farther south, 

 and at the extreme south they become slightly elongated. More 

 data are needed to decide this question. 



With a feeling that much could be learned by a more detailed 

 study of the apples along the coast and adjacent region of New 

 England and the maritime provinces, a special effort was made 

 in the past season to secure apples from this section. These 

 show the elongation towards the seacoast and northward, but 

 among those from Maine the figures are not as harmonious as 

 might be wished. Sangerville is farthest inland and N^ew 

 Gloucester nearest the coast, and they give the flattest and second 

 longest apples, respectively; but the localities between do not 

 show the gradual change in form that might be expected. 

 These differences, however, are not large, and selection of the 

 sample and local influences may account for it. More informa- 

 tion is needed to clear this up. 



VaEI ABILITY OF THE DiFFEEENT LoTS. 



An examination of the measures of variability of the different 

 lots, bearing in mind the selection or want of selection of the 

 shippers, indicates a somewhat greater variability in northern 

 localities. This is shown both years, but is more pronounced in 

 1908. 



Size. 

 The size of the apples was in many cases dependent largely 

 on the selection practiced by the grower in making up the lots 

 for shipment. Some were carefully selected and others were 

 the run of the orchard. Any figures on size are, therefore, likely 

 to be of little value. It is doubtless true that the apple attains 

 a larger size in the south than in the extreme north. The sea- 

 son of 1907 was cold in the north and dry in the southwest, and 

 may account for the inferior size of the apples from these re- 

 gions. The season of 1908 was warmer in the north, and it 

 appears that the apples were larger. Table 4 shows the results 



