1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 205 



an crtcct by lil)eratiiig increased ainount.s uF plant food. It 

 tloes not seem possible to account for tbe increased size by tem- 

 perature conditions. 



Data from other localities sinular to that previously pub- 

 lislied might be presented, but inasmuch as they show no new 

 features, it is deemed unnecessary to do so. 



On General Development. 

 The question of variation in form and size having been espe- 

 cially considered, we may now proceed to a consideration of 

 the dirtcrences in the general development of different varie- 

 ties, with more particular reference to color, keeping quality 

 and table quality. These arc the characters of paramount ini- 

 ])ortance in determining the commercial value of a lot of apples. 

 In order to discuss these questions we have found it convenient 

 to divide the country into belts. 



Apple Belts of North America. 

 ^^^■ tlnd in pomological M'ritings frequent mention of differ- 

 ent a])])le " belts," such as the Baldwin belt or the Ben Davis 

 lielt. This term is understood to designate a certain area over 

 v.'hich the variety named is the leading one grown. We find 

 many other varieties referred to a given belt, as the I^orthern 

 Spy and Rhode Island Greening, which are referred to the 

 Baldwin belt. In connection with the work herein reported, 

 and for convenience in the discussions, the writer presents the 

 division of IS^orth America into apple belts, shown in Fig. 5. 



1. The northern belt, in which the Fameuse is the most char- 

 acteristic sort. 



2. The north central l)clf, perhaps the most recognized of 

 any. It is characterized by the Baldwin, ISTorthern Spy, Rhode 

 Island Greening, Hubbardston and uumy others. It comprises 

 the oldest and in some ways best understood portion of the 

 apple region of I^orth America, 



3. The Annapolis valley, in which we find varieties similar to 

 the second belt, but where the season is shorter and many of the 

 varieties of the second belt do not mature well. 



