CHAPTER 35 



The Pome Fruits 



By John P. Stewart, Ph.D. 

 Professor of Experimental Pomology, The Pennsylvania State College 



These fruits, which include the apple, pear and quince as the principal 

 members, constitute the most important group of fruits in temperate 

 climates. In the United States, as indicated in the thirteenth census, their 

 combined value during the year preceding this census was $91,659,335, or 

 nearly two-thirds of the total value of all orchard fruits. The latter total 

 was $140,867,000. Among the pome fruits, the apple is by far the most 

 important. Its value in America in the above-named year was $83,231,492, 

 or more than 90.8 per cent of the total for the group. The pear comes 

 second in value with a total production of $7,910,600, or 8.63 per cent of 

 the total for the group, while the quince showed a value of only $517,243, 

 or but little more than one-half of one per cent of the group total. 



THE APPLE 



Origin. — All the true apples have descended from a wild form in 

 Europe known as Pyrus malus. Most of the crab-apples have come from 

 the wild Pyrus baccata of Siberia, which is commonly known as the Siberian 

 crab. The Yellow and Red Siberian are probably as close to the original 

 type as any varieties now grown. Most of the so-called crabs now in culti- 

 vation are hybrids, and are known botanically as Pyrus prunifolia. The 

 Hyslop,Transcendent, Florence, Sweet Russet and Whitney are of this type. 

 They are supposed to be hybrids between the true crabs and true apples. 

 (See Budd and Hansen, Horticultural Manual, Vol. 1, pp. 161-62.) 



The other source of crabs is the native American form, known as 

 Pyrus coronaria, and especially the large western type which has been 

 further distinguished by the name of Pyrus ioensis. The fruit of the latter 

 often attains a diameter of two and a half inches or over, and keeps easily 

 until the following summer. It is much like the quince in quality, however, 

 and is suitable only for culinary uses. The principal varieties from this 

 source are the Soulard, Kentucky Mammoth, Mercer and Howard. They 

 are of chief value to the northwest section of the Mississippi Valley and 

 northward. At present the number of apple varieties is very large. In 

 America alone between 1804 and 1904 over 7200 distinct varietal names of 

 apples were published, besides 383 named varieties of crabs. It is needless 

 to say that the great majority are worthless. 



Cultural Range. — In eastern America the apple is grown commercially 



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