STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 37 



with it, being slender, dull reddish brown, slightly downy, with 

 numerous .rmaU loliite dots. Undoubtedly this is the hardiest russet, 

 succeeding well on the banks of Lake Memphremagog. At the 

 same time it is one of the smallest and poorest, and needs rich soil 

 or heavy manuring to make it at all profitable. It is a long keeper, 

 but must be kept in tight barrels and in a very cool place, or it 

 becomes worthless from shrivelling. This is true, more or less, of 

 all the russets, the '"russeting" being in fact a mere open state of 

 the pores of the skin which allows the juice to evaporate unless kept 

 from the air and warmth. Fruit medium or below in size, roundish, 

 or roundisli-oblate, not conic. Skin very rough, color yellow, dull 

 russet, the skin bronzed (not red) on the sunny side. Flesh whitish 

 yellow, fine-grained, conipad., mild sub-acid. December to March 

 in New York, but keeps late in the spring when grown in northern 

 New England and properly cared for. 



ENGLISH RUSSET. 



Synonym. : Poughkeepsie Russet. As the ''Golden Russet of West- 

 ern New York" is reall}' an English apple, so, by the misnaming of 

 ignorance, the so-called "English" Russet is probably of American 

 origin. It is a valuable long-keeping variety, which has been quite 

 extensively grown in New York and New Jersey for market, but is, 

 we tliink. being much replaced by the large Roxbury Russet. As 

 grown there it is not fit for use until Februar}-, and ma}- be kept the 

 3ear round, according to J. J. Thomas. The tree grows very 

 straight, forming an upright head, with smooth, reddish-brown 

 shoots. The fruit is of medium size, roundish, slightly conical, and 

 very regularh- formed. Skin pale greenish-yellow, about two-thirds 

 covered with russet, wliich is thickest near the stalk. Flesh 3-ellow- 

 ish-white, firm and crisp, with a pleasant, mild, sub-acid flavor. 

 The quality of this apple is inferior even to the Golden Russet ot 

 western New York, and therefore the poorest of the whole four that 

 are likely to be confounded. 



As this article is mainl}- written to distinguish these four sorts 

 from each other, we need not refer particularly to other russets. 

 The Roxbury Russet has now taken its place alongside of the Bald- 

 win and Rhode Island Greening as the great market apple of its 

 class, and is graduall}- excluding the other sorts, not because it is 

 better, but because it is larger and more showy. In quality it is no- 

 better than the two last named, and no better keeper. It is not 



