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THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



Sops of Trine. 



This is an old variety of foreign origin, and until within the last three or four years past has elicited 

 no special attention in Iowa, or adjoining States. But like Ben Davis, Grimes' Golden and some 

 other sorts, little known or thought of years ago, is 

 being resurrected as it were, and bids fair to becom 

 one of our leading and popular apples. We first saw 

 the fruit at Dubuque, in the latter part of July last, 

 in the orchard of E. R. Shankland, President of the 

 State Agricultural Society, and from a specimen of 

 which the accompanying illustration and description 

 are copied. Its season is about with Red June, and to , 

 our taste for eating from the hand superior, whilst for 

 cooking we should {,ive Red June the preference. 

 The Sops of Wine has many good characteristics to 

 recommend it. _ The tree is a fine, healthy grower, 

 and as we were informed by Mr. Shankland, comes 

 into bearing at an early age. The fruit is of fair 

 size, of the right color to readily attract attention in 

 the market, and in quality quite equal.for the dessert, to 

 any other summer apple in season ahead of Benoni 

 On the whole we regard Sops of Wine with much 

 favor. 



Downing's synonyms for Sops of Wine are Warden's Pie Apple, Washington and Bennington. Elliott's 

 synonyms are Sops in Wine and Sapson. Why this discrepancy on synonyms between these two noted 

 and standard authors, we do not know. It may be grown in ditferent localities under aU these synonyms. 

 About Dubuque, it is better known under the name of Washington. 



Tree a fine grower, spreading, vigorous, an early bearer and productive ; fruit medium, roundish 

 oblong; skin yellowish red, splashed and shaded with deep red, with a sprinkling of minute dots; flesh 

 yellowish white, often stained with pink (a striking characteristic), firm, but tender, mild sub acid, very 

 pleasant, good ; cavity narrow, medium depth ; stem long and slender ; basin medium depth, (the illustra- 

 tion, through mistake shows it too deep) slightly furrowed ; calyx closed. Season last of July into 



August. 



* ♦ I 



Tbe <' Dommesta Bessarabia"— A Neiv Russian Apple. 



This is the new Russian apple received from D. W. Adams, Waukon,^acknowledgment of which was 

 made in November number. 



Fruit round, conic, pale yellow with fain 

 blush on one side ; cavity narrow and shal- 

 low; stem very short; basin medium in 

 depth and breadth; calyx closed; flesh yel- 

 lowish white, coarse, porous, breaking, aeid^ 

 — to our taste a third rate apple— not so 

 good as either of its "illustrious predeces- 

 sors" Duchess of Oldenburg or Red As- 

 trachan. 



We should consider it of little or no 

 account in the line of acquisition to an old 

 orchard, but valuable to those commencing 

 new orchards, on account of its promising 

 so very early and abundant fruitfulness. 

 No doubt it will be found a fair cooking 

 apple, and imU do to eat from the hand 

 rather than none, or to pay western prices 

 for better by those who may raise it. How- 

 ever, we do not know as the specimen tried 



should be taken as a fair test, for though the apple had began to decay before cut, it appeared imma- 

 ture, as thes eeds were but slightly colored. Mr. Adams, in a note accompanying the fruit, says: 



1 



