JO MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The number of trees in the orchard at present is 130, about 

 30 having been removed on account of a new building. Of this 

 number ten varieties are crabs, and the remainder, 34 varieties, 

 consists mainly of standard varieties of recognized merit. The 

 object in view in starting the orchard in this way was to have a 

 number of the standard sorts for comparison. Many of these will 

 be top-worked with other varieties. 



With few exceptions the -trees have thrived and proved hardy, 

 although neither soil nor location are well suited to orcharding. 

 Several sorts bore some fruit last season, and the present year 

 many others came into bearing. Most of the varieties in this 

 orchard are well known and require no special mention. Some 

 of those not commonly grown may, however, be noticed in this 

 connection. 



Arctic — Tree very vigorous, upright, spreading. Fruit 

 medium, roundish conical; greenish yellow, heavily overlaid 

 with crimson on the sunny side, with splashes of a deeper shade 

 and numerous light dots. Flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, brisk 

 sub-acid. Good. Bears a strong resemblance to Baldwin and 

 will replace that sort in trying climates. The following notes 

 from Mr. W. A. Taylor of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture are of interest in this connection: "So far as we 

 have been able to ascertain the original tree of Arctic apple was 

 found growing on the farm of John H. Esseltyne, Cape Vincent. 

 New York. Mr. Esseltyne sold the tree some years ago to O. 

 K. Gerrish then of Geneva, N. Y., but now of Lakeville, Mass. 

 After securing a crop of wood for propagation Mr. Gerrish 

 destroyed the original tree to prevent theft of scions. It was 

 therefore impossible to secure specimens of the fruit for exam- 

 ination after the variety was introduced by Mr. Gerrish until 

 the trees sold by him came into bearing. In 1896 the variety 

 bore in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine, as we 

 received specimens from those states. We consider it a promis- 

 ing variety for market orchards in the north as it is apparently 

 more resistant to the cold than Tompkins King or Baldwin." 



Haas — A popular market variety from Missouri. Tree hardy, 

 very vigorous, upright, productive; an early annual bearer. 

 Fruit medium, oblate or slightly conical; skin smooth greenish 



