CRAB-APPLES. 215 



Zolotareff (No. 27.5). — Origin, Itussia. A large hand.somely 

 colored apple of the Vasilis Large.st type and much resembling that 

 variety. 



Zusoff (No. 58.5).— Origin, Russia. For a time Anisim was 

 mixed with this variety, but the iwo are very di.stinet. 



Fruit large, heavy, roundish ol)late, regular or faintly angular; 

 surface smooth, glossy, greenish yellow, almost or wholly covered 

 with a peculiar dark brownish red, no stripes nor .splaslics, a showy 

 fruit; dots minute, nvmierous, whitish, distinct; cavit}- abrui)t, 

 very deep, regular, green and russet, the russet sometitnes extending 

 out in irregular rays; stem very sliort; basin small, regular; calyx 

 closed; segments small, erect convergent. Coi'e regular, clasping; 

 tube conical; stamens median; seeds few, plump; flesh wliite, with 

 greenish tinge and veinings, juicy, firm, fine-grained, subacid, good. 

 Winter. 



CRAB-APPLES. 



In the prairie Northwest considerable attention has tjcen ])aid to 

 Siberian crab-apples because of their superior hardiness and value for 

 culinarv use. Botanically considered, Siberian crabs are of two 

 tj'pes: Pynis baccata and P pruni folia. The true Siberian crab 

 (Pyrus baccala), according to Ru.ssian writers, has deciduous calyx 

 segments {i.e., the segments fall off as the fruit ripens); in P pni- 

 nifolia the segments persist in the ripe fruit. Prof. L. H. Bailey has 

 recently considered the crabs of the latter tj-pe to be hyl)rids of 

 p. baccata with the common apple, P Mains. Thomas Andrew 

 Knight, a century ago, in England, produced several hyljrids between 

 the common apple and the pure Siberian crab, which proved specially 

 valuable for cider. Since the introduction of the Siberian crabs into 

 America they have been grown in a.pi)le orchards containing man\' 

 varieties and have hybridized very freely with the ccjuuuon apple. 

 There are now literally thousands of these cral) hybrids, e-;|iecially 

 in the Northwestern States. Owing to the limited demand tla; 

 distribution of many, even of the better ones, appears to be largely 

 local. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society's recommended 

 list of crabs and hybrids at present includes: Best for general culti- 

 vation: Mrginia, Martha, Whitney, Early Stra^^■lJe^■}', Minnesota, 



