Varieties of Apples 399 



The tree is large, vigorous and productive, but given to 

 biennial bearing. It prefers a fertile surface soil of grav- 

 elly or sandy loam, underlaid by a well drained clay loam. 

 The apple-sgab fungus is one of its worst enemies. Com- 

 mercial plantings are almost exclusively in New York, 

 New England, Ohio, Michigan, and the more northern 

 parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. ' The apples are 

 rather large and grade out well. The storage limit is 

 usually February or March. 



Jonathan. 



Jonathan is a seedling of the Esopus Spitzenburg, and 

 originated at Woodstock in Ulster County, New York. It 

 was first described in 1826 and named after Jonathan 

 Iiasbrouck, who first called attention to the variety. The 

 stronghold of the Jonathan as a commercial apple is in the 

 middle western and western states. There are few com- 

 mercial plantings of this variety east of. the Mississippi. 

 Jonathan is the leading sort in both Colorado and Idaho, 

 and is important in Washington, Utah and New Mexico, 

 being grown under irrigation in large commercial quanti- 

 ties in all five states. The high quality and brilliant red 

 coloring adapts it particularly to the boxed apple industry. 

 Irrigation overcomes its tendency towards small size. The 

 Jonathan has rather extensive distribution through the 

 Middle West, particularly in the loess soil region, along 

 the Missouri River at the intersection of Iowa, Missouri, 

 Nebraska and Kansas. Here it is a barreled apple. 



In . quality the fruit ranks high. The tree, although 

 inclined to a somewhat drooping willowy habit of growth; 

 is vigorous and yields well as it is adapted to rich soil. 

 Under irrigation it is sometimes subject to fire-blight, 



