26 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 208. 



growth. There are also varietal differences in color. In Rhode Island 

 Greening and in all green-fruited varieties the color is a rich, clear green; 

 in varieties that have much red in the color of the fruit the leaves are a 

 deeper green ^\dth a slight bluish or purplish cast. This is seen in Mcintosh. 

 Yellow Transparent has leaves of a yellowish green cast. These differences 

 in leaf color are not pronounced, and as stated above vary with the con- 

 dition of the trees, but they are very helpful in recognizing varieties. 



In distinguishing two or more varieties which are mixed in the nursery 

 row, one maj^ often find some peculiarity of a certain variety present at the 

 particular time at which the observation is made, which serves to distin- 

 guish that variety with ease and certainty. For example, in separating 

 out Wolf River trees in a mixture "with Mcintosh it was observed that, at 

 the time the Wolf River leaves were beginning to turn 5'ellow and perhaps 

 one-third of them had fallen, the Mcintosh leaves showed very little 

 yellowing and few if any had fallen. By observing this difference it was 

 possible to separate the two varieties with the greatest ease and certainty. 

 Yet at an earlier period this difference would not have been present. In 

 the late summer the Yellow Transparent leaves near the tips of the shoots 

 frequently show a spiral folding that displays plainly the under side of a 

 portion of the leaf. When this peculiarity is shown it is possible to recog- 

 nize a Yellow Transparent tree as far as it can be seen. It is the usual 

 thing in separating mixed varieties to fix on some one character by which 

 the varieties can, at that particular time and place, be positively dis- 

 tinguished one from the other. 



Classification of Varieties. 



Twenty-six varieties of more or less importance in Massachusetts have 

 been selected for illustration and description in this bulletin. The follow- 

 ing key is arranged to show, as well as possible, the differences by which 

 these varieties may be distinguished. It is not thought that this key will 

 enable one to trace out unknown varieties, but it may help in orchard and 

 nursery studies of the leaves of these varieties. A few tree characters are 

 mentioned with the hope that they maj'' be helpful. 



A. Varieties important in Massachusetts. 



1. Leaves large, broad, flat or only slightly folded. 



(a) Sides not waved or only very slightly so. 



Gravenstein. — Leaves broad oblong; serrations 'dull, shallow, regu- 

 lar; branches broadly ascending; bark dark yellowish. (Fig. 2.) 



Mcintosh. — Leaves broad oval, base often cordate, edges often 

 slightly folded; serrations dull and shallow, especially at base. 

 (Fig. 3.) 



Rhode Island Greening. — Serrations very sharp and distinct. (Fig. 4.) 



(b) Sides more or less waved. 



Red Astrachan. — Leaf waves "crinldy " or wrinkled, not reaching to 



midrib. (Fig. 5.) 

 Oldenburg. — Leaves broad at base and apex; shoots few and stout. 



(Fig. 6.) 

 Wealthy. — Leaf relatively narrow at base and apex; midrib often 



tending to spiral form or reflexed at tip. (Fig. 7.) 



