FRUITS IX WEST VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY. AXD TENNESSEE. 37 



liked for home use. Its season is September in West Virginia. Although as 

 it grows in this State it is uniformly larger and usually more highly colored 

 than in the North, it lacks the aroma and often the tender flesh which makes 

 it prized in northern regions. 



Another fault which makes it undesirable for commercial orchards is its 

 habit of dropping its fruit prematurely, so that sometimes only a very small 

 part of the crop is picked. 

 Fanny. 



In the early-apple orchards of Tennessee and to a less extent in Kentucky 

 the Fanny has become very popular and is now the leading variety for its 

 season. 



In the Interior Low Plateau region of Tennessee the tree is reported as one 

 of the most resistant to woolly aphis. It is an open spreading grower and be- 

 gins to bear at an early age. In one commercial orchard in the Gulf Coastal 

 Plains region of Tennessee 7-year-old trees averaged more than 1 bushel per 

 tree and have borne regularly since. The foliage is susceptible to apple scab 

 and cedar rust. The fruit is medium in size and quite uniform. It is firm 

 and therefore suitable for shipping to northern markets. The ground color 

 is yellow, overlaid with bright red. and it is very good in dessert quality. 

 It begins to ripen in the Gulf Coastal Plains and Interior Low Plateau 

 regions of Tennessee about July 10, and the whole crop may be picked within 

 a week. 



Its high color, high dessert quality, and its annual and early bearing habit 

 make it a popular commercial variety for its season. Its weak points are that 

 the tree is somewhat subject to blight, its blossoms are injured more often 

 than many other varieties by frost because it blooms very early, and the 

 fruit drops rather early, especially if the season is windy. 

 Flora. 



The Flora is frequently found in the older home and commercial orchards in 

 West Virginia and Kentucky, but has not been recently planted. 



It has a spreading tree with a dense growth of foliage and is usually un- 

 productive. The frUit is medium to large in size, smooth, round conic in shape, 

 and is one of the most uniform in size and shape of all varieties. It is a 

 clear yellow in color, sharply acid without distinctive flavor, and is rather poor 

 in dessert quality. Its season is fall and early winter, ripening in the 

 Interior Low Plateau and Allegheny Plateau regions of Kentucky during the 

 last of September and in West Virginia during October, November, and Decem- 

 ber. It is so poor in dessert quality and the tree is so unproductive that it 

 should be discarded. 

 Gano and Black Ben. 



The two varieties, Gano and Black Ben, may have had a separate origin, 

 but are so nearly identical as grown commercially that they have been propa- 

 gated by some nurserymen as the same variety in recent years. They have been 

 extensively planted throughout the area and have been among the leading 

 varieties. 



The tree and foliage resemble the Ben Davis closely and are subject to the 

 same diseases. The fruit also is subject to the same diseases as the Ben 

 Davis and to a similar extent, but is usually very much higher colored, becom- 

 ing almost solid red. Sometimes, however, at high altitudes in West Virginia, 

 the fruit is a dull red. lacking the brilliant color for which it is usually 

 known. 



By many growers the Ben Davis is preferred, as the fruit does not drop so 

 badly and may be picked later than the Gano or Black Ben. Recently these 

 varieties have been planted more than the Ben Davis, but to meet the same 

 market demands. Neither variety should be planted in any part of Tennessee 

 or Kentucky, while in West Virginia the Borne Beauty. York Imperial, Stay- 

 man Winesap. and other varieties will usually prove more profitable. 

 Gravenstein. 



The Gravenstein variety is occasionally found in all regions of this area, but 

 is not often grown on a commercial scale. 



The tree is spreading, with somewhat drooping branches, and is long lived. 

 It is sometimes reported as <>nly moderately productive. The fruit is usually 

 above medium size, though when the tree is very full it becomes small. It is 

 handsomely striped with bright red and is very good in dessert quality. It 

 ripens very nearly with the Oldenburg and usually lasts much longer. At 

 Stanton. Tenn.. when the first Oldenburgs were picked on June 24 and the last 



