B. P. I.— 601. 



SUMMER APPLES IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC 



STATES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The extensive and systematic growing of early-ripening or " sum- 

 mer" varieties of apples for commercial purposes is one of the com- 

 paratively recent developments of the fruit industry. Such varieties 

 have always had a place in the family orchard, and in seasons of 

 abundant crops the fruit from these trees has often been sold in the 

 local markets. Occasional commercial orchards, since the early days 

 of the fruit industry, have contained a few trees of early varieties, 

 the fruit of which has been shipped b}^ express or otherwise to more 

 or less distant markets, but in most commercial apple-growing sec- 

 tions early varieties have not been considered worth including in 

 extensive fruit-growing projects. In some sections, however, during 

 the past ten or twenty } 7 ears, and especially during the last decade, 

 the attention of fruit growers has been directed more and more to 

 the possibilities in this direction. 



A considerable demand has developed for summer apples. This 

 demand is growing; new markets are being reached. During the 

 past few seasons fruit growers and shippers have received an increas- 

 ing number of requests from commission houses and fruit dealers for 

 fruit of this class. Though this demand may in a measure be vari- 

 ously influenced from year to year by the abundance of peaches and 

 other fruit in the market during the early-apple season, it shows an 

 increasing appreciation of the important place which summer apples 

 may be made to fill. 



In the Middle Atlantic States, and especially in the Coastal Plain 

 or u tidewater" region, there are several sections in which the growing 

 of summer apples has already become an important feature of fruit 

 growing. This phase of the fruit industry has been greatly extended 

 here in recent years and is being still further developed. It is believed 

 that other sections of these States, where little or no fruit is now 

 grown, are also capable of being developed along this line. This bul- 

 letin describes the region mentioned — its conditions, advantages, and 

 possibilities in relation to the production of early apples — and contains 

 194 7 



