VARIETIES OF APPLES. 41 



men of that State. The tree makes a fairly strong, healthy growth and is nearly an 

 annual bearer. It does not reach a sufficiently large size to be desirable when grown 

 in the mountains. For home use and local markets during the fall, if grown under 

 favorable conditions, it is worthy of more consideration than it has yet received. 

 Pryor. Synonyms: Pryor's Red, Big Hill. 



Many of the older orchards contain this variety, but it is more commonly known by 

 its synonym Big Hill. It has been studied under quite varied conditions of soil and 

 elevation, but there seems to be very little to recommend it for any portion of these 

 regions. It is irregular and unreliable in bearing and more susceptible to diseases 

 such as •"cedar rust"' and "leaf spot"' than most varieties are. The fruit, when a 

 crop is produced, is considered of pleasing dessert quality for early winter use. It is 

 commonly said to be "played out." 

 Rabun. Synonym: Rabun Bald. 



This variety has not yet been disseminated outside of the locality of its origin in 

 Rabun County. Ga.. but on account of its apparent value as a winter sort of good dessert 

 quality for the southern Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions it is referred to in the pres- 

 ent connection. In the locality where it was rirst discovered, the tree is a stocky, 

 vigorous grower, producing a heavy crop in alternate years, with considerable fruit in 

 ""off years. The fruit is large: under color, yellow, but when well colored heavily 

 splashed and striped with bright crimson ; g( >od t< i very good in dessert quality. 

 Ralls. Synonyms: Rawl n. Janet, NeverfaiL 



Over thirty synonyms of this variety exist in American pomological literature, of 

 which those given are the ones in common usage. There are few varieties of apples so 

 widely distributed in as many different sections of the country as this one is. though it is 

 seldom found in orchards of recent planting in these regions. The tree does not develop 

 to a large size here, but is more nearly an annual bearer than most varieties are and 

 often produces such heavy crops that the fruit is abnormally small. On account of 

 blossoming very late it may escape injury from unseasonable frosts in the spring when 

 most varieties are damaged therein*. It is one of the longest keeping varieties grown 

 in these regions. It is very variable in its behavior from year to year, even on the 

 same trees: especially is this true with reference to bitter-rot. In 1902 it was seriously 

 affected by this disease in a large proportion of the orchards in these regions, regard- 

 I -oil or location, while in 1903 it was comparatively free from fungous diseases of 

 all kinds, notwithstanding the fact that many varieties were more seriously attacked 

 by bitter-rot than in the previous year. 



In its wide distribution in these regions, it is found growing under nearly all com- 

 binations of conditions characteristic of them. As before noted, its difference in 

 behavior from year to year makes reliable deductions difficult. From data at hand, 

 however, it appears that Porters black loam and Porters clay at the higher altitudes, 

 where so much of the finest fruit is grown, are no more favorable locations for it than 

 Cecil clay at lower elevations. One of the most unsatisfactory impressions of the 

 variety comes from an orchard at 1.500 or 1.G00 feet elevation on Porters clay. Murrill 

 clay loam and Cecil clay usually produce as good results as any soil conditions which 

 exist in these regions. In the orchards of greatest elevation in North Carolina the fruit 

 sometimes fails to develop properly, but remains green, and the texture is tough and 

 hard. On the other hand, in 1904 some trees at these high altitudes produced a good 

 crop of very excellent fruit. As the climatic conditions were the one variable factor, 

 the only conclusion which seems possible is that these differences in the behavi at i if 

 the variety in this instance were due to the climatic differences of the seasons. 



*For more complete history and description see Yearbook, Department of Agri- 

 culture, 1906, p. 359. 

 135 



