VARIETIES OF APPLES. 



49 



Yellow Transparent. 



During the past few years this variety has become quite widely distributed in the 

 Piedmont region, but it has seldom been planted in the mountains. The individual 

 plantings consist of only a few trees each. The tree is not as a rule a strong grower, 

 nor is it considered a long-lived tree in other sections where it has been grown exten- 

 sively, although aside from its susceptibility to twig-blight, which in some cases is 

 severe, it isnot subject to any special disease. As a rule, however, in these regions blight 

 has not been a serious matter. On account of the rather small size attained by the 

 tree, closer planting is possible than in the case of most other sorts. Few varieties 

 begin to bear as young as this one does. Fairly regular and abundant crops may be 

 expected under good cultural conditions. Its season of ripening is in advance of Early 

 Hai-vest, which is the early variety most often found in the older orchards. 



Observations in these regions have been confined to comparatively young trees, 

 but thus far as an early ripening sort the Yellow Transparent is giving a high degree 

 of satisfaction wherever it has been tried. This applies to nearly the entire range 

 of conditions existing in the Piedmont region and to at least one of the most elevated 

 localities in western North Carolina. 

 York Imperial. Synonym: Johnson^ s Fine Winter. 



The distribution of this variety has been quite general in the Virginia and North 

 Carolina sections of these regions, where it rates as one of the most important market 

 sorts. The tree is desirable as to habit of growth, being fairly ^-igorous and healthy 

 aside from its susceptibility to "twig blight," which occasionally is rather severe. 

 It begins bearing comparatively young, frequently producing crops of considerable 

 value at 6 or 7 years of age. 



The data at hand are somewhat conflicting concerning the relationship between 

 the behavior of this variety and the conditions under which it is grown; hence only 

 generalizations can be indicated at present. It appears to be less influenced by soil 

 conditions than by elevation. In the Piedmont orchards having less than 1,000 to 

 1,200 feet elevation serious rotting and premature dropping are apt to occur, and 

 while frequent exceptions to this have been observed it is sufliciently constant to 

 suggest that extensive plantings of it in this region should be made cautiously, if at 

 all, except in the northern portion, where it appears to be more nearly free from 

 serious faults than almost any other commercial variety that is being grown and is con- 

 sidered one of the most profitable sorts. This applies specifically to locations in 

 Rappahannock County in close proximity to the mountains. In the Blue Ridge 

 region above an elevation of 1,200 to 1,500 feet premature dropping is generally less 

 severe than it is at lower points. Especially satisfactory results have usually been 

 obtained on Porters clay at these middle elevations, where very heavy crops are 

 expected, at least in alternate years. If heavy dropping occurs in such cases, a 

 suflicient quantity of fruit usually remains to result in a heavy crop. At the higher 

 altitudes this is considered a valuable variety, especially in North Carolina, where 

 it has grown at 2,500 to 3,500 feet altitude. 



It is frequently found advisable to harvest the crop of this variety somewhat earlier 

 than that of most of the other commercial sorts on account of its tendency to drop, 

 but this is not necessarily an objection in large orchards, where the harvesting must 

 extend over a considerable period of tingie. 



The contrast between this variety and Winesap in the manner in which they 

 respond to the influence of elevation is of interest. The elevation at which the 

 Winesap begins to deteriorate and above which it becomes more inferior as the eleva- 

 tion increases appears to be about the point below which York Imperial is inclined 

 to manifest certain faults which tend to disappear at higher altitudes. 

 10207°— Bui. 135—11 i 



