No. 574] 



VARIATION IN THE APPLE 



599 



cultivation. The chief line of observation had to do with 

 the variations which occur in the different samples of the 

 same variety as obtained from different sources. To get 

 at this side of the problem, careful observations were 

 made as to the condition of the apples, and their various 

 characters were recorded in a complete technical descrip- 

 tion of each sample for the purpose of making a compara- 

 tive study of the samples of the several varieties. In ad- 

 dition to this written description, photographs were made 

 showing typical specimens in various positions and when 

 cut in cross and longitudinal sections. In general it may 

 be said that variations are found in the form, size, color, 

 internal structure, texture, flavor, quality, specific grav- 

 ity, chemical composition, time of ripening, and keeping 

 quality. The attempt is made to correlate these char- 

 acters with the conditions of growth in so far as they are 

 known and to work out the law of the relation of environ- 

 mental factors to the characters of the fruit. 



The following apples were made use of in the study : 

 Arkansas, one sample; Arkansas Black, one sample; 

 Baldwin, eight samples; Ben Davis, nine samples; Deli- 

 cious, three samples; Esopns, seven samples ^Gano, seven 

 samples; Grimes, seven samples; Jonathan, eight sam- 

 ples; Lawyer, one sample; Mcintosh, one sample; North- 

 ern Spy, seven samples; Bhode Island Greening, three 

 samples; Rome, eleven samples; Stayman, five samples; 

 Tompkins King, four samples; Wagener, six samples; 

 White Peamain, three samples; Willow, one sample; 

 Winesap, ten samples; Winter Banana, one sample; Yel- 

 low Bellflower, four samples; Yellow Newtown, seven 

 samples ; and York Imperial, two samples, making a total 

 of 117 samples embracing 24 varieties. These apples 

 were obtained from fourteen localities in the state of 

 Washington and also from one locality in each of the fol- 

 lowing states: New Hampshire, Indiana, Missouri, New 

 York, and West Virginia. 



Before leaving the preliminary portion of this paper 

 the writer wishes to express his appreciation of the aid 



