MARKETING WESTERN BOXED APPLES 55 
keeper, if carefully handled; a very highly colored, handsome general- 
purpose sort, of rather ordinary flavor. 
THE JONATHAN GROUP 
The Jonathan and Esopus Spitzenburg are varieties of full red 
color, smooth finish, high flavor, medium size, fairly uniform shape, 
and fair to good cooking and keeping qualities. These kinds are of 
much importance in the western commercial box pack and are sur 
passed in prominence only by the Winesap. The season begins in 
October. They are very popular in the market but seem to be 
losing ground in some producing sections. 
The King David is usually classed in the Jonathan group, with 
which it has qualities in common. It-enters the market much 
earlier than the Jonathan. The color is a deep red, flavor rather 
sour, and cooking quality fairly good. 
OTHER LEADERS 
The Delicious usually leads the box market in price, although 
occasionally equalled by Esopus Spitzenburg and Winesap. The 
reasons for its popularity are its high color and distinctive but regu- 
lar shape, its comparative freedom from scald, and its excellent 
dessert qualities. On account of its mild flavor it is not especially 
valued as a cooking apple. Large sizes sell best but all sizes are in 
good demand. The Golden Delicious is like the other, except in 
color. 
Rome Beauty is a good apple for the box pack because of its fine 
appearance, general utility, and good keeping quality apart from 
tendency to scale in storage. Size is important with this variety 
and the large sizes are in special demand for baking. The average 
price is between that of the Ben Davis and Jonathan groups. 
The Ben Davis and Gano are red in color, of good size, but low 
dessert quality, and are marketable chiefly as good-keeping apples. 
Even at their best they sell below most other box varieties and 
probably are better suited to the barrel and other cheaper packs. 
The Gano has somewhat better color than the Ben Davis and sells 
higher than that variety early in the season. This group seems 
hardly holding its own commercially. 
The Grimes Golden sells highest of the yellow sorts in some markets 
because of its reputation for eating quality. ven its small size 
does not lessen its popularity in markets where it is well known. Its 
weakness, apart from size and color, is a tendency to lose rapidly in 
condition and quality. On most markets it sells on the average below 
the Jonathan class. 
The Gravenstein, prominent in the early California pack, is a 
good seller, as it is the earliest choice box apple in the market. It is 
attractive in appearance with red streaks on yellow background; 
eating quality and size are good. It is easily bruised, softens rapidly, 
and has passed its best by October. 
Winter Banana is attractive with its bright yellow and red color 
and waxy finish. Quality is only fair to good. It is a rather poor 
keeper as it soon becomes soft and mealy. Large sizes sell high, 
early in the season, but the average price is not by any means equal 
to the opening levels. 
