‘Ibe RURAL MEW-YORKER 
S59 
Identifying, Apple Varieties by Their Leaves 
D ISAPPOINTED Fit U IT GROWERS —During 
each year we have hundreds of "misfit trees" 
eases presented to us. Usually a fruit grower buys 
an outfit of nursery apple trees marked with labels, 
lie plants them and gives them good care, only to 
find when they come into hearing that the varieties 
are not at all what he expected. Imagine the feel¬ 
ings of a man of middle years who has. as he 
thought, planted McIntosh, only to find after six or 
eight years of work that they are Wolf River or 
some variety absolutely unsuited to his needs! There 
is nothing in all the line of farming so discouraging 
and annoying as to find, after a long wait, that you 
variety has a peculiar character in this regard, as 
distinct as the'finger marks in man or the nose 
marks in cattle. 
THE NEW SYSTEM.—This new system is well 
explained by Prof. .). K. Shaw in Bulletin 20s of the 
Massachusetts Experiment Station at Amherst. It 
represents the results of seven years’ work in at¬ 
tempting to reach some basis for identifying trees 
before fruiting. As the chief value of any such 
system must naturally he in comparisons, the pic¬ 
tures in the bulletin are necessary to work out the 
plan, Of course the real test of varieties lies in tHe 
ripened fruit, but the trees have definite characters 
We must consider the size, the shape, the tip. of the 
leaf and its habit of lying fiat or folding up. If 
you look at your trees you will find that Baldwin 
or Wagener have a folded leaf: it curves up at the 
middle, on the oilier hand, the leaves of Graven- 
stein or Wealthy will ho found flat. The Baldwin 
leaves arc often shaped like a boat, while Wealthy 
leaves are flat and smooth. The pictures given lu re 
show that these leaves vary in size as well as In 
shape or curving. Thus R. I. Greening has a large 
leaf, while Wealthy is smaller. Then you will notice 
the serrations or notches along the edges of the 
leaves. They vary in depth and sharpness. For in- 
Mc/nfnsli. Petiole Short (A); blade large, flat or slightly folded near 
edge, broad (tt) and heart-shaped (C) at base, deep bluish green; serra¬ 
tions rather dull and shallow, especially at base (D). Fig. 422. 
Rhode Island Greening. Petiole long (A); blade large, flat, deep clear 
green; vein angle sharp (B); serrations very sharp, deep and distim t 
(C). Fig. 423. 
have been deceived with a lot of "misfit trees.” Am 
it is usually impossible, without going to law with ; 
perfect case, to obtain any proper settlement from : 
nurseryman! Many of our readers have beei 
through tins experience and it lias embittered them 
DEFINITE CHARACTERISTICS.—The troubl 
is that most people wait until tlie tuee has fruited be 
fore the calamity is fully revealed. Most nurserymei 
are able to distinguish the different varieties by tliei 
leaves or habit of growth. An observant frui 
grower comes to know by a sort of instinct tlia 
Baldwin, for example, will always make a head o 
of bark, hud, branch and general shape of the head. 
The leaf, however, is characteristic in its shape and 
habit of growth, and seems to afford a sure key to 
the problem of identification. 
MAPPING THE LEAF.—The picture at Fig. 420 
serves as a map to show the different parts of the 
apple leaf. If we take a typical leaf of any standard 
variety and study it by this map we can get the idea 
clearly in mind. 
“The leaf is first divided into three parts: Stipules, 
petiole and blade. About one-third of the blade 
next to tlie petiole is called the base, and similarly 
stance, in R. I. Greening they are quite sharp and 
straight, while in Baldwin they are more or less 
curved and shaped somewhat like a sickle. In fact, 
this peculiar shape of the leaf edges and the folded 
leaf will always identify Baldwin. If you will place 
one leaf upon another and compare these notches 
you will soon get the idea and learn to separate 
va rieties. 
COLOR.—Then the color of the healthy leaf will 
have much to do with it. Of course all healthy apple 
leaves have a deep, rich green, but if we examine 
them closely we shall find a characteristic shade for 
Wealthy. Petiole long (A); blade moderately large, flat, with waved 
edges (B), narrow at base and ai>c.r (C) ; midrib refle.red or spiral fU) ; 
serrations rather dull (E). Fig. 42!,. 
Baldwin. Petiole short (A); blade large, broad, with “saucer shaped ” 
folding (B); serrations sharp, close set, usually curved (C). Fig. 42 o. 
different shape from that of It. I. Greening. Most 
tree buyers, however, cannot separate the young 
trees. Fruiting is the positive test for them. We 
have all l'elt that some clear and definite test Of 
varieties should he worked out. Criminals and others 
may he positively identified by linger prints. Each 
individual has definite and sure wrinkles and marks 
on his fingers: they will betray ids identity wherever 
lie goes. Three weeks ago we showed how about the 
same tiling can he worked out. by obtaining nose 
Prints of cattle. Now much the same thing has been 
studied out in relation to tree varieties. The shape 
and character of the leaf is considered, for each 
abut, one-third of the other end, the apex; beyond 
this is the narrow point called the tip. The midrib 
is a continuation of the petiole to the tip of the leaf. 
The saw-like notches along the edge of the leaf are 
called serratures or serrations, and are of the 
greatest importance, being rarely exactly alike in 
two varieties.” 
VARIETAL DIFFERENCES.—W<? shall find on 
examination that each apple variety has character¬ 
istic markings on its leaves so distinct as to enable 
us to identify the variety. The most favorable time 
for study is after July 1. and well developed, unin¬ 
jured leaves should always be taken for comparison. 
each variety. In aH green-fruited varieties like 
Greening the leaves will show a clear, rich green. 
Where the apple show much red there is a deeper 
green with a faint bluish or purple cast. You will 
notice this particularly in McIntosh. Of course in 
making this color test we must bo sure that the trees 
are healthy and well nourished, for a feeble tree 
cannot have a true color in its leaves. There are 
some other characteristics which help to determine 
ihe variety. Wolf River drops its leaves early, and 
shows a yellow color, while Macintosh holds the 
foliage and shows little yellow color. Strange as at 
may seem, one of the most common substitutions ia 
