1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
99 
rrigation both play equal parts in imparting these 
good qualities, and also the extra fine keeping quality 
of the Ben Davis and other varieties grown in Delta 
County. The grand, even and light air-climate we 
enjoy at our altitude of exactly 5,000 feet above sea 
level in the Valley, and the wall of mountains from 
6,000 to 7,000 feet above us on all sides, perfect guar¬ 
dians from all wind storms, cyclones, etc., must also 
be considered as able helpers and protectors in fruit 
culture. The apple, pear, peach, plum, and all the 
small fruits grow rapidly, and bear at from one to 
four years after planting ; all bear abundantly every 
season, and such a thing as an off year 
with any kind of fruit has been unknown 
in the 14 years since our first apples 
ripened. 
“ Our system of irrigation is easy and 
simple—the water is taken from our 
two magnificent rivers, the Gunnison 
and the Uncompahgre, by either private] 
or company ditches; on the farms and 
orchards, this water is taken wherever 
wanted by small laterals made quickly 
and easily by the common plow, as east¬ 
ern farmers furrow for potatoes or corn. 
It costs from 50 cents to 81.35 per acre to 
have a full supply of water from March 
to December of each year, and one man 
can effectually irrigate from six to 
twelve acres in a 10-hour day. 
“We all find, by experience, that 
irrigation here, in either farm or fruit 
culture, is much cheaper, and has many 
advantages over localities where the 
grower must depend on rain. Irrigation 
makes the farmer or fruit-grower abso¬ 
lutely independent and secure from 
any failure or loss by drought or flood. 
It gives him power to water, at his 
will, in any quantity, also to withdraw 
all moisture from his field when no 
longer needed. We find irrigation 
cheaper than rainfall, because there is 
no interference with labor—no wet or 
stormy days to spend in idleness wait¬ 
ing and watching for the clouds to break away—and 
never a loss of matured crops of any kind from long- 
continued wet weather. 
“ Apple growing in Delta County, Colorado, is no 
longer a trial effort, but a proved fact, without one 
known drawback. All varieties grow perfectly. In 
size, color, flavor and keeping quality, our fruits are 
gaining every season. There are now growing in 
Delta Courty about 200 varieties of apples, 80 of pears, 
80 of peaches, 30 of cherries, 20 of apricots, 10 of nec¬ 
tarines, six of quinces, and fully 100 
varieties of choicest plums and prunes. 
“ In the commercial orchards of Delta 
County, the Ben Davis apple is no longer 
a leader, and is not now planted in any 
quantity, because its commercial value 
is not equal to Jonathan, Rome Beauty, 
Winesap, Arkansas Black, Grimes 
Golden, Mammoth Black Twig and other 
first-class apples. We can grow Ben 
Davis to perfection, but for dollars and 
high quality, it is no favorite here, 
neither is Missouri Pippin or Jennetting. 
“ The Winesap, as kept in our orchard 
cellars and storage cellars, is a fine long 
keeper; the tree is hardy and bears 
abundantly. Our Winter ends about 
February 1, the farmers usually plow¬ 
ing in February. Grapes, pears, peaches, 
Japan plums and prunes are as fine as 
the apples.” 
The apples received from Mr. Coffey 
were all fine, large, highly-colored speci¬ 
mens. A section of one of the Colorado 
Ben Davis is shown, natural size, at Fig. 
36. They were much more brilliant in 
color than’the specimens ordinarily seen 
and, while not free from the mealiness 
usually associated withOtliis fruit, the 
flesh was more juicy, "and • the flavor 
more sprightly than in the eastern fruit. 
Mr. Coffey says that the Ben Davis will 
keep well in the common orchard-cellar 
up to April. The Fulton, shown, natural size, at Fig. 
37, is a western apple, having a smooth yellow skin, 
with a slight blush. It has a fine-grained flesh, with 
a mild, sub-acid flavor. It is very highly valued in 
Colorado, being of good size, and keeping late in the 
Spring. 
Mr. Coffey regards the Jonathan as the best com¬ 
mercial apple in his locality. He thinks that, for 
money-makers, it would be well to plant all Delta 
County to Jonathan, Winesap, Rome Beauty, and 
Grimes Golden. The price received for this fine 
• • -** r 1 
fruit in the middle of January was $4.25 per barrel by 
the car-load. Judging by the specimens we received, 
excellence of flavor and brilliance of color are both 
characteristics of this Colorado fruit. 
NEW APPLES IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 
The past season was favorable in central Illinois 
for most fruits, and has shown here quite a number of 
so-called “ new apples.” As is usual, a large majority 
are, evidently, worthless for this locality, being either 
too small, too poor in quality, or else having some de¬ 
fect in tree, as lack of hardiness and liability to 
blight. I think I fully realize that the less one says 
about a new fruit for the first two or three years of 
its fruiting, the less he will be obliged to “ crawfish ” 
in later years, and that it is usually the case that one 
is most inclined to talk of what he knows little about. 
I cannot claim to be an exception to this rule. 
Since the death of “ the greatest Roman of them 
all,” Downing, varieties of apples have crept in, in 
number, of which we have no description except that 
given by the introducers’ catalogues, which is too 
often unreliable and, perhaps, made out sometimes 
with only one object in view, that of selling the new 
variety at a high price. This applies to kitchen vege¬ 
tables and flowers as well as to the so-called fruits. 
So it follows that it takes sometimes years of inquiry 
and comparison to enable one to be certain whether a 
newly-introduced kind is really new or not. All re¬ 
member what a remarkable apple the Delaware Red 
Winter was until it was proved to be the old and 
worthless (here) Lawver. The Everbearing also proved 
to be Jefferis; Lord Nelson, Blenheim Pippin; Hyde’s 
King, Wealthy; Missouri Superior, McAfee; New York 
Early Red, Early Colton; Copps Mammoth, Menag6re ; 
etc. In regard to the last, which is an apple of the 
largest size, and correspondingly poor in quality, it 
may be a question which is the proper name. I had 
the variety nearly 40 years ago, from Jabez Copps 
(now deceased), of Mt. Pulaski, Ill., who, as I recol¬ 
lect, claimed to be the originator. Downing describes 
only Menag6re. 
The confusion arising from synonyms is one for 
which nurserymen are really responsible, and which 
they can easily rectify by concerted action. There is 
no good reason why a variety should be Newtown 
Pippin, Chenango Strawberry, Hightop 
Sweet, in one part, and Albemarle Pip¬ 
pin, Sherwood’s Favorite, Sweet June, 
in another, since there is a National 
Nurserymen’s Association. 
One of the most common causes of fail¬ 
ure in a variety here is the habit of 
“dropping”; this is especially true of 
winter kinds. Too often, a hot week 
in September so ripens such varieties 
as Jonathan, that, unless they are picked 
and put in cold storage very early, the 
crop is lost. As yet, this storage is not 
for common farmers, therefore the 
variety is comparatively worthless for 
them. But the commercial orchardists 
save the Jonathans—in fact, they save 
them too well. I have noticed them on 
the market this Winter that were 
picked so early that little of the Jona¬ 
than could be noticed, either in color or 
flavor. 
For my own planting, I prefer Even¬ 
ing Party to Jonathan, for although a 
long time coming into bearing, it has 
given me much more fruit to the tree in 
the past 10 years, to put in the cellar; 
and to my taste, it is as good in quality. 
It grows to a frill medium size here, and 
the color is a showy red. 
Several years ago, many fine-looking 
apples, in large variety, but usually 
under numbers, were shown in vari¬ 
ous places, East and West, as Arkansas seedlings. 
They were mostly large and showy, and usually red. 
The quality of many of them seemed excellent But 
they came from Arkansas, where they can raise fine 
apples. Planted here in Illinois, the size was much 
lessened, the roses partly failed to come to their 
cheeks, and the flavor seemed not so good. One variety 
(No. 8, I think) was named Caffelt at the meeting at 
Cairo, of the State Horticultural Society, and it seemed 
especially promising. I recollect it as above large, 
nearly a Jonathan in shape and color, 
and from very good to best in quality. 
Here it is no larger than Minkler, 
only half covered thinly with dullish 
red and will grade under very good in 
quality. But the fruit hangs well to a 
vigorous, healthy tree, and it is, by 
no means, a humbug. 
Another of those Arkansas apples is 
No. 5, not yet named, so far as I know. 
The tree is spreading, vigorous and 
healthy, and would need fully 35 feet in 
Dthe orchard. This is an early and 
abundant bearer of fruit which is full 
medium in size, and quite showy—red, 
over rich yellow. The quality is nearly 
very good, but its richness is a little 
rank and, to me, somewhat objection¬ 
able. But the fatal fault of dropping 
badly attaches to this variety, and it 
must be handled the same as Jonathan, 
for the middle of September will see 
most of them on the ground. 
Among the very poorest of these 
Arkansas kinds is Martha Washington, 
a greenish-yellow, with some dingy-red, 
apple that runs to ridges, depressions, 
hollows and points more than any other 
apple with which I am acquainted. The 
□flesh is dry, fibrous, satiny, tough, and 
without any redeeming qualities. 
Kossuth, from the same source, is a 
sweet Winter apple, of medium size, and 
is quite'rich, medium juicy, and good. The color is a 
mottle of bright red, russet and yellow. It, like all 
Winter varieties which show much russet, is inclined to 
wilt, and must be kept covered to get best i-esults. 
Arkansas Beauty is another variety from the same 
source. This I have noticed in a former communica¬ 
tion. Its main fault is dropping, but it does not keep 
so well as the No. 5 and Caffelt. In such climates as 
are found in Oregon and Washington, this defect 
might disappear. Here it is ruinous. A good all- 
around Winter apple should hang to the tree until 
frost, B. BUCKMAN. 
THE FULTON APPLE AS GROWN IN COLORADO. Fig. 37. 
