VOL. XLIX. NO. 2134. NEW YORK, DECEMBER 20 , i89o. PR i c S'p’'^ E vIJg TS - 
SOME ARKANSAS APPLES. 
At the American Institute Fair a very fine collection of 
apples were exhibited by E. F. Babcock, of the Arkansas 
Nurseries, Little Rock, Ark. Many were old varieties, 
but larger and of finer appearance than the same sorts as 
grown at the East. It is doubtful whether they will prove 
as long keepers, and, indeed, this is not claimed for them, 
but from the samples we tested they are of excellent qual¬ 
ity, and, as the apples of the future will be largely 
evaporated, the matter of keeping is a secondary 
consideration with the bulk of market fruit. 
Northern Spies 13% inches in diameter, were ex¬ 
hibited ; smooth, well-colored, beautiful speci¬ 
mens. Ben Davis and Rome Beauty measured 
13 inches and many others were nearly as large. 
Several new varieties were exhibited and we 
have had drawings made of these, which we 
present herewith, together with a brief history 
kindly furnished by Mr. Babcock. We also ap¬ 
pend descriptions of the specimens tested in our 
office. 
Ozone received from the American Institute 
Committee the medal of excellence, as being the 
best seedling on exhibition. Color, blood-red, 
splashed with russet, flesh, yellowish white, 
slightly acid, sprightly, distinctly aromatic; our 
specimen would hardly rank as of the highest 
quality. Skin thick, tough; core large. Shan¬ 
non, color, golden yellow, flesh nearly white, 
tender, sub-acid, juicy, aromatic; quality best. 
Skin thick; core small. The specimen from which 
our illustration was made was not nearly so 
large as some others exhibited, but represented 
more nearly the typical shape. 
Arkansas Seedling, on one side dark red, on 
the other rich yellow, running into red with 
conspicuous alveolar dots all over. Flesh, yellowish white, 
tender to mealiness, quite juicy, faintly sub-acid and 
slightly aromatic. Skin hard and thin; core medium. 
Arkansas Beauty, color, dull red with occasional splashes 
of green with alveolar dots. Flesh, yellowish-white, tender, 
juicy, sub acid ; quality good. Skin, firm; core, large. 
These apples are all good and rank best or very close to it. 
The following notes are furnished by Mr. Babcock: 
The Ozone. 
This originated in Madison County, Ar¬ 
kansas, from seeds planted by Mr. John 
Martin. From what variety he obtained 
the seeds is not known. It first came to 
my notice in 18S1. I have carefully watched 
it each succeeding year since, and I now re¬ 
gard it as one of the most valuable market 
apples in cultivation. It is an early, abun¬ 
dant and regular bearer, and a pood keeper, 
lasting until April in this climate, and it 
would of course be a longer keeper farther 
North. I am confident it will prove an 
acquisition to any orchard south of the 
38th parallel and on the Pacific coast. 
The Shannon. 
It has been claimed, and believed, by our 
leading pomologists that this is one of the 
numerous seedlings lor which Arkansas has 
within the past few years become so justly 
celebrated. A careful investigation made 
a few years since as to its origin has satis¬ 
fied me that the following particulars are 
true, and much as I dislike the idea of sur 
rendering its origination, I feel impelled to 
give them. 
In the autumn of 1833one Rector, a “ tree 
peddler,” came up 1 he Arkausas River on a 
steamboat with a general assortment of 
apple trees and some other nursery stock 
and disembarked at Van Buren, near Fort 
Smith, loaded his trees on wagons and 
went to a place called Cane Hill, about 30 
miles north of Van Buren, and “heeled in” his stock 
and commenced to sell to the settles. Among this lot of 
trees was this variety, but having lost the label and not 
remembering the name and being too honest, I suppose, to 
give it a name (remember this was 57 years ago, and before 
the agent of the present day was born), it remained unsold 
until late in the spring He had “heeled in” his trees 
near Kidd’s Mill. In the mill was a small distillery, and 
of course it was quite a popular place. Among the fre 
quent visitors was one Granville Shannon. He was in the 
habit of buying a few trees when he left for home on each 
visit, and, to close out the lot, Rector offered all that re¬ 
mained (about 20 trees) at a considerable reduction, and 
he took and planted them. Fort Smith and Van Buren 
wore in those days important points on our frontier, and 
with the garrison, officers and their families formed no in- 
OZONE. Fig. 426. 
significant market; and It was about all the growers had 
except the river trade. When these trees bore, Shannon 
loaded up his wagon and went to Van.Buren. The great 
size, beauty, and excellent flavor, with the delicious 
aroma of this apple attracted attention and his load was 
disposed of at once at prices unheard of before. He could 
give the variety no name, and so it was named by his cus¬ 
tomers and called Shannon’s Pippin. 
SHANNON. Fig. 427. 
Dr. Scott, of Centralia. Ill., states that he was at Lewis- 
burg when the boat landed in the year above stated. He 
saw Rector and his trees, but does not remember where 
the man or his trees came from; but he recalls that he 
was a Methodist minister, and this I think explains why 
he did not get a label on that bundle of trees. 
I showed at the meeting of the American Pomological 
Society at Boston in September, 1887, some of the fruit 
from the original trees sold by Rector, and on a recent 
visit to Fort Smith I met the party who owns the old 
Shannon place. He informed me that the trees bore again 
this year—57 years after planting. This apple was the 
prize winner at New Orleans in 1865, taking three pre¬ 
miums; for best plate of Shannon, $5; the largest and 
handsomest, $10; the best plate of any variety, $10. The 
tree is a vigorous, stocky grower, with the irregular habit 
of the Rhode Island Greening, both in nursery 
and orchard, and it closely resembles that variety 
in foliage as well. 
The Arkansas Beauty. 
This apple came to my notice in ’86, and I 
called it Arkansas Beauty temporarily until I 
should be able to establish its identity, if known. 
I sent it with the Arkansas, Shannon, Crawford 
and about 10 or 12 other sorts to Rochester, N. Y., 
and requested Mr. Patrick Barry to identify it 
if possible. In a letter to me he said. “ It Is un¬ 
known to us here.” I have sent it to various 
other parties with the same request and have re¬ 
ceived similar answers. The name I temporarily 
gave it is not a misnomer, for it is a beautiful 
apple. To quote a distinguished pomologist : 
“ It is not like any apple I have ever known and 
it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. 
No painting, however perfect in color or clear¬ 
ness, can excel it, and for once, at least, we have 
an apple finer than the pictures we see in the 
agents’ plate books.” The tree is a good grower 
and an early and abundant bearer—and the fruit 
if properly handled will keep until January in this 
climate, and longer farther North. The skin is 
thin and clear, yet very strong, hence it keeps 
its color and glossiness a long time. It bears 
transportation well and does not show bruises 
easily, and therefore it is a good shipper. If the fruit re¬ 
tains its color, when planted in the North it will be a very 
desirable family and market apple. 
The Arkansas. 
I exhibited this apple at the World’s Fair, in New Or¬ 
leans, in 1884—5, under the above name. "It was known 
locally as the Mammoth Black Twig. Tbe Wine Sap, of 
which it is evidently a seedling, is known in many local¬ 
ities as the Black Twig, hence the name to 
distinguish it from its supposed parent, 
which it strongly resembles in fruit and 
color of wood. It has been claimed by some 
that it originated in Tenn., but Mr. John 
Crawford, of Washington County, Ark., 
writes me that he brought the seeds with 
him from Tenn.,—a mixed lot,—and sowed 
them on his farm. From the seedlings thus 
produced, he obtained this tree, and from 
it all the stock now growing in Arkansas 
was obtained. Although it is 47 years since 
the seeds were planted, there are very few 
trees in bearing now, as it is only a short 
time since the value of the fruit became 
known. The tree is a very strong, stocky 
grower, with strong, fibrous roots; being 
in this respect unlike its supposed parent, 
which makes a poor root. The tree bears 
early and produces abundant crops of good 
and uniformly smooth fruit. 
About Poultry Houses.— I do not favor 
open sheds for fowls. I have built a dozen 
poultry houses three of which were open 
sheds. The coldest New England weather 
is too severe for hens in such a place. If the 
house is'large enough to allow six square 
feet for each.hen the birds will do better if 
they remain inside all day when there is 
snow on the ground. “ The best poultry 
house ” for 15 hens, is a gable-roofed build¬ 
ing, eight by twelve feet, with four-foot 
posts, set with one corner to the south, 
with a window in the west end and another one in the east 
side, giving the fowls the benefit of the sun early in the 
morning and late in the afternoon. If the house faces the 
south, with the windows all in that side, the sun warms 
it too much at noon, and does no good in the morning and 
afternoon when heat is most needed. I believe in wood 
floors first, last and all the time. J. A. Wilson. 
Essex County, Mass. 
