312 
Some Good Old Varieties of Apples 
Nearly Extinct 
S o (JKKAT has bwn the ehaie^'e in tiie demand 
for ai)])leK ajid in the metliods of marketing 
tliem during tlie last .‘10 years or more, tliat certain 
varieti(“s li.ive hecui in demand and iiave l)een 
gi’own fr<»m tlie standjKcnt of commercial liandling, 
rather than for the finest (juality, including flavor 
and texture t>f the fruit. For handling, trans)>or- 
tation and k(‘e)(ing qualities in storage and during 
ex])osure for sale, the Hen I>avi.s family, among 
varieties, has foi- years been extensively grown and 
in enormous (|uantities. Discriminating consumers 
have long since re.iected these as unsatisfactory. 
Then came niton tlu' markc't the very attractive. 
Knickerbocker. Fig. 137 
a?jd skillfull.v ])iu-k(‘d aiqiles from the Pacific Coast 
Slates, with .Tonathan, Sitizeiibei'g, and Newtown 
as leading varieties with some Ben Davis and Black 
Twig, included in large shipments. 
The Western aiiples. grown under arid and semi- 
arid climatic conditions, with irrigation necessary 
for soil moisture, have been popular Avith the large 
buyt'i's and luuidlers. :is also AvIth the ladail 
dealers, foi' the reason that they all had the Ben 
Davis <-haracteristic of thick skin, tougher fibre 
and less juiciness, all (pialifies that are moi'e faA'or- 
able for long ti'ansportation in ship)»ing, tor longer 
keeping in storage and during exposure in retail 
selling. Increasing numbers of discriminating con- 
suniers are not entirely satisfied AA’ith the qujiliities 
of these aiiples. that make them itopular Avith the 
bu.A’ers and retailers, and thei'e is now a steadil.A* 
iiici’easing demand for the oUDtime apple, that 
shoAvs Avhile some of them have become exinct, they 
are not forgotten. 
The Fastern Si)itzenberg, as formerly groAvn in 
the Hudson Valley and on Long Island, is^ being 
asked for by a feAV retail dealers in re.sponse to 
fr(*(iuent limiuiries by those aa’Iio AA’ant that old-time 
A^ery excellent apjde. It has practically gone out 
of cultiA’ation in the Fast for the reason that it is 
not a heavy bearing tree, and llu' fruit is (piite 
C»« RURAL NEW-YORKER 
subject to the scab. It may, hoAvever, be much 
impi’ove<l by making selection of grafts from fine 
sj'ecimen trees and toicAA'orking upon Bhode Island 
C.reening trees, Avhen larger trees may be ob¬ 
tained that Avill give larger yields of fruit. IWaen 
]'lanted in strong, but loam soil, and the trees 
thoroughly .sprayed to ]jrotect the foliage from apple 
seal) fungus, larger ai)ples ma.v be obtained that 
Avill com])are favorabl.A’ Avith the Western Spitzen- 
berg, of as good color and su))ei’ior in fhiA’or. Be- 
liiilers comi>lain that they cannot get Fastern- 
groAvn Sj)itzenbergs of any A'alue In their trade, on 
account of small size, poor color and i)oorer pack¬ 
ing. I knoAV of instances AA’here Hudson Biver 
t-pitzenbergs liaA'e been bought and canned for 
future use for their A’ory fine flavor Avhen used in 
stcAved and in a jiumber of dessert 
forms. For high color, and free¬ 
dom from canker, j)lant the Spitz- 
enberg on eleA’ated land, not on 
loAV or level places, and on heavy 
soil. 
The SAA’aar, another of the old 
apples, of very fine quality, is no 
longei' to be had in any market. 
This A’ariet.v, Avhile not classed as a 
heavy heaier. I can recall Avhen a 
boy, hel])ing to pick the .apides 
fi’om a tree that filled an ox-cai't 
bod.A' holding .‘10 biishels, heaiiing 
full. The color of this inost excel¬ 
lent high-grade apple is, Avhen 
rightl.A' gi’oAvn. a rlcli golden yelloAA' 
Avith a crimson blush, the fiesh is 
cris]) .and tender, juicy and ai’o- 
matic. Ke(‘))ing quality go(Kl even 
into May. It AA'Ould be difficult to 
.add more to make a ])erf(‘ct a])i)le. 
To produce this apple in the high¬ 
est }«“rfecfion i-equires knoAA-halge 
and good judgment. On a heavy 
soil in loAV ])laces, Avhere drain.age 
is, not good, it is j)oor in color, a dull green, and 
eipiall.v ])oor in tlaA'or, and in ke(‘ping (piality, de¬ 
caying badly before rii»e:iing. 
The Knickerbocker is .another edd variety, long 
out of memoi'y, even of the “oldest inhabitant.'’ It 
Avas groAvn a century ago along the Hudson and 
about Woi-cester, Mass. It is yelloAv in color, rich 
in flavor an<l ai-omatic, AAdiicU ylAA’a.A's indicates 
high quality. For baking, steAving, and eating from 
hand this is a v(uy choice old A’ariety. It is not 
to be found in nui’series or in catalogs. Its season 
is from September to December. 
For many years the Black (lillilloAver Avas vei-y 
genei-ally groAvn in Ncav York, Ncav Fngland and 
liorthern Ncav Jersey and Pennsylvania, but is noAV 
seldom .seen in any market. Of all varieties child¬ 
ren Avould seek this, Avhile in Southern markets for 
man.v years it led in demand, and in price per barrel. 
It may be classed among sAveet apple.s, and is e.x- 
ceedingly fine in flaA'or from October to February, 
after Avhich it softens and loses its best flavor. 
For a baking sAveet a])i)le to be eaten Avith cream, 
this old variety has fcAV equals. 
Ortley is more than a century old, a variety that 
has been groAvn in Ncav Jersey, 1‘ennsylvania, and 
in scattei’ed orchai'ds in NeAA' York. It has been 
knoAvn by several names, as .Tersey Oreening, 
Oreas.A’ Pippin and White BellflOAA'er, This apple 
I'.as been ranked high by those avIio have knoAvn 
it. for its juiciness, crisp but tender flesh, and 
choice dessert qualities. GroAvn in a limestone 
biarn, not too lieaA-y in clay, it makes a large ti'ee, 
very productive of attractive apples of light yelloAv 
color, Avith more or less of crim.«on blush. This 
apple should be packed in boxes, as its light color 
and thin skin shoAv marks Avhich Avrapping Avill 
prevent in packing. By heavy thinning, and 
thorough spra.ving, 90 per cent of the apples Avill 
make the grade of 2% inch minimum size. The 
skin of this A’ariety has an abuudanc*e of Avax 
Avhich is an essential element dn the keeping (piality 
of all choice apples that do not have a thick skin. 
So abundant is this Avax upon the Ortley that Avhen 
the apple is ripe it softens and AvIth a knife blade 
it may be scratched off in flakes. For this rea¬ 
son it acquired the name of Greasy Pippin. To 
i’lustrate hoAV the consuming public recognizes fine 
ai.ples Avhen they may be regularly obtained, the 
entire crop of Ortley at Orchard Farm for years 
Avas taken by a railroad restaurant at Springfield, 
IMass.. the pro])rietor of Avhich said it Avas the 
mo.st popular apple he sold, passengers buying by 
the half dozen to take Avith them on trains. 
The demand has been .so large for a feAV varie¬ 
ties of the purely commercial characters superior 
for transportation and storage handling, that many 
of these very choice old ajiiiles have dropped out 
February 2:5, 101 s 
of the market and with no demand for the trees, 
nurserymen luiA-e not ])ropagated them. A foAV 
years ago I attempted to save a number of these 
old varieties, by propagating, specimen (Bvarf trees, 
from an old, failing orch.ird over 75 years in bear¬ 
ing. In a .single night jack rabbits, so completely 
strip])od the young trees, in eating the bark, that 
a number of the A'.-irieties AA'(M’e lost. 
The medicinal qualities of the apple, long recog- 
j-ized, but not spc'cifically knoAvn, has recently been 
confirmed through the AA’oi’k of an Fnglish army sur- 
g(-on. Avho in AA’orking upon the most A’italizing yet 
economical rations for soldiers, found that fruit aa’us 
a highly essential part, and especially apples in 
the soldiers' diet. He found that under the heaviest 
A'’ork given to men undei- food tests that ai)ples 
Ortley, or Jersey Greening. Fig. 139 
in the daily <!ict gave a muiceable effect, and ui)on 
anal.vsis Avere shoAvn to possess an element that 
nourished or added to, or accentuated nerA’ous 
force. Becommendatlon AA’as made to the military 
authorities to import fruits, and especially apples, 
to be supplied to soldiers in the lirdd. The same 
iiuthority made the statement Tluit one of the 
I'tasons Avhy German soldiers Avere not maintaining 
their eiirlier and poAverful drives, and counter, and 
after drh’es, Avas, the lack of nervous foi’ce, from 
a st(‘adil.v narroAving diet. The apple groAvers and 
dealers of the United States, are noAV shipping 100 
carloads of apples to the hospitals and armies 
in France Avith promises of another 100 cai’s. After 
the (‘X])eriences of the i)r('sent AVOiid-AA'ide dcA’ast- 
ing Avar are over, there Avill be much greater 
knoAvledge upon the economic value of different 
foods. The time Avill, Avithout doubt, come, Avhen 
apple orchards Avill be planted upon the basis of 
Results of Selection on Position of Ea.rs, Fig. 140 
A Giant White Oak. Fig. 138 
