Ame ern OG Obs ON EW -ROR.U ITS 

skin tough; flesh firm, medium red, solid, subacid, good; season early. It 
is a cross between Beacon and Howard and is noteworthy for its produc- 
tivity, large size which is well maintained throughout the season, and 
attractive appearance. It is well worthy of trial as a market berry. 
PN ERO RONSsOR ser bali oman 
The United States Department of Agriculture has named and introduced 
for trial an early red apple, named Close in honor of the originator and a 
late blight-resistant canning pear, named Waite, in honor of another well- 
known Department investigator. 
Close—was named in honor of the late C. P. Close, a former horticulturist 
at the Geneva Station and later, for many years, a federal pomologist, 
who was interested in the improvement of the apple thru breeding. The 
tree is a vigorous grower and annually productive. The fruit is large, 
round-oblong-conic, of the shape of Williams of which it is a seedling. 
It is well colored with a rather dark dull solid red. The season is as early 
as Crimson Beauty and a few of the apples ripen ahead of that variety. 
The quality is good but like Crimson Beauty the flavor is decidedly acid. 
It is primarily an apple for the roadside trade and requires spot picking 
over a short season. 
Waite—seems to be outstanding as a blight-resistant pear. Under severe test 
conditions this pear has never developed more than about 10 percent as 
much blight as Kieffer. The fruit is of the shape and size of Bartlett and 
ripens with Kieffer. The flesh is smooth without grit cells, juicy, with more 
of an acid flavor than Bartlett but excellent for cooking and canning and 
fair for table use. The tree is a rather slender, willowy grower, of moderate 
vigor. The blossoms produce little or no pollen so cross-pollination is 
essential. Under favorable pollination conditions it sets well and is a 
heavy cropper. 
