American Pomology Part 72

This valuable Southern keeper bids fair to become a great favorite.

Tree thrifty, very productive; Fruit small, globular, truncated, regular, handsome; Surface smooth, mixed bright red, and splashed crimson on pale yellow; Dots few, minute.

Basin shallow, wide, regular; Eye small but long, closed; Calyx reflexed.

Cavity deep, regular, brown; Stem medium to long, slender.

Core medium, regular, closed, or slightly open, clasping; Seeds numerous, angular, dark; Flesh yellow, firm, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, agreeable; Use, dessert; Season, December till March or longer; Quality very good.

=Beauty of Kent.=

A large English apple, well adapted to the kitchen. Tree upright, vigorous, rather productive.

Fruit large to very large, roundish, flattened, somewhat conic, regular; Surface greenish yellow, more or less covered with bright red mixed, and splashed with a darker hue; Dots small.

Basin quite shallow, regular; Eye very small closed.

Cavity medium, acute, wavy, green; Stem medium to short.

Core regular, medium, ovate, slightly open, clasping the eye; Seeds angular, imperfect; Flesh whitish yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor acid; Quality only good; Use, cooking and market, for which it is well adapted by its size and appearance; Season, September and October.

=Ben Davis.=

NEW YORK PIPPIN, &C.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 209.--BEN DAVIS.]

This handsome Southern apple has attained a wonderful notoriety within a few years, and its culture has been greatly extended, not on account of its superlative excellence, but because of its many good qualities as an orchard tree or market fruit. It was long cultivated by Verry Aldrich, in Bureau County, Illinois, and exhibited as _New York Pippin_, which name gave an idea of its eastern origin, but in other localities its relations point clearly to its source in the South. To Mr. J.S. Downer we are indebted for a knowledge of its present name, and for confirmation of its ident.i.ty under its several synonyms. This apple may be said to have succeeded as well in the northern parts of Indiana and Illinois as in their southern borders, where it has long been planted; though the northern orchards are still young, they are very promising. The fruit is modified somewhat by a cooler climate, and will keep later than that grown in the South.

Tree remarkably healthy and vigorous, an upright, rapid grower in the nursery, and has numerous short spur-branches along the stem. In the orchard the limbs are set very strongly, and the stems are marked by little mammillar projections or k.n.o.bs, that are very characteristic.

Tree large, spreading, productive, bears early; Shoots long, reddish brown, smooth; Foliage large, dark green.

Fruit large, variable in form, round, often apparently oblong, tapering to the eye, truncated, regular, sometimes inclined, generally very true, as though turned in a lathe; Surface smooth, often polished, yellow covered with mixed red, splashed bright red; Dots minute, scattered.

Basin generally shallow, in large developed specimens deep, abrupt, always regular; Eye large, open; Segments reflexed.

Cavity deep, acute, wavy, brown; Stem medium to long.

Core medium, regular, clasping the eye; Seeds large, plump; Flesh whitish, breaking, tender, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, not rich; Quality only good; Use, market, kitchen; Season, December, January and longer.

=Blackburn.=

Found in the markets at Louisville, Kentucky; not much seen elsewhere.

Origin unknown, probably Southern.

Fruit large, round, somewhat flattened; Surface dull looking, dull green and gray, with broken stripes of dark dull red; Dots large, gray about the apex.

Basin narrow, regular; Eye medium, closed.

Cavity rather deep, acute, brown; Stem medium, curved, rather stout.

Core flattened, open, clasping; Flesh white, crisp, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, with a peculiar spicy, wild, rather astringent taste, that diminishes with the maturity of the fruit; Quality considered good; Use, family and market; Season September, November. _Blackburn_ is sometimes used as a synonym of _Fall Queen_, a different fruit.

=Capital.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 210.--CAPITAL.]

A seedling of Z.S. Ragan, Clayton, Indiana.

Fruit small, globular, truncate at the ends, regular; Surface smooth, deep red on greenish yellow; Stripes and Dots indistinct.

Basin wide, deep; Eye medium, open, elongated.

Cavity wide, acute, regular; Stem medium.

Core round, open, clasping; Seeds numerous, pointed; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, rich; Quality good; Use, the dessert; Season, December and January.

=Carter.=--[Of Ma.s.sachusetts.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 211.--CARTER.]

Specimens from Luke Lincoln, of Leominster, Ma.s.s.

Fruit medium, round, flattened, slightly angular; Surface smooth, yellow, mixed and splashed scarlet; Dots rare, minute.

Basin shallow, folded; Eye small, closed.

Cavity deep, acute, wavy; Stem long.

Core rather large, regular, closed, clasping; Seeds plump and imperfect, pointed; Flesh yellowish white, breaking, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic; Quality good; Use, table; Season, December, January.

=Cary's Summer.=

This is probably an old variety, but it has not been identified.

Specimens from C.C. Cary, near Louisville, Kentucky.

Fruit large, round, flattened, regular; Surface smooth, rich yellow, mixed, splashed, carmine; Dots scattered, minute.

Basin wide, wavy; Eye small, closed.

Cavity deep, narrow, wavy brown; Stem short.