American Pomology Part 45

Cavity wide, regular, green; Stem short, thick.

Core large, closed; Seeds numerous, angular; Flesh yellow-white, breaking; Flavor acid, with a peculiar aroma, not agreeable; Quality poor; Use kitchen only; Season November to January. There are many better apples of its season.

=Vance's Harvest.=

A pretty little early apple grown in some parts of the West. Origin unknown.

Fruit small, flat, regular; Surface smooth, rich yellow, shaded and splashed bright red; Dots small, scattered, yellow.

Basin small, regular; Eye small, closed.

Cavity wide, regular, brown; Stem long.

Core wide, regular, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, short, plump, dark; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, not very juicy; Flavor acid to sub-acid; Quality pretty good; Use kitchen and market; Season August.

=Vandervere Pippin.=

LARGE VANDERVERE--WATSON'S VANDERVERE--VANDERVERE (Elliott)--YELLOW VANDERVERE--and several others in the books.

There appears to have been much confusion in the minds of authors who have written of this fruit, which, in some parts of the country is very well known and much cultivated. I have taken the name by which it is almost universally recognized by cultivators, though it is adopted only as a synonym by Mr. Elliott, who seems to have confounded this apple with the _Pennsylvania Vandervere_ or _Staalcubs_ described by c.o.xe.

Origin believed to have been Pennsylvania, but this is not well established.

Tree very vigorous, large, spreading, productive, bearing annually; Twigs and leaves much like the Pennsylvania Vandervere.

Fruit large to very large, regular, oblate; surface smooth, yellow, more or less covered with marbled red, and scarlet stripes; Dots large, yellow, indented, sometimes irregularly net-veined, making it less smooth.

Basin wide, regular; Eye small, closed.

Cavity wide, regular; Stem long, medium size.

Core regular, closed, meeting and clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, dark; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, granular, juicy, heavy; Flavor rich, acid; Quality poor for table, excellent for cooking; Season December. Does not keep well, rather subject to bitter rot, but a great favorite with house-keepers, and a useful shade tree near the kitchen door.

=Vaughan's Winter.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 114.--VAUGHAN'S WINTER.]

This Kentucky variety was sent to me by my friend J.S. Downer, of Fairview, Kentucky, with several other new southern apples of merit.

Tree vigorous, hardy and productive, bearing fruit early.

Fruit medium, regular, round-oblate; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow, mixed and splashed with bright red and splashes of carmine; Dots small, gray and yellow.

Basin regular, abrupt, medium, and leather-cracked; Eye large, open; Segments reflexed.

Cavity medium, yellow and brown; Stem short.

Core small, regular, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds few, large, brown; Flesh yellow, breaking, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, good; December.

=Western Beauty.=

MUSGROVE'S COOPER--BIG RAMBO--OHIO BEAUTY.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 115.--WESTERN BEAUTY.]

A valuable fall and early winter fruit, the origin of which is not known; it is considerably grown in Central Ohio, and has attracted attention under its synonyms as given. It was at one time thought to be the Cooper.

Mr. W.F. English, of Auglaize County, Ohio, carried grafts into that region from Pickaway County, and in a most disinterested manner exerted himself to distribute the variety. In a communication to the _Western Horticultural Review_, for February, 1853, he says: "The tree is vigorous, leaves upon young shoots are often three to three and a half inches broad, and four or five, and even six inches long; shoots stout, being often as large as your little finger at the end of the summer's growth. The form of the tree is peculiar, and its appearance beautiful; once seen, it may be recognized anywhere by its habit."

Having fruited this variety in my own orchard, I can confirm the above, and add:

Tree vigorous, large, spreading, open head, productive, an early bearer.

Fruit large, sometimes very large, beautiful, regular, oblate, not disposed to rot, except when attacked by the birds, which are very fond of it; Surface smooth, pale yellow, partially covered with mixed red, striped and often distinctly splashed with bright red; Dots numerous, gray, prominent; Skin quite thin.

Basin wide, regular, sometimes cracked open; Eye large, closed.

Cavity wide, regular, green, and partly brown; Stem either short or long.

Core large, nearly closed, clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, medium, pointed; Flesh light yellow, almost white, brittle, tender, juicy, almost melting, never water-cored; Flavor sub-acid, vinous, delicious, satisfying; Quality best; either for table or cooking, for the latter purpose they may be taken when half grown in the beginning of July. In August they may be house-ripened and found good, but the proper season is September to Christmas; if properly cared for they may be preserved plump until March, but lose some of their refres.h.i.+ng flavor.

=Wilson.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 116.--WILSON.]

This very nice little apple was sent to me with this name from Western Virginia, by Julius Brace, who found it abundant on Paint Creek. I have not yet been able to identify it, but it may prove to be the same as some of our new southern varieties. An outline and description are here given with its local name, in the hope that if it should prove to be the same as the _Black Annette_, of the Clinch river region of Virginia, or some other variety, the ident.i.ty may be the more readily traced.

Fruit small, regular, oblate, or globular-oblate; Surface smooth, nearly covered with very deep red, in which the stripes are almost obscured; Dots numerous, minute, white.

Basin, deep, regular, plaited or folded; Eye small, closed.

Cavity regular, acute; Stem long, red.

Core regular, closed, meeting, not clasping the eye; Seeds small, plump; Flesh white, fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy; Flavor mild sub-acid, agreeable; Quality best; Use table; Season January.

This is different from Wilson's of Michigan, which is yellow.

=Wine.=--[_c.o.xe._]

HAYS' WINTER--PENNSYLVANIA RED STREAK.

This handsome large apple is another index of the source of population in a western county. It is a favorite fruit with those who know it, either for market or the kitchen, for which its size and form render it peculiarly attractive.