E. J. Holman: I have eliminated it from my family orchard, and give it only standing-room as a commercial fruit, and there rate it second [in quality]. There can be more money made from it in a few years than from any apple we have. It is the youngest bearing tree we have. It grows to a good size, and by some is preferred to Ben Davis. The great merit of this apple is in its youthful productiveness, good color, and marketable quality.
W. G. Gano: I do not approve of planting it thickly, intending to let it remain. It is apt to overbear, break in pieces, and become almost worthless. With proper care and thinning when too thick we can partially overcome this.
W. J. Griffing: It is my second best apple. I consider the Winesap the best, as it has paid me the best, and I am planting for winter profit only these two. All apple trees die young with us.
F. W. Dixon: I can add nothing new, but place it second on the list.
James Sharp: It has been my most profitable variety. About four-fifths have been marketable. As to dying young, I would rather grow new ones.
President Wellhouse: We will have to stick to it awhile yet in Kansas.
When of good size they command a price in advance of the Ben Davis.
G. P. Whiteker: It gives good satisfaction as a commercial apple. It bears young; and you can get good returns for eight or ten years, and then put out a new orchard.
Phillip Lux: I would place the Missouri Pippin second on the commercial list.
William Cutter: It is the youngest to bear. It is a Western apple. Other varieties gradually die out, but it sticks. The farther west you go the better it is. It stands drought and wind best of all. While it breaks off on the top, it is not a short-lived tree.
B. F. Smith: I would place it second on the commercial list.
GANO.
Origin, Howard county, Missouri. Tree very hardy; has never been injured by the cold winters; bears very young, roots readily from its own stock, and can almost be grown from a cutting. Fruit bright red on yellow ground, no stripes; large, oblong, tapering to the eye; surface smooth, takes a very high polish, making it valuable as a stand fruit, thought by many to surpa.s.s the Ben Davis. Minute dots; basin shallow, sometimes deep; stem medium to long; flesh white, fine grained, tender, mild, pleasant subacid. An early, annual and prolific bearer. December to May.
Remarks on the Gano by members of the State Horticultural Society:
W. G. Gano: I cannot be against my namesake. I have found nothing yet that excels the parent trees. The Gano is creating a sensation, more especially in the southern part of Missouri. They prefer it to Ben Davis, and, where extensively planted and in bearing, it is creating a sensation. While I have no interest in it, other than the name, still I think we have in the Gano something that will stay. It is much like Ben Davis.
E. J. Holman: I would cla.s.s it and the Ben Davis as twins.
James Sharp: I planted about 700 trees of it five years ago. This year I raised five apples. Two of these could not be told from Ben Davis. One looked like Jonathan.
William Cutter: I cla.s.s it with Ben Davis. It differs little except in color. Trees are alike, but I think it a younger bearer. I got my grafts from Lee"s Summit, Mo., paying five dollars per 100 for them. One tree I gave to a friend was this year a wonder to all who saw it.
President Wellhouse: We have seventy or eighty acres in Gano, planted five or six years ago. While the tree is much like Ben Davis, I can distinguish a difference in the apples. If I pile both kinds together I can see a difference; if I pick out a Gano and put it in the Ben Davis pile, neither I nor any other man on earth can tell it from the Ben Davis. I do not know whether it is distinct from the Ben Davis or not.
If it is Ben Davis, it is all right. I hope it is distinct, but have so far been unable to settle the question.
W. G. Gano: We originally found only one tree in an orchard in Pratt county, Missouri, and in the same orchard there were plenty of Ben Davis trees. There may have been a mix-up of these varieties, but you will not be disappointed if you get the Gano.
President Wellhouse: Before planting, I went to Lee"s Summit for three or four years in succession and examined the original trees, to see whether we ought to plant any; we concluded to plant, for if they were not a new apple they would be the Ben Davis anyhow. We may have obtained Ben Davis trees.
Mrs. A. Z. Moore: My husband handles many of them on commission, and favors them both in the orchard and in the market. He says they are known as Jonathan, not as Gano, and while you may not distinguish them in a pile of Ben Davis, you will know the difference if you put your teeth into them.
YORK IMPERIAL.
_Synonym_: Johnson"s Fine Winter.
Origin thought to be York county, Pennsylvania. Tree moderately vigorous, productive. Young wood rich brown, downy. Fruit medium, oblate oblique, whitish, shaded with crimson in the sun, thinly sprinkled with light and gray dots. Stalk short. Calyx closed, or partially open. Basin large, deep. Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, pleasant, mild subacid. Good to very good. Core compact, small. November to February.
Remarks on the York Imperial by members of the State Horticultural Society:
C. C. Cook: I have planted heavily of York Imperial. They are not yet in full bearing. They have given me good results. The trees are of large size and the growth indicates that they will be strong bearers. They are of rather a twig growth. I would put them about sixth on the commercial list.
E. J. Holman: The York Imperial is an old apple. It is new to many of us because of its late sudden popularity. It has been sent to Europe, holding its own with Missouri Pippin and others. It is large, a good keeper, and growers always seem pleased with it. It seems to be growing popular.
James Sharp: I have about 500 or 600 trees I planted on the recommendation of President Wellhouse, six years ago. This year they produced about 100 bushels. I think they will be profitable.
President Wellhouse: I saw a gentleman from St. Louis who gathered about ten car-loads, and he was favorably impressed with it. We have many trees bearing. It keeps well in cellars.
Phillip Lux: I would place them third on the commercial list.
William Cutter: Mine are just beginning to bear. It is not a youthful bearer. I think it will be a popular apple.
G. L. Holsinger: They commence to bear young. We have some that are twenty-two years old. This year they were full. Like the Jonathan, they mature too early and fall off. What I put in the cellar this year kept well, very few rotting.
RAWLE"S JANET.
_Synonyms_: Missouri Janet, Red Neverfail, Rawle"s Jannet, Rawle"s Jannetting, Rawle"s Genet, Rock Remain, Rock Rimmon, Yellow Janett, Winter Jannetting, Jeniton, Jennett, Neverfail, Indiana Jannetting, and Raul"s Gennetting.
Originated in Amherst county, Virginia, on the farm of Caleb Rawle. Tree hardy, vigorous, spreading. It puts forth its leaves and blossoms much later than other varieties in the spring, and consequently avoids injury by late frost; it is, therefore, particularly valuable for the South and Southwest, where it is much cultivated. Young wood clear reddish brown; fruit rather large, oblate conic, yellowish, shaded with red and striped with crimson; stalk short and thick, inserted in a broad, open cavity; calyx partially open, set in a rather shallow basin; flesh whitish yellow, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid; good to very good; February to June.
Remarks on the Rawle"s Janet by members of the State Horticultural Society:
C. C. Cook: I have been acquainted with the Janet from boyhood, but I have little, if any, use for them, because they overbear. It is a hard tree for me to do anything with; cannot get them into shape--die quick.
E. J. Holman: I would only recommend a tree or two of them for the family orchard. It has had its day in the West, and is succeeded by more profitable varieties.
H. L. Ferris (Osage county): I would not plant them to sell. They are too subject to diseases--bitter rot, etc.
W. G. Gano: I think it could be discarded altogether.
James Sharp: Will not pay for commercial orchard.
G. P. Whiteker: Janets bring a good price. They are late keepers. We kept ours this year until we began to pick apples the following fall. It is not a good commercial apple.
Phillip Lux: I would place it on the retired list.
William Cutter: Only fit for family use. Trees overbear; fruit small.
B. F. Smith: I would place it on the retired list.
SMITH"S CIDER.
_Synonyms_: Smith"s, Fuller, Pennsylvania Cider, Popular Bluff, and Fowler.