Cooper.

Fig. 87.—COOPER.

This delicious apple was introduced into the West with the scions that were brought to the early Putnam nursery at the mouth of the Muskingum river in 1796. Though a general favorite from its beauty, its fine texture, and exquisite flavor, this variety does not appear to have been so widely spread as others very inferior to it. Though occurring on the original Putnam list, and therefore an eastern variety, it does not appear to have been recognized by cultivators in the older States, and there are those in the West who claim that it is of French origin.

The tree has a stout, upright growth, which becomes spreading with age, when the limbs stand at a right angle with the trunk; they are frequently defaced with marks of diseased action that are called canker. The twigs are reddish and rather slender; the leaves are pale green, large, broad.

Fruit large, globular-oblate, regular, sometimes unequal, light; Surface smooth, pale waxen-yellow, with a little mixed scarlet and very distinctly marked carmine; Dots scattered, minute.

Basin regular, abrupt, deep; Eye small, closed.

Cavity wide, regular, green; Stem medium, green.

Core small, closed, just meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, plump, short, dark; Flesh pale yellow, fine-grained, tender, almost melting, juicy; very mild sub-acid, aromatic; of first quality for table, kitchen or market (too good for drying, but makes a superior article of snits); Season September and October.

Dr. Watson.