CROSBY
Tree small, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, with lower branches slightly drooping, unusually hardy, very productive; trunk thick; branches of medium size, smooth, reddish-brown overspread with light ash-gray; branchlets slender, inclined to rebranch, long, olive-green almost overspread with dark red, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous large and small, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaves rather small and narrow, five and three-fourths inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide, folded upward, oval to obovate-lanceolate, thin; upper surface dark green, smooth; lower surface light grayish-green; margin finely serrate or crenate, tipped with dark brownish-red glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, with two to seven rather small, reniform, greenish-yellow glands variable in position.
Flower-buds small, short, conical, pubescent, appressed; flowers appear in mid-season; blossoms pale pink, darker near the edges, nearly one inch across, well distributed; pedicels very short, thick; calyx-tube dull reddish-green, orange-colored within, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes short, narrow, acute, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals oval, tapering to long, narrow claws often red at the base; filaments three-eighths inch long, equal to the petals in length; pistil pubescent at the ovary, equal to or sometimes longer than the stamens.
Fruit matures late; two and three-fourths inches long, two and three-eighths inches thick, roundish or roundish-oblate, slightly compressed, bulged near the apex, with unequal sides; cavity deep, abrupt or flaring, sometimes splashed with red; suture shallow, becoming deeper near the apex and extending beyond; apex roundish, with a sunken, mucronate tip; color orange-yellow, often blushed over much of the surface with dull red, splashed and striped with darker red; pubescence long, thick, coarse; skin thick, tough, adherent to the pulp; flesh deep yellow, stained with red near the pit, juicy, stringy, firm but tender, sweet, mild, pleasant flavored; very good in quality; stone free, one and five-sixteenths inches long, one inch wide, oval, plump, bulged near the apex, with pitted and grooved surfaces; ventral suture with shallow furrows along the sides; dorsal suture deeply grooved, winged.
DAVIDSON
1. Harrison & Sons Cat. 16. 1905. 2. Mo. State Fr. Sta. Rpt. 12. 1905-06. 3. Mich. Sta. Sp. Bul. 44:35 fig., 36. 1910.
Davidson is on probation as an early peach for northern climates with the chances greatly against its ever proving worthy the attention of New York peach-growers. Still, it comes so highly recommended that we give it a place among the major varieties in The Peaches of New York hoping that the growers of the State will at least try it out. It is a white-fleshed peach similar to the well-known Rivers, larger in size, but not quite as early. The trees are very hardy, come into bearing early and bear heavily but ripen their crop unevenly. The peaches, as the color-plate shows, are handsome, and for a variety of early season they are particularly good in quality but are very susceptible to brown-rot, peach-scab, leaf-curl and seemingly all the other ills peach-flesh is heir to.
Davidson originated with G. W. Davidson, Shelby, Michigan, and is supposed to be a sport of Early Michigan, being very similar to that sort in all respects except season, Davidson being two weeks earlier. It is often confused with Eureka.
DAVIDSON
Tree large, upright-spreading, hardy, productive; trunk thick; branches stocky, smooth, reddish-brown covered with ash-gray; branchlets dull red strongly colored with olive-green, smooth, glabrous, with numerous small, conspicuous lenticels raised toward the base.
Leaves five and three-fourths inches long, one and five-eighths inches wide, folded upward, oval to obovate-lanceolate; upper surface dark green, smooth or slightly rugose; lower surface light grayish-green; margin broadly crenate or coarsely serrate, tipped with dark red glands; petiole one-half inch long, glandless or with one to five small, reniform, greenish-yellow glands variable in position.
Flower-buds conical, pubescent, plump, appressed; blooming season early; flowers pink, one and three-fourths inches across, well distributed; pedicels nearly sessile, glabrous, green; calyx-tube dull reddish-green, yellowish-green within, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes medium in length, narrow, acute, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals roundish-ovate, often broadly notched near the base, tapering to short, broad claws occasionally with a red base; filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the petals; pistil pubescent at the ovary, equal to the stamens in length.
Fruit matures early; two and one-half inches long, two and three-eighths inches wide, roundish, bulged near the apex, compressed, with unequal halves; cavity contracted, deep, narrow, abrupt; suture shallow, becoming deep at the extremities; apex roundish, with a small, mucronate tip; color creamy-white blushed with dull red, indistinctly striped with darker red; pubescence short, thick; skin tough, separates from the pulp; flesh white, juicy, stringy, tender, melting, sweet or with some sprightliness; fair to good in quality; stone semi-free to free, one and three-eighths inches long, one inch wide, oval, plump, tapering to a short, abrupt point, bulged near the apex, contracted toward the base, with grooved, light-colored surfaces; ventral suture deeply furrowed along the sides, narrow, winged; dorsal suture winged, grooved.