Tree of medium size, spreading, dense-topped, hardy, productive; branches roughish, thorny, the trunk shaggy, dark ash-brown, with numerous, large, raised lenticels; branchlets willowy, thick, long, with long internodes, green changing to dark chestnut-red, glossy, glabrous, thickly strewn with conspicuous, large, raised lenticels; leaf-buds small, short, obtuse, plump, appressed.

Leaves falling early, flattened, oval, two inches wide, four inches long; upper surface dark green, glabrous, slightly rugose; lower surface light green, pubescent; apex taper-pointed, base abrupt, margin coarsely serrate, the serrations ending in hair-like tips, eglandular; petiole seven-eighths inch long, slender, pubescent, tinged red, glandless or with from one to three globose, greenish-red glands.

Blooming season medium in time and length; flowers appearing after the leaves, nearly one inch across, white; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs, in threes or fours; pedicels one-half inch long, slender, glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes narrow, somewhat acute, reflexed, pubescent on the inner surface, the margin faintly pubescent and with a trace of red; petals small, oval, somewhat dentate, tapering below to long, narrow, slightly hairy claws; anthers yellowish; filaments five-sixteenths inch long; pistil glabrous, equal to the stamens in length, frequently defective.

Fruit mid-season, one and seven-sixteenths inches by one and five sixteenths inches in size, ovate or oval, sides compressed, halves equal; cavity shallow, narrow, flaring; suture a line; apex roundish; color light to dark red over a yellow ground, covered with thin bloom; dots numerous, small, brownish-red; stem slender, glabrous; skin medium in thickness and toughness, adhering; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, coarse, fibrous, tender and melting, semi-sweet; of fair quality; stone nearly free, one inch by five-eighths inch in size, irregular-oval, flattened and elongated at the base, abruptly pointed at the apex, very smooth; ventral suture winged and furrowed; dorsal suture acute.

APPLE

APPLE

Prunus triflora ×?

1. Burbank Cat. 2. 1898. 2. Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:6. 1898. 3. Vt. Sta. An. Rpt. 12:220. 1899. 4. Am. Gard. 21:36. 1900. 5. Waugh Plum Cult. 203. 1901. 6. Ga. Sta. Bul. 68:12, 35. 1905. 7. Mass. Sta. An. Rpt. 17:161. 1905.

The Apple is a conspicuous plum; its shape, color, size, flavor; its firm, blood-red flesh and long-keeping quality, all distinguish it. Even the tree is marked with its robust growth, flat-topped head, peculiar, light brown bark, handsome foliage and wood that can be propagated from cuttings with surprising ease. It is difficult to predict the future of this interesting plum, but probably it will remain for most part a curiosity. Its peculiar flavor is not pleasant at first taste and it is doubtful if many will learn to like it. Unpalatability is the defect of the variety which will most often be counted against it. In general the Apple is inferior for dessert or kitchen to the Satsuma, itself none too good, which it most nearly resembles of all plums. In the Station collection tree and fruit are quite susceptible to both fungus and insect pests and the fruits ripen unevenly. The fruit of the variety keeps and ships remarkably well and these qualities may be its saving grace, both so well developed as to make it valuable for breeding purposes when these characters are desired.