The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-16
PROMISING new FRUITS
GOVERNMENT Is INVESTIGATING
NEW VARIETIES OF OLD FRUITS.
POmOIoSist i'm Charge of Field
studies. Burcau Of Plant Industry.
Tells Results of Inquiry.

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The high prices at which judiciously-ad-
vertised novelties in nursery stock are sold
in large numbers each year testify to this.
And while a large proportion of the sorts
that receive wide notice from year to year
drop out of sight soon after The self-inter-
est of the introducers ceases to keep them
before the public, many find lasting places
of usefulness in localities where their spe-
cial adaptability to local environment is
proved by test. 1t is therefore well that
new sorts shall continue to be tested by
fruit growers from time to time, even in
advance of their commercial introduction,
for in no other way can rapid. continuous
improvement in the character of the fruits
of any region be accomplished.
Improved cultural treatment, including
judicious fertilizing, filling, pruning and
spraying may accomplish much, but the
best attention to any or all of these points
fails to secure the desired economic end OF
largest yield and highest quality at least
cost of labor, time and money unless the
effort is made upon varieties adapted to the
local environment and which yield fruit
suited to the purpose for which the product
is to be used.
1t is therefore advisable for growers to
keep themselves informed regarding the
more promising varieties of the fruits in
which they are personally interested, and
especially such. as give evidence of having
attracted attention through inherent merit.
rather than through lavish praise by orig
inators or introducers, for it is usually
along such that the permanent improve
ments over previously existing varieties are
found. A few fruits of this character that
have reached the office of the pomologist
recently are described i'm this paper.
The newness of some of the fruits men
toned rests rather upon the fact that they
nave hitherto had only local or lat most
restricted, reputation than upon recent or
igin. But they are believed to be none the
less promising to the general fruit grower
on that account. The fact of long test of
such sorts in the localities OF their origin
or restricted distribution is, in truth, their
strongest claim to recognition, and 1t is be-
cause of this fact that they are suggested
to growers as worthy of testing in other
and larger fields.
ORIGIN OF AN APPLE.
Among the varieties Of summer apples
tested in the experimental export shipments
conducted by the Department of Agricul-
ture in 1902, one of the. most promising sort
for long distance shipment was the Ran
dolph. The origin of this variety is not
known, its history so far as ascertained be-
ing as follows: When the late Randolph
Peters, of Wilmington, Del, bought the
farm near Farnhurst, Del, where he es-
tablished a nursery about 1869, he found
upon it an apple orchard. IN this orchard
there were one or more trees of a summer
apple not recognized by him, which i'm
pressed him with it's value as a commercial
variety because of its firm flesh, ~sprightly
flavor and brilliant color. yielding fruit uni
formly fair and smooth Surprising it to be
an old variety, he sent specimens for iden-
tifcation to various pomologists, including
the late Charles Downing. None of the ex-
perts recognized The variety, and Mr.. Peters
considering it worthy of dissemination
dubbed it unknown and offered it for
sale in his catalogue as early as 1884 under
that name. From this nursery it was quite
widely introduced and in recent years has
attracted attention in Nebraska, Arkansas,
Maryland and Delaware, being most wide
ly grown in a commercial way in the last
mentioned State. While not of the highest
dessert quality, the Randolph is a good
eating apple of mild flavor, distinctly bet
ter than most varieties of it's season. with
a firmness of texture and brilliance of
color that render it one of the best summer
varieties for long shipment by either rail
or sea.
To the request of pear lovers who ap-
preciate varieties chiefly, if not solely for
their flavor and quality, the trend in Amer
lean pomology in recent years, as judged
by the character of varieties introduced,
has. been toward superficial beauty, size
and productiveness rather than toward
marked Improvement in dessert quality.
The necessity for varieties resistant to dis
eases affecting foliage and fruit has played
an important part in fostering this tenden-
cy. Among the most promising varieties in
this respect is the Philopent. Its record
well illustrates the vicissitudes that fire.
quently attend the early history of fruit
varieties which subsequently prove their
value through the possession of some
strongly marked characters.
THE BELLE EACH.
The Chinese Cling group of peaches has,
in recent years. demonstrated it's adapta-
bility to a much wider range of climatic
conditions than formerly supposed TO be
the case. liberia, the best known variety
of this group, has already proved a sue
cessful and profitable and commercial sort
from Georgia and Texas to Michigan and
Connecticut. Among the varieties of this
group that are less widely known perhaps
lone possess more valuable points than
that which was introduced to cultivation by
DR.. S. H.. Rumph about 1883, under the
name of Belle" The variety was after
wards catalogued by many nurserymen as
Belle of Georgia" The name was pub
Iished as Georgia in the catalogue of the
American Pathological Society for 1899, the
fact that this name had already been pub
lished for at least three other varieties
having in the chaotic state of pomo-
logical nomenclature apparently escaped
notice.
1t is a remarkable fact that liberia and
Belle were grown as Seeding from the
same crop of fruit of one Chinese cling
tree in Georgia. The early history of Belle
is thus recorded by Powell from informa-
ton furnished by the originator:
Seeding of Chinese Cling. possibly crossed
with Oldmixon Free. Originated with Mr..
Lewis A. Rumph. Marshallville. Ga, from
seed from a Chinese cling tree in the vari-
ETY. orchard of DR.. Rumph. of Marshallville.
Ga. The original Chinese tree stood in
the center OF the variety block near some
Oldmixon free. oldmixon cling. Crawford
early and Crawford late trees. Mr.. l.. A.
~ su-n