Florence

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Beach's two entries under this name describe different fruits. Volume 1 describes an Ben Davis–type fruit from Benton county, Ark., roundish ovate to conic, keeping December to May. Volume 2 describes Peter M. Gideon's Minnesota fruit, oblate, with a very long stem, ripening late August and early September. Both are given below, marked as the Arkansas stock and the Minnesota fruit; the Agassiz entry is given separately.]

Origin / History

The Arkansas stock originated in Benton county, Ark. The stock tested at the New York Station was received from M. Butterfield, Lee Summit, Missouri. Beach finds the fruit of the Ben Davis type, strongly resembling Gano, very attractive in size and appearance and a good keeper. Stinson (Arkansas Station Bulletin, 1899) observes that it is in season with Jonathan; Beach finds it keeps much better than Jonathan. It has not been tested at the New York Station sufficiently to indicate whether it promises to be a valuable variety in New York; should it prove sufficiently productive it may prove valuable in those portions of the state where Ben Davis does well.

The Minnesota fruit was originated by Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minn. Beach considers it very desirable for commercial planting because the trees commence bearing very young, are reliable croppers and very prolific, and the fruit is of good size, very attractive in appearance and of good quality. Although not superior to Martha in quality, Florence is more beautiful and more prolific.

The Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C., planted it in spring 1896 and lists it in its 1900 catalogue of fruit trees under test.

Tree

Arkansas stock: tree moderately vigorous; branches short, rather slender. Form roundish, upright, rather dense. Twigs rather short, straight, slender; internodes rather short to medium. Bark bright, rather dark brownish-red; scarf-skin hardly noticeable; pubescence scarce or none. Lenticels not numerous, clear and bright in color, small, roundish to elongated. Buds medium, rather flat, acute to obtuse, pubescent, free, appressed, point often deflected. At the New York Station it comes into bearing young, bears annually and is only moderately productive, but it has been grown there under rather unfavorable conditions.

Minnesota fruit: tree moderately vigorous. Form at first upright spreading but eventually inclined to droop. Twigs long, curved, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark bright reddish-brown, slightly tinged with olive-green, mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Buds large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, not pubescent. Trees commence bearing very young, are reliable croppers and very prolific.

At Agassiz the tree is a vigorous grower.

Fruit

Size: Medium, sometimes large, pretty uniform in size (Arkansas stock). Medium, uniform in size (Minnesota fruit). Small at Agassiz.

Form: Arkansas stock: roundish ovate to roundish conic, flattened at the base, irregular, often broadly ribbed or angular, sides unequal, sometimes compressed; somewhat variable in shape. More angular than Gano. Minnesota fruit: oblate, faintly ribbed, uniform in shape. Oblate at Agassiz.

Stem: Medium (Arkansas stock). Very long, slender (Minnesota fruit).

Cavity: Arkansas stock: acute or obtuse, deep, wide, often furrowed, sometimes lipped, seldom symmetrical, usually with outspreading rays of yellow russet. Minnesota fruit: acute, deep, medium in width, symmetrical, sometimes slightly russeted.

Calyx: Arkansas stock: medium to small, partly open or sometimes closed; lobes rather narrow, acuminate; calyx tube large, cone-shape. The pistils do not persist in the form of a fleshy projection into the base of the calyx tube, as they do in Gano. Minnesota fruit: variable, usually small, closed; calyx tube moderately long, moderately wide, varying from somewhat urn-shape to funnel-form; stamens marginal.

Basin: Arkansas stock: very abrupt, usually deep, moderately narrow to moderately broad, often somewhat furrowed, sometimes compressed, usually oblique; more often oblique than in Gano. Minnesota fruit: very shallow, rather wide, obtuse, slightly furrowed.

Skin: Arkansas stock: tough, smooth, clear, pale or whitish-yellow, washed and blushed with a bright deep pinkish-red, in well colored specimens becoming solid red, mottled and striped with purplish-carmine; overspread with a thin bluish bloom that gives a slightly dull appearance, but when polished the prevailing effect is glossy bright red. More conspicuously striped with purplish-carmine than Gano. Minnesota fruit: moderately thin, moderately tough, smooth, yellowish-white mostly overspread with brilliant pinkish-red, sometimes with whitish bands radiating from the cavity, overspread with faint bloom. At Agassiz: dull yellow with a dull red blush.

Dots: Whitish, scattering (Arkansas stock). Minute, whitish (Minnesota fruit).

Flesh and flavor: Arkansas stock: flesh tinged with yellow, rather firm, crisp, not very tender, moderately fine-grained, juicy, subacid, aromatic, pleasant, good to very good. Minnesota fruit: flesh tinged with yellow, coarse, crisp, rather tender, juicy, very brisk subacid, somewhat astringent, good. At Agassiz: flesh white, not juicy, sub-acid, "quality poor."

Core and seeds: Arkansas stock: core rather small, closed or slightly open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping; carpels concave, roundish inclined to obcordate; seeds few, below medium to above, rather dark, irregular, obtuse or sometimes acute. Minnesota fruit: core large; cells closed; core lines clasping; carpels broadly obovate, emarginate; seeds medium to rather small, moderately wide, flat, obtuse.

Season

Arkansas stock: December to May; a good keeper. Minnesota fruit: late August and early September. Autumn at Agassiz.

Uses

The Arkansas stock, a good keeper of the Ben Davis type, may prove valuable in those portions of New York where Ben Davis does well. The Minnesota fruit is recommended for commercial planting.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.