MARIGOLD.

REFERENCES. 1. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 2. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:49. 1903. 3. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:131. 1904.

DOUBTFUL REFERENCES. 4. Knight, Pomona Herefordiensis, 1811. (cited by 6). 5. Kenrick, 1832:48. 6. Floy-Lindley, 1833:80. 7. Downing, 1869:294. 8. Hogg, 1884:164.

DOUBTFUL SYNONYMS. Isle of Wight Orange (6, 7). Isle of Wight Pippin (6, 8). Marigold Pippin (7). Marygold (6). ORANGE PIPPIN (6, 8).

A good dessert variety of desirable size and rather attractive appearance for a yellowish apple but it does not excel standard varieties of its season in color, size or quality. The tree does not come into bearing very young. It is an annual or nearly annual bearer and yields moderate crops. As grown at this Station the commercial limit of Marigold appears to be November or December in ordinary storage, although some portion of the fruit may be kept till June. The fruit held in cold storage till May has been found still hard, free from decay and but slightly scalded (2, 3).

Historical. Origin uncertain. It has long been known in the vicinity of Oyster Bay, Long Island. For upwards of a century it has been considered a desirable winter apple for that region,¹ and it has been propagated for years by the Westbury Nurseries. It is known to a limited extent in various localities in Southeastern New York and in Connecticut, but appears to be gradually going out of cultivation. We have not had the opportunity of determining whether or not this Marigold of Long Island is identical either with the Marigold described by Kenrick (5) or with the Orange Pippin (6, 7, 8) which has Marigold as a synonym. The fruit corresponds pretty closely with Hogg’s description of Orange Pippin except as to its quality and season. The Marigold of Leroy² is evidently distinct from the Long Island Marigold. Downing recognizes it under the name Creed Marigold³ under which name Hogg described it in 1859, stating that it originated in Kent from seed of the Scarlet Nonpareil.

TREE. Tree moderately vigorous. Form upright, somewhat spreading, rather open. Twigs rather short, slightly curved, moderately stout; internodes medium to short. Bark brown, tinged with clear reddish-brown, mottled with scarf-skin, pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, rather conspicuous, slightly raised, oblong or roundish, medium to small. Buds medium to small, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, but slightly pubescent if at all, usually free.

FRUIT. Fruit below medium to nearly large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish, often a little oblate and inclined to conic, quite regular, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal. Stem rather slender. Cavity acute, deep, broad, symmetrical or somewhat furrowed, usually with greenish russet which often spreads beyond the cavity. Calyx small to medium, closed or partly open. Basin abrupt, shallow to moderately deep, rather narrow, sometimes obscurely furrowed, slightly wrinkled. Skin nearly smooth, at first green but becoming good yellow with an orange blush which in highly colored specimens deepens to red and is somewhat mottled and splashed with bright carmine. Dots often submerged and yellow; others are large, irregular, russet and mingled with flecks of russet. Calyx tube rather wide, deep, cone-shape or approaching funnel-form. Stamens median to marginal. Core rather small, axile or nearly so; cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels smooth, elliptical or approaching obcordate, emarginate. Seeds few, often abortive, medium or below, wide, obtuse. Flesh yellowish, firm, a little coarse, rather tender, juicy, subacid, somewhat aromatic; good for dessert but rather too mild for most culinary uses. Season variable but usually extends from November to April or May; commercial limit December or January in ordinary storage and about May first in cold storage (3).

¹Letter of Isaac Hicks, 1899. ²Leroy, 1873:457. ³Downing, 1869:137.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)