Milam. BLAIR.—(Rarely.) This is another little southern favorite, to be found by almost every cabin in parts of the West. Whole orchards have been planted with sprouts from the mother trees, among the people to whom the art of grafting was an un-

Fig. 146.—MILAM.

heard of mystery. Now distributed by nurserymen all over the country. Tree moderately vigorous, round-headed, twiggy; shoots reddish; foliage rather dark. Annually productive and an early bearer. Fruit small to medium, conical, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, covered with marbled red, indistinct stripes; Dots small, gray, scattered, prominent. Basin narrow, wavy, leather-cracked; Eye medium, closed. Cavity regular, acute, brown; Stem long. Core ovate, covering the eye, closed; Seeds numerous, some imperfect; Flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy; Flavor mild sub-acid or sweet, agreeable and refreshing, but without any decided character; Quality good; Use, dessert, in cooking it lacks flavor; Season, December, January.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Milam. Harrigan. Winter Pearmain of some. Blair. Thomas. Rusty Coat Milam ? Origin uncertain, much grown in some sections at the West, very productive, and keeps well. Fruit medium or below, roundish, greenish, shaded and striped with red. Flesh rather firm, pleasant, subacid, not rich. Good. December, March.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

MILAM.

REFERENCES. 1. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:470. 1850. 2. Kennicott, Ib., 7:431. 1852. 3. Elliott, 1854:174. 4. Robey, Horticulturist, 11:89. 1856. 5. Downing, 1857:217. 6. Hooper, 1857:60. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 8. Warder, 1867:503. fig. 9. Downing, 1869:275. 10. Fitz, 1872:158. 11. Barry, 1883:349. 12. Thomas, 1885:236. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 14. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:127.

SYNONYMS. Blair (6, 8, 9). Harrigan (1, 3, 5, 9). Thomas (9). Winter Pearmain of some (1, 3, 5, 9).

A medium sized dessert apple which has something of the appearance of a highly colored Rails. In season from November to March. The tree is thrifty and in favorable localities becomes productive when it is mature. Thousands of trees of this variety have been propagated from sprouts for it sprouts readily from the roots (1, 8).

Historical. Origin uncertain. Warder refers to it as "a little Southern favorite" (8). It was formerly quite popular in some portions of the Middle West where it is still propagated by nurserymen although it is not now planted as much as it was formerly (14). It has never been grown much in New York state and remains practically unknown among New York fruit growers.

TREE. Tree moderately vigorous, with long, slender, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs above medium to long, slightly curved, rather slender; internodes long to medium. Bark dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green and streaked with grayish scarf-skin; heavily pubescent toward the tips. Lenticels quite numerous, small to rather large, roundish or elongated, slightly raised. Buds small to medium, broad, plump, obtuse to somewhat acute, free, pubescent.

FRUIT. Fruit small to medium. Form roundish conic or short ovate, regular, not ribbed. Stem pubescent, medium to long, moderately slender. Cavity acute, moderately deep, moderately wide, smooth and green or partly covered with thin brownish russet. Calyx pubescent, medium in size, closed. Basin below medium in size, somewhat abrupt, moderately shallow, rather narrow to medium in width, gently furrowed. Skin moderately thin, rather tender, smooth, dull yellow or greenish marbled and striped with dull red, in highly colored specimens deepening to crimson in the sun. Dots numerous, conspicuous, gray, often areolar with russet point. Calyx tube conical to somewhat funnel-form with short truncate cylinder. Stamens basal. Core rather small, axile or nearly so; cells symmetrical, closed. Carpels elongated, obovate, mucronate, but slightly emarginate if at all, slightly tufted. Seeds medium or above, plump, acute, slightly tufted. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid, good. Season November to January or later.

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

Milam: size medium; form round; color striped or splashed (red); quality good; use both kitchen and market; season winter; Northern Division 1 (also reported in another division).

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

Milam.

Harrigan, | Winter Pearmain, of some.

American. Small to medium, roundish, greenish yellow, striped dull red ; flesh, greenish, insipid, December and March. This variety continues to have its friends South and West. It should be superseded, for it is unworthy.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Milam. Rather small, roundish; greenish, shaded and striped with red; flesh rather firm, with a pleasant, sub-acid, moderate flavor. A good keeper. Although not of high flavor, it is widely cultivated at the West and Southwest on account of its hardiness, productiveness, and good keeping qualities. Does not succeed well farther North. Fig. 425.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Milam.—Origin uncertain; an old favorite Southern and Southwestern variety; tree of moderate vigor, round-headed, very productive, and an annual bearer.

Fruit small to medium, conical to roundish conical, very regular; surface smooth, greenish yellow, washed and marbled with dull brownish red, obscurely striped and splashed; dots distinct, many, variable, gray and russet; cavity regular, acute, russeted; stem medium to long; basin very shallow, narrow, regular, nearly smooth, often leather-cracked; calyx closed; segments divergent. Core slightly open, clasping; cells round, entire; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds many, plump, pointed, some imperfect; flesh white, rather firm, mild pleasant subacid, not rich, good. December to March.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

MILAM. Blair. Thomas. Milam is a late winter apple very similar to Rails, differing chiefly in its more highly colored fruits. It is grown only in the South and Middle West, in some sections of which it is a favorite for home use. Its origin is not known, but it has been grown since the middle of the nineteenth century. Formerly, the variety was propagated chiefly from sprouts, which spring up very freely. Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, with long, slender, curved branches. Fruit small to medium, round-conic to short-ovate, regular, not ribbed; stem pubescent, medium to long, slender; cavity acute, deep, wide, smooth and green or partly covered with thin russet; calyx pubescent, closed; basin medium in size, abrupt, shallow, narrow to medium in width, gently furrowed; skin thin, tender, smooth, yellow, marbled and striped with dull red, deepening to crimson in the sun; dots numerous, conspicuous, gray, often areolar, with russet point; calyx-tube conical, with short, truncate cylinder; stamens basal; core small, axile; cells symmetrical, closed; carpels elongated, obovate, mucronate, tufted; seeds plump, acute, tufted; flesh yellow, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid; good; November to January.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)