What Varieties Do I Want?

Many readers will be aware of only a few varieties of apples, rendered familiar by visits to the local supermarket. There are the usual insipid Granny Smiths, a bit sour, always bland and impossible to bring to ripeness in the northern tier of states; Red Delicious, beautiful to the eye but to the taste buds, about as tasteless an apple as ever existed on planet Earth; McIntosh, reasonably crisp and pleasant fresh off the tree but increasingly soft and mealy only a couple of weeks after picking. On the positive side will be Braeburn, Empire, Liberty, Yellow Delicious and Mutsu. How scanty is the choice!

Who would believe that two long lifetimes ago, almost anyone could find within a short distance from the home farm, as many as 200 varieties of apples? One could readily find apples that encompassed all the colors of the rainbow, including black, white and brown. And the flavors? There were apples that carried a definite aftertaste of pears, of strawberries, of bananas, of cloves, citrus or coconut!

There were apples that would keep without refrigeration for a year, apples so sweet that pies or applesauce made from them required no further sweetener, apples that snapped and crackled when you bit into them and tickled the taste buds with a glorious effervescent crunch as you chewed; apples that compare with nothing for which the modern, supermarket-jaded apple buyer has any frame of reference.

Where are these delights today? Oh, they're still around. But the apple growing industry grows apples that are bred to look good, are easy and inexpensive to grow, produce heavily and annually and never mind that they have indifferent flavors. Don't they look great on the shelves, sprayed with their coatings of wax for that high shine? Dear consumer, you've been sold a bill of goods, as the saying goes!

Nevertheless, it is to you, my reader and apple-grower-to-be, that these wonders are still available. To you who are willing to take the time to learn where to find and how to grow such fruit, this special part of an all but forgotten experience of the richness of life is within your reach and will be yours! Further, if you have the desire, several hundred varieties of apples may be grown by you in your own backyard! How is this, you ask? The chapter on grafting will enlighten you.

One point the grower of heirloom varieties needs to be aware of: many heirloom apple trees tend to be biennial bearers; that is, they may bear a heavy crop of fruit every other year and a small or practically no crop in off years. However, if kept properly pruned and decently fed every year, this tendency may be largely negated in many varieties.

Elsewhere in this volume, mention is made of the many thousands of varieties of apples known to exist. Now, you will ask, "How can I choose what is best out of so many? I don't know anything about all these apples." Please allow the author of this little book to recommend some of his special favorites, as well as speak a word of warning concerning a few varieties that many growers (for some unknown reason) favor:

BALDWIN  Originated in Wilmington, Mass. about 1740. Some consider it THE American apple, but everyone should grow at least one tree of this variety. Be warned, however; Baldwin may be subject to winter injury above the 44th. Parallel; certain it is that in really cold climates, the quality of the Baldwin will suffer, tending to be watery and insipid.

BEN DAVIS  Reasonably hardy, productive and a great "keeper." In the "good old days", it would ship around the world but, although an often attractive apple, its quality was very poor. A great drying apple as it was already half-way there when picked! Nevertheless, immense quantities were shipped to England for upwards of a century. However, the modern variety collector will do well to stay away from this one!

BLACK OXFORD is a chance seedling from Paris, Maine. It is a very long keeper and is not attacked by many apple predator insects and is hardy and productive and a very pretty apple. But, unfortunately, its eating qualities are not ranked with the best, although some will not find it objectionable.

BLUE PEARMAIN was (and is) an extremely popular American apple, second only, perhaps, to Baldwin in this respect. It is above medium size, richly red, covered with a startling sky-blue bloom; unusual and striking. Every amateur grower/collector needs one of these; very hardy and top quality in every way.

CHENANGO STRAWBERRY  A very pretty old favorite from New York, Chenango is highly prized both for cooking and as a dessert apple, but may not hardy if one lives in a cold spot; but, certainly worth a try. It is a striking yellowish white vertically striped with red.

COLE'S QUINCE was discovered by Capt. Henry Cole of Cornish, Maine, around 1850. It is large, yellow or yellow green, firm, juicy and is considered of the highest quality for both eating and cooking and the tree is very cold-hardy, having survived without damage a minus 44 F. night in the author's orchard! Its name is well derived from its appearance as it has the uneven, "knobby" shape of a Quince fruit.

CORTLAND is a “modern” apple, being a Ben Davis/McIntosh cross from about 1915. A hardy apple of the highest quality for all purposes.

COX'S ORANGE PIPPIN  One will often see this apple rated as the premier dessert apple of England, but this author has never seen it of even passable quality as grown in America. Try it if you like; your growing conditions may be more conducive to higher quality.

DUCHESS OF OLDENBURG, from Russia, may be the hardiest apple ever grown in America and is an splendid cooking apple, but is rather too tart for most dessert tastes. However, Duchess is an early and proficient bearer, is relatively immune to insect pests and the fruit are very showy. A century ago, anyone who had but one or two apple trees probably included a Duchess.

ESOPUS SPITZENBURG  A famous old American apple from Esopus, New York; an excellent heirloom apple but rather cold-tender as far North as mid-Maine.

GARDEN ROYAL from Sudbury, Mass. is probably the "highest flavored" dessert apple ever grown in America. It is also a very pretty fruit, greenish yellow, with a red blush and sprinkled with spots of russet. You really must have this apple!

GOLDEN RUSSET, originating in England, centuries ago, will keep for six months or more in excellent condition. It is below medium size, but is fine-grained, crisp and sweet, although somewhat dry. This variety, in common with most Russets, produces a wonderfully distinctive cider, particularly if a juicier variety, such as Hubbardston or Macoun is mixed with it.

GRAVENSTEIN is of German origin and came to America from England in the early 1800's. This variety, planted by virtually everyone a century and a half ago, is one of the best cooking apples ever grown, retaining its firmness when cooked and is an excellent out-of-hand "eater," as well. A handsome greenish yellow fruit with red stripes, Gravenstein belongs in every apple enthusiast's collection.

HIGHTOP SWEET  The name tells of this variety's worst characteristic; if not pruned with some skill, the tree will become very tall and, consequently, unmanageable and the fruit does not keep long; however, the very sweet and "appley-rich" flavor makes it worthwhile to grow. It is from Plymouth, Mass., sometime in the 1820's.

HONEYCRISP  One of the great taste sensations in apple-eating, this modern Macoun X Honeygold cross is also very hardy and a great "keeper." You should give this variety as try!

HUBBARDSTON, from the Massachusetts town of the same name, about 1800, is often considered superior to the famous Baldwin in size, appearance, flavor and juiciness. Further, it comes into bearing at an early age. Again, every apple lover needs one of these!

LIBERTY is one of the better modern apples, originating in Geneva, New York, in 1978. Although of excellent eating and cooking quality, its chief virtue to many growers is its resistance to scab, eliminating the need to add Captan or another fungicide to spray mixtures.

MACOUN is one of this writer's favorite apples. Another of many such accomplishments from the Geneva (N.Y.) Experiment Station, this 1923 introduction is a cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black. Fresh off the tree, it would be difficult to bite into a tastier apple and there is a bubbly, effervescent sensation on the tongue and distinct, crackling “crunch” when chewing this apple's dense and very juicy flesh. It keeps longer in good condition than any other McIntosh derivative but the flavor seems quite variable according to soil type and chemistry; sometimes it's just a "very good," not "magnificent" apple!

PORTER  From Sherburne, Massachusetts, about 1800, Porter is one of the best dessert apples and is a very pretty yellow fruit with faint pink markings. Porter is also a better than average keeper and the tree is quite hardy.

RHODE ISLAND GREENING was known in that State in 1650! A large, greenish yellow apple of very high quality, the fruit is eminently suitable for either cooking or eating. Although the tree is, unlike many "heirloom varieties" an annual bearer, it is not reliably hardy in the far North and there is a tendency for the apples to fall from the tree when nearly ripe. But, it's still well worth growing!

RIBSTON is of English origin, first appearing about 1700. A red and yellow apple of very "high" flavor that must be grown in the North for best quality and, preferably, in a heavy, moist, clay loam, Ribston is a reasonably cold-hardy tree and its fruits are long keepers. And yet again, every apple fancier needs one of these!

ROLFE is an old Maine variety, originating before 1800. Large, yellow, with stripes and shading of red, it is of high quality for both cooking and eating and is fairly hardy. A very pretty apple!

ROXBURY RUSSET  The oldest named variety in America, from Roxbury, Massachusetts, about 1640, this apple is sweet, crisp, of above average size and a very long keeper. But, although an extremely high quality eating apple, it is as a cooking and cider variety that Roxbury really excels. You have never tasted cider like this apple produces and if you like your apple pies and sauces to retain the shape of the apple pieces, this is your apple! Provide a heavy, rocky, moist, clay loam and high cultivation, pruning and feeding, and you will find that this apple, even after nearly 400 years, is hard to beat. Yes, you really need one of these, too!

SWEET BOUGH is of American origin, being first mentioned in 1817. It is a very early apple, sometimes ripening as early as late July! Sweet Bough is a rather large, pale greenish yellow fruit with an especially sweet flavor and the tree is reasonably cold-hardy. One of the great old American apples!

WESTFIELD SEEK-NO-FURTHER originated in Westfield, Connecticut before 1800. An old favorite dessert apple and an excellent keeper, the tree needs a light, somewhat dry soil and is unusually hardy. An excellent all-round American heirloom apple.

There are many other high-quality apples which one might choose, but the above list will be found to be a reliable, rather fool-proof collection of varieties for the beginning grower to start his or her apple growing career. The author has included only the best of the best!

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