Autumnal Sweet Swaar
Apple
Origin & History
Origin unknown. In 1848, J.J. Thomas described this as "one of the finest autumnal sweet apples." By the early twentieth century it was seldom found in cultivation in New York (Beach).
Tree
Tree vigorous, spreading, and productive, with an upright spreading form (Beach). Shoots vigorous and diverging (Elliott). Beach qualifies vigor as "moderately vigorous to vigorous."
Fruit
Size: Large, though Downing describes it as medium.
Form: Roundish oblate, sometimes slightly ribbed or somewhat angular. Downing alone describes the form as oblate inclining to conic. Elliott describes it as round, flattened, slightly ribbed.
Stem: Long; varying from long and slender to thick and fleshy (Beach), yellow and red. Warder adds that the stem is inclined. Downing describes it as rather long and slender.
Cavity: Acute, deep, wavy, green (Warder, Beach). Downing describes the cavity as broad and even. Elliott describes it as open and shallow.
Calyx: Medium in size, closed. Warder describes the eye as medium, long, and closed. Elliott alone describes the calyx as half closed.
Basin: Wide and shallow, slightly furrowed or plaited/folded (Warder, Beach). Downing describes the basin as round, open, and corrugated. Elliott describes it as slightly ribbed and deep — conflicting with the shallow description given by other sources.
Skin: Smooth, waxen yellow, sometimes blushed. Downing specifies deep yellow with occasional blush in the sun. Elliott describes the color as rich golden yellow. Dots rare, minute.
Flesh & Flavor: Whitish tinged with yellow (Beach) to yellow (Downing), fine-grained, tender, moderately juicy, very sweet, spicy, and agreeable. Warder describes the flesh as white, fine-grained, and juicy, rating the quality as "best." Downing describes it as rich and sweet, rating it "very good." Beach rates it "very good to best." Elliott describes the flesh as tender, yellowish, spicy, and sweet but notably says "not juicy," conflicting with the other sources; he rates it "very good."
Core & Seeds: Core medium in size, regular, globular, somewhat open, with clasping core lines. Seeds numerous, plump, pale.
Season
September and October. Elliott gives October alone.
Uses
Recommended for baking and market (Warder).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Autumnal Sweet Swaar.
SWEET SWAAR.
The fruit is highly commended by J. J. Thomas, who thinks it "one of the finest autumnal sweet apples."
Tree vigorous, spreading, productive.
Fruit large, roundish-oblate, somewhat angular; Surface smooth, waxen yellow, sometimes blushed; Dots rare, minute.
Basin wide, shallow, plaited or folded; Eye medium, long, closed.
Cavity acute, deep, wavy, green; Stem long, inclined, yellow and red.
Core regular, globular, somewhat open, clasping; Seeds numerous, plump, pale; Flesh white, fine grained, juicy; Flavor very sweet; Quality best, for baking and market; Season, September and October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Autumnal Sweet Swaar. Sweet Swaar. Sweet Golden Pippin. Origin unknown. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. Fruit medium, oblate, inclining to conic, deep yellow, with occasional blush in sun. Stalk rather long, slender. Cavity broad and even. Calyx closed. Basin round, open, corrugated. Flesh yellow, tender, moderately juicy, rich and sweet. Core medium. Very good. September, October.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)AUTUMN SWEET SWAAR.
REFERENCES. 1. Albany Cultivator, 5:247. 1848. 2. Thomas, 1849:145. 3. Barry, 1851:282. 4. Elliott, 1854:121. 5. Downing, 1857:115. 6. Gregg, 1857:41. 7. Warder, 1867:471. fig. 8. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:288. 9. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:133. 1905.
SYNONYMS. AUTUMN SWAAR (3, 9). Autumn Sweet (9). AUTUMN SWEET SWAAR (8). AUTUMNAL SWAAR (1, 2, 4, 6). Autumnal Sweet (9). AUTUMNAL SWEET SWAAR (5, 7). Autumnal Sweet Swaar (9). Sweet Golden Pippin (5, 9). Sweet Swaar (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9).
In 1848 Thomas described this as one of the finest autumnal sweet apples (1). It is now seldom found in cultivation in this state. Its origin is unknown.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous to vigorous, productive. Form upright spreading.
FRUIT (1, 2, 4, 6).
Fruit large. Form roundish oblate, sometimes slightly ribbed. Stem varying from long and slender to thick and fleshy, yellow and red. Cavity acute, deep, wavy, green. Calyx medium in size, closed. Basin shallow, wide, slightly furrowed. Skin smooth, waxen yellow, sometimes blushed. Dots rare, minute. Core medium in size; cells somewhat open; core lines clasping. Seeds numerous, plump, pale. Flesh whitish tinged with yellow, fine, moderately juicy, very sweet, spicy, agreeable, very good to best. Season September and October.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Autumnal Sweet Swaar. Sweet Swaar, | Sweet Golden Pippin.
Tree, spreading ; shoots, vigorous, diverging ; fruit, large, round, flattened, slightly ribbed, rich golden yellow ; stem, long ; cavity, open, shallow ; calyx, half closed ; basin, slightly ribbed, deep ; flesh, tender, yellowish, spicy, sweet, not juicy ; "very good." October.