Autumnal Sweet Swaar
Apple
Autumnal Sweet Swaar
Origin / History
Origin unknown. The earliest record is the Albany Cultivator of 1848, where Thomas described Autumnal Sweet Swaar as "one of the finest autumnal sweet apples." The earliest references printed it under the name "Autumnal Swaar." Warder (1867) says the fruit "is highly commended by J. J. Thomas." Beach traces its record through Thomas (1849), Barry (1851), Elliott (1854), Downing (1857), Gregg (1857), Warder (1867), Lyon (1890), and Ragan (1905). Beach entered it as "Autumn Sweet Swaar" in The Apples of New York (1905) and reported that it was by then "now seldom found in cultivation in this state."
Tree
Moderately vigorous to vigorous, spreading, productive; shoots vigorous, diverging (Elliott). Beach gives the form as upright spreading.
Fruit
Size: Large; Downing alone calls it medium.
Form: Roundish oblate, or round and flattened, somewhat angular, slightly ribbed; Beach says sometimes slightly ribbed. Downing describes it as oblate inclining to conic.
Stem: Rather long to long, slender, inclined, yellow and red. Beach says it varies from long and slender to thick and fleshy.
Cavity: Open and shallow (Elliott), or broad and even (Downing). Warder describes it as acute, deep, wavy, green.
Calyx: Medium, closed; Warder adds long. Elliott calls it half closed.
Basin: Wide, round, open, slightly ribbed or slightly furrowed, plaited or folded, corrugated. Warder calls it shallow; Elliott calls it deep.
Skin: Smooth, waxen yellow to deep or rich golden yellow, sometimes with a blush on the side exposed to the sun.
Dots: Rare, minute.
Flesh and flavor: Yellowish, or whitish tinged with yellow, to yellow; Warder calls it white. Tender, fine grained. Flavor very sweet, rich, spicy, agreeable. Moderately juicy (Downing, Beach); Warder calls it juicy, Elliott "not juicy." Quality "very good" to "best": Elliott and Downing rate it "very good," Warder "best," and Beach "very good to best."
Core and seeds: Core medium, regular, globular; cells somewhat open; core lines clasping. Seeds numerous, plump, pale.
Season
September and October; Elliott gives October alone.
Uses
Baking and market (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— 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.
— 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.