Challenge
Apple
Origin & History
Raised by D. C. Richmond, near Sandusky, Ohio. According to Warder, the variety was introduced by Mr. Elliott from Richmond's orchard.
Tree
Productive, hardy, and a thrifty grower. Downing describes it as "exceedingly productive"; Thomas calls it a "great bearer." Wood grayish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Large. Warder alone describes it as medium; Downing, Elliott, and Thomas all describe it as large.
Form: Oblate to roundish flattened. Warder describes it as globular-oblate; Downing as oblate, slightly conic; Elliott as roundish flattened; Thomas as oblate.
Stem: Sources disagree. Warder describes the stem as long and slender. Downing describes it as rather short. Elliott says it projects even with the surrounding surface.
Cavity: Wide and regular (Warder), with Warder noting it is brown. Downing describes it as large, slightly russeted. Elliott describes it as deep and regular.
Calyx: Closed. Elliott adds that the calyx has long, irregular segments.
Basin: Sources disagree on depth. Warder describes the basin as shallow, wide, and plaited. Downing describes it as deep and corrugated. Elliott describes it as broad, open, medium depth, always furrowed.
Skin: Yellow, ranging from pale yellow (Warder) to rich yellow (Elliott) to deep yellow (Downing, Thomas). Surface smooth (Warder). Sprinkled with dots — Warder describes them as black, minute, and scattered, with russet spots; Downing as brownish dots; Elliott as many russet dots with occasionally a russet patch. Where fully exposed to the sun, the russet spots become a rich vermilion red (Warder, Elliott).
Flesh & Flavor: Yellowish to yellowish white, tender, juicy, and sweet. Elliott and Thomas additionally describe the flesh as crisp. Warder describes it as fine-grained. Warder rates the quality as "almost first rate, for table." Downing rates it "very good."
Core & Seeds: Warder describes the core as small, oval, regular, sometimes open, and not meeting the eye. Elliott describes the core as medium. Seeds large — dark (Warder) and plump (Elliott).
Season
October, with sources disagreeing on duration. Warder gives October alone. Elliott gives October and November. Downing gives October to June. Thomas says "good through winter."
Uses
Warder describes it as a table apple.
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)Challenge.
This is another of the apples introduced by Mr. Elliott, from the orchard of D. C. Richmond, near Sandusky, O. Tree productive, hardy. Fruit medium, globular-oblate ; Surface smooth, pale yellow ; Dots black, minute, scattered, and russet spots, becoming a rich vermillion where exposed. Basin shallow, wide, plaited ; Eye small, closed. Cavity wide, regular, brown ; Stem long, slender. Core small, oval, regular, sometimes open, not meeting the eye ; Seeds large, dark ; Flesh yellow, tender, fine grained, juicy ; Flavor sweet ; Quality almost first rate, for table ; Season, October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Challenge. Raised by D. C. Richmond, Sandusky, O. A thrifty grower, and exceedingly productive. Wood grayish brown. Fruit large, oblate, slightly conic, deep yellow, sprinkled with brownish dots. Stalk rather short. Cavity large, slightly russeted. Calyx closed. Basin deep, corrugated. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, sweet. Very good. October to June.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Challenge.
American. Origin, near Sandusky, Ohio. Tree, productive, hardy. Size, large ; form, roundish flattened ; color, rich yellow, with many russet dots, and occasionally a russet patch ; when fully exposed to sun, the russet spots become vermilion red ; stem, projecting even with surrounding surface; cavity, deep, regular; calyx, with long irregular segments; basin, broad, open, medium depth, always furrowed : flesh, yellowish white, crisp, juicy, sweet, tender; core, medium; seeds, large, plump. October and November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Challenge. Large, oblate, deep yellow; crisp, tender, sweet. Good through winter. Great bearer. Ohio.