Chestnut
Crab AppleChestnut
Origin and History
Chestnut is an open-pollinated seedling of Malinda. The variety was received and distributed through multiple U.S. agricultural institutions and nurseries during the mid-twentieth century, including Andrews Nursery and Farmer Seed & Nursery Company (both of Faribault, Minnesota), Jewell Nursery (Lake City, Minnesota), and the Fruit Breeding Farm (Excelsior, Minnesota). By 1963, it had been reported to agricultural experiment stations across the United States, including those in Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, South Dakota, Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, and Iowa.
Tree
Hardy tree. Blight resistant. Productive.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large crab apple, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Irregular form.
Skin: Light red over yellow ground color; in some instances described as red streaked and blush over yellow, with russet present on the surface.
Flesh and Flavor: Good nut-like flavor. Very good eating quality.
Other Characteristics: Fruit firm.
Season
Mid-September to early October.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes and Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Station numbers associated with Chestnut include AP-H-116 (from Fruit Breeding Farm, Excelsior, Minnesota) and A48205 (from Jewell Nursery, Lake City, Minnesota).
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— H.H. Fisher (USDA ARS), A Survey of Apple Clones in the United States (1963)Received from Andrews Nur., Faribault, Minn., reported to the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Alaska, Palmer, Alaska and the Agricultural Experiment Station, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota: Hardy tree. Received from Farmer Seed & Nur. Co., Faribault, Minn. (1956), station number 17, reported to the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont and the Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, South Dakota: Malinda open pollinated seedling. Large crab (2"), light red over yellow. Good nut-like flavor. Mid-September to early October. Hardy. Blight resistant. Productive. Received from Fruit Breeding Farm, Excelsior, Minn., station number AP-H-116, reported to the Agricultural Research Service, Irrigation Experiment Station, Prosser, Washington; the Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, St. Paul, Minnesota; MdM; MyG; and the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon: Fruit firm, red streaked and blush over yellow, irregular, russet, very good eating. Received from Jewell Nurs., Lake City, Minn., station number A48205, reported to WvC. Received from AES, Ames Iowa, reported to the Agricultural Experiment Station, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.