Coffelt
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Coffelt
Origin/History
Some nursery catalogues state that Coffelt is a seedling of Ben Davis. It apparently belongs to the Ben Davis class. Also known as Coffelt Beauty (Powell and Fulton, 1903).
Tree
Tree moderately vigorous; branches long, slender, and drooping. Form somewhat spreading, rather dense. Twigs medium in length, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels numerous, small, oblong. Buds small, acute, deeply set in the bark, appressed, pubescent. Leaves medium, broad. The Central Experimental Farm (Agassiz BC, 1900) describes the tree as a medium grower.
Fruit
Size and Form: Fruit medium or above; pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate.
Stem: Variable.
Cavity: Acute, deep, rather broad, slightly furrowed, often with outspreading russet rays.
Calyx: Medium to large, closed or partly open.
Basin: Moderately shallow to rather deep, medium to rather wide, distinctly abrupt, often somewhat furrowed, wrinkled.
Skin: Nearly smooth, yellow overlaid with bright, dark red and with distinct narrow stripes of carmine. Color decidedly attractive. Like Ben Davis, quite liable to be roughened by spray.
Dots: Variable, small to rather large, often russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh whitish, firm, rather fine, rather tender, moderately juicy, subacid becoming mild subacid, rather sprightly, slightly aromatic, not high in flavor, good. A little superior to Ben Davis for eating.
Core/Seeds: Calyx tube funnel-shape. Stamens medium to nearly marginal. Core medium to rather small, axile; cells usually symmetrical, closed; core lines clasping. Carpels rather concave, broadly roundish, deeply emarginate approaching broad obcordate, usually smooth. Seeds numerous, medium to rather large, rather wide, obtuse, dark.
Season
January to May.
Uses
The fruit is too small to be valuable as a commercial apple of the Ben Davis class (Beach, 1905).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1891–1913) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1896
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Coffelt Beauty
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)COFFELT.
REFERENCES. 1. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:236. 2. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 60:127. 1899. 3. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:39. 1903.
SYNONYM. Coffelt Beauty (3).
As grown at this Station the fruit is too small to be valuable for an apple of the Ben Davis class, to which this apparently belongs. Like Ben Davis, it is quite liable to be roughened by spray. It is a little superior to Ben Davis for eating. Some nursery catalogues state that it is a seedling of Ben Davis.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous; branches long, slender and drooping. Form somewhat spreading, rather dense. Twigs medium in length, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels numerous, small, oblong. Buds small, acute, deeply set in the bark, appressed, pubescent. Leaves medium, broad.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium or above; pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate. Stem variable. Cavity acute, deep, rather broad, slightly furrowed, often with outspreading russet rays. Calyx medium to large, closed or partly open. Basin moderately shallow to rather deep, medium to rather wide, distinctly abrupt, often somewhat furrowed, wrinkled. Skin nearly smooth, yellow overlaid with bright, dark red and with distinct narrow stripes of carmine. Color decidedly attractive. Dots variable, small to rather large, often russet. Calyx tube funnel-shape. Stamens medium to nearly marginal. Core medium to rather small, axile; cells usually symmetrical, closed; core lines clasping. Carpels rather concave, broadly roundish, deeply emarginate approaching broad obcordate, usually smooth. Seeds numerous, medium to rather large, rather wide, obtuse, dark. Flesh whitish, firm, rather fine, rather tender, moderately juicy, subacid becoming mild subacid, rather sprightly, slightly aromatic, not high in flavor, good.
Season January to May.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1900. Tree a medium grower.