Coffelt
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Coffelt
Origin / History
Originated in Benton County, Arkansas (Stark Bros.). Some nursery catalogues state that it is a seedling of Ben Davis (Beach). Beach lists the name Coffelt Beauty from Powell and Fulton (1903). As grown at the Station, the fruit is too small to be valuable for an apple of the Ben Davis class, to which it apparently belongs; like Ben Davis it is quite liable to be roughened by spray. Beach finds it "a little superior to Ben Davis for eating." Stark Bros. say that "everything considered, Champion is its superior."
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. Stark Bros. call it a good orchard tree, bearing abundantly and regularly, the fruit hanging well on the tree.
Fruit
Size: Medium or above; pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach). Medium (Stark Bros.). Too small at the Station to be valuable (Beach).
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. Calyx tube funnel-shape. Stamens medium to nearly marginal.
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. Stark Bros. give dull red.
Dots: Variable, small to rather large, often russet.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh whitish, firm, rather fine, rather tender, moderately juicy. Subacid becoming mild subacid, rather sprightly, slightly aromatic, not high in flavor. Quality "good" (Beach).
Core and seeds: 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 (Beach). A good keeper (Stark Bros.).
Uses
Eating, for which it is a little superior to Ben Davis (Beach).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 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
- 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.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)Originated in Benton County, Arkansas. Dull red, medium size, fruit hangs well on the tree; a good keeper and a good orchard tree. Bears abundantly and regularly, but everything considered, Champion is its superior. NCS