Heritage Apple Corps
← All varieties

Collins

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Collins

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Collins

Origin/History

Collins originated about 1865 (Beach; Hedrick) on the old Merriam farm near Fayetteville, Arkansas (Budd-Hansen); it was named in honor of the introducer, Geo. Collins (Budd-Hansen). Budd-Hansen, writing in 1914, dates the origin as "thirty-eight years ago," which places it slightly later than Beach's and Hedrick's circa-1865 date — the conflict is preserved here. It has been much planted in the Southwest and is there especially valued on account of the productiveness of the tree and the excellent keeping quality of the fruit (Beach). It is receiving attention in regions where Ben Davis thrives (Hedrick), and may prove profitable in those sections of New York state where Ben Davis does well (Beach), though it had not yet been sufficiently tested in New York at the time of Beach's writing to determine whether it was desirable for planting in that region.

Tree

Tree large, tall, very vigorous, a good grower (Beach; Hedrick; Budd-Hansen reports it as a vigorous grower in both nursery and orchard); hardy, and has the reputation of being very productive (Beach; Hedrick notes the trees have a high reputation for vigor and productiveness). Branches long, moderately thick (Beach) to thick (Hedrick), crooked. Form rather upright and dense, eventually becoming more open and outspreading (Beach; Hedrick). Twigs moderately long, rather slender, pubescent; fruit often borne on the ends of the twigs; internodes medium to long (Beach). Bark very bright dark reddish-brown, somewhat mottled with thin, gray scarf-skin (Beach). Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, usually small but sometimes large, roundish or oblong, not raised (Beach). Buds medium to large, rather flat, appressed, somewhat acute or tending to obtuse, quite pubescent (Beach). Foliage rather dense; leaves medium to large (Beach), large (Hedrick), rather long (Beach) to long (Hedrick).

Fruit

Size

Large (Beach; Budd-Hansen; Hedrick; Thomas) or above medium (Beach). Lowther describes it as medium-sized — a conflict with the other sources.

Form

Roundish-oblate (Thomas; Budd-Hansen), globular or a little oblate inclined to conic (Beach), globular or oblate inclined to conic (Hedrick); pretty symmetrical (Beach) / symmetrical (Hedrick), though Budd-Hansen notes it as slightly unequal. Lowther reports round form.

Stem

Above medium to short (Beach), medium to short (Hedrick). Budd-Hansen: about one inch long, of medium caliper, curved, largest at twig.

Cavity

Acute, sometimes acuminate (Beach; Hedrick); medium to rather broad (Beach), broad (Hedrick); symmetrical or obscurely furrowed; smooth or with radiating russet rays. Budd-Hansen describes it as large, regular, deep, flaring, russeted and slightly lipped. Beach notes that in many cases the cavity shows some resemblance to that of Rome; Hedrick similarly likens it to that of Rome Beauty.

Calyx

Medium to rather small (Beach), small (Hedrick); partly open or sometimes closed (Beach), open or sometimes closed (Hedrick); lobes slightly separated at the base (Beach) / separated at the base (Hedrick), short, obtuse. Budd-Hansen: calyx medium, closed, or partially open; segments short, wide, converging.

Basin

Round, moderately shallow to rather deep (Beach), deep (Hedrick); somewhat abrupt to rather obtuse (Beach), abrupt (Hedrick); symmetrical or somewhat furrowed (Beach) / symmetrical or furrowed (Hedrick). Budd-Hansen: basin large, regular, deep, abrupt, slightly furrowed and downy.

Skin

Thick, tough, slightly waxy (Beach) / waxy (Hedrick), and partly covered with a faint bloom. Budd-Hansen: skin of medium thickness, tough; surface moderately smooth, with some fine leather-cracking. Highly colored specimens are bright dark red, sparingly and indistinctly striped with purplish-carmine and occasionally showing contrasting clear yellow ground color (Beach; Hedrick gives essentially the same description). Less highly colored specimens are yellow, more or less washed and striped with red (Beach). Budd-Hansen: yellow, washed with dull and bright red, splashed and striped with crimson. Thomas: greenish yellow, shaded and striped red. When well grown the color is attractive, being yellow, contrasting sharply with the bright red with which it is more or less overspread and sometimes nearly covered (Beach). Lowther records the skin color simply as "s." Beach found the color decidedly inferior to Baldwin, and ranking even below Rome (Beauty) and sometimes below Ben Davis and Cooper Market; Hedrick notes that in the North, the fruit is much inferior in appearance and quality to Baldwin, and not equal to Rome Beauty or even Ben Davis in these respects in the South. Beach also remarks that the fruit is somewhat like that of Baldwin in shape and color (a sentiment Hedrick echoes).

Dots

Inconspicuous, small, russet or pale gray (Beach); inconspicuous, russet or pale gray (Hedrick). Budd-Hansen: dots light russet, many with dark centres.

Other surface features

Sometimes a suture line extends from cavity to basin (Beach; Hedrick).

Flesh and Flavor

Nearly white (Beach), white (Hedrick); Budd-Hansen reports it as yellow, satiny, while Thomas describes it as yellowish, solid. Very firm (Beach; Hedrick), rather coarse (Beach) / coarse (Hedrick) / moderately coarse (Budd-Hansen) / coarse (Thomas), crisp (Beach; Hedrick; Budd-Hansen), moderately tender (Beach) / tender (Hedrick), moderately juicy (Beach; Budd-Hansen) / juicy (Hedrick; Thomas), rather sprightly subacid (Beach) / sprightly subacid (Hedrick) / subacid (Budd-Hansen), slightly aromatic (Beach) / aromatic (Hedrick). Quality fair to good (Beach; Hedrick), good (Budd-Hansen; Thomas), very good (Lowther).

Calyx tube and stamens

Calyx tube small, varying from long, narrow funnel-shape to short, approaching conic (Beach); calyx-tube small, long, narrow funnel-shape to short-conic (Hedrick). Stamens median or below (Beach); stamens median (Hedrick).

Core and Seeds

Core medium to rather small (Beach), small (Hedrick), abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or somewhat open (Beach) / closed or open (Hedrick); core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Budd-Hansen: core medium size, conical, clasping, partially open. Carpels much concave (Beach) / concave (Hedrick), elliptical to obcordate, somewhat tufted (Beach) / tufted (Hedrick) and deeply emarginate. Seeds dark, large, rather narrow to moderately wide (Beach) / narrow (Hedrick), long, rather flat (Beach) / flat (Hedrick), acute. Budd-Hansen: seeds few, of medium size, plump, brown.

Season

Winter (Thomas; Budd-Hansen; Lowther). Season January to June (Beach; Hedrick). Beach notes that it evidently requires a longer season than Baldwin to bring it to perfect development. The fruit is especially valued in the Southwest for its excellent keeping quality (Beach).

Uses

Primary use is market (Lowther).

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach gives the locality as Ark. (Arkansas). Lowther reports no station counts for the Northern, Central, or Southern Divisions.

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) entry describes "A large white peach, largely covered with red. One of the hardiest. Large in size; firm texture and good shipper. Large and most productive. NNS," which is a peach, not the Collins apple under consideration. This source has not been used in the merged description above.]

Book Sources

Described in 5 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 8 catalogs (1896–1918) from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington

View original book sources (6)

Collins. Large, roundish-oblate, greenish yellow, shaded and striped red, flesh yellowish, solid, coarse, juicy; good. Winter. Ark.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

COLLINS.

REFERENCES. 1. U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1895:21. 2. Thomas, 1897:468. 3. Van Deman, Amer. Gard., 19:823. 1898. 4. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 49:10. 1898. 5. Ib., 60:127. 1899. 6. Brackett, Amer. Gard., 22:190. 1901. 7. Budd-Hansen, 1903:65.

SYNONYMS. Champion (3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Champion Red (3, 4, 5, 6). Collins' Red (3, 4, 5, 6). Coss Champion (6). Coss's Champion (4, 5).

An Arkansas variety of recent introduction. It has not yet been sufficiently tested in New York to determine whether it is desirable for planting in this region. As fruited here it is of good size and form but decidedly inferior to Baldwin in color and quality, in these respects ranking even below Rome (Beauty) and sometimes below Ben Davis and Cooper Market. When well grown the color is attractive, being yellow, contrasting sharply with the bright red with which it is more or less overspread and sometimes nearly covered. In many cases the cavity shows some resemblance to that of Rome. The tree is a good grower, hardy, and has the reputation of being very productive. Evidently it requires a longer season than Baldwin to bring it to perfect development, but it may prove profitable in those sections of the state where Ben Davis does well.

Historical. Originated about 1865 near Fayetteville, Arkansas (1, 4, 6). It has been much planted in the Southwest and is there especially valued on account of the productiveness of the tree and the excellent keeping quality of the fruit.

TREE. Tree large, tall, very vigorous; branches long, moderately thick, crooked. Form rather upright and dense, eventually becoming more open and outspreading. Twigs moderately long, rather slender, pubescent; fruit often borne on the ends of the twigs; internodes medium to long. Bark very bright dark reddish-brown, somewhat mottled with thin, gray scarf-skin. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, usually small but sometimes large, roundish or oblong, not raised. Buds medium to large, rather flat, appressed, somewhat acute or tending to obtuse, quite pubescent. Foliage rather dense; leaves medium to large, rather long.

FRUIT. Fruit large or above medium. Form globular or a little oblate inclined to conic, pretty symmetrical. Stem above medium to short. Cavity acute, sometimes acuminate, medium to rather broad, symmetrical or obscurely furrowed, smooth or with radiating russet rays. Calyx medium to rather small, partly open or sometimes closed; lobes slightly separated at the base, short, obtuse. Basin round, moderately shallow to rather deep, somewhat abrupt to rather obtuse, symmetrical or somewhat furrowed. Skin thick, tough, slightly waxy, and partly covered with a faint bloom. Highly colored specimens are bright dark red, sparingly and indistinctly striped with purplish-carmine and occasionally showing contrasting clear yellow ground color. Less highly colored specimens are yellow, more or less washed and striped with red. Dots inconspicuous, small, russet or pale gray. Sometimes a suture line extends from cavity to basin. Calyx tube small, varying from long, narrow funnel-shape to short, approaching conic. Stamens median or below. Core medium to rather small, abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or somewhat open; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels much concave, elliptical to obcordate, somewhat tufted and deeply emarginate. Seeds dark, large, rather narrow to moderately wide, long, rather flat, acute. Flesh nearly white, very firm, rather coarse, crisp, moderately tender, moderately juicy, rather sprightly subacid, slightly aromatic, fair to good. Season January to June.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Collins (Champion).—Originated thirty-eight years ago on the old Merriam farm near Fayetteville, Arkansas; named in honor of the introducer, Geo. Collins; tree a vigorous grower in nursery and orchard, very productive.

Fruit large, roundish oblate, slightly unequal; skin of medium thickness, tough; surface moderately smooth, with some fine leather-cracking, yellow, washed with dull and bright red, splashed and striped with crimson; dots light russet, many with dark centres; cavity large, regular, deep, flaring, russeted and slightly lipped; stem about one inch long, of medium caliper, curved, largest at twig; basin large, regular, deep, abrupt, slightly furrowed and downy; calyx medium, closed, or partially open; segments short, wide, converging. Core medium size, conical, clasping, partially open; seeds few, of medium size, plump, brown; flesh yellow, satiny, moderately coarse, crisp, moderately juicy, subacid, good. Winter. (U. S. Agr. Report, 1895.)

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Collins is a medium-sized fruit of round form. Skin color: "s". Quality is very good. Primary use is market. Season of ripening is winter. No station counts are reported for the Northern, Central, or Southern Divisions.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

COLLINS. Champion. Champion Red. Collins Red. Collins is receiving attention in regions where Ben Davis thrives. The fruit is somewhat like that of Baldwin in shape and color, with a cavity like that of Rome Beauty. The trees have a high reputation for vigor and productiveness. In the North, the fruit is much inferior in appearance and quality to Baldwin, and it is not equal to Rome Beauty or even Ben Davis in these respects in the South. Collins originated about 1865 near Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Tree large, tall, very vigorous, upright and dense, eventually becoming open; branches long, thick, crooked. Leaves large, long. Fruit large, globular or oblate inclined to conic, symmetrical; stem medium to short; cavity acute, sometimes acuminate, broad, symmetrical or obscurely furrowed, smooth or with radiating russet rays; calyx small, open or sometimes closed; lobes separated at the base, short, obtuse; basin round, deep, abrupt, symmetrical or furrowed; skin thick, tough, waxy, with faint bloom, bright dark red, indistinctly striped with purplish-carmine and occasionally showing contrasting clear yellow ground color; dots inconspicuous, russet or pale gray; sometimes a suture line extends from cavity to basin; calyx-tube small, long, narrow funnel-shape to short-conic; stamens median; core small, abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or open; corelines clasp the funnel cylinder; carpels concave, elliptical to obcordate, tufted and deeply emarginate; seeds dark, large, narrow, long, flat, acute; flesh white, very firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic; fair to good; January to June.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

A large white peach, largely covered with red. One of the hardiest. Large in size; firm texture and good shipper. Large and most productive. NNS

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)
Champion Champion Red Collins Red Collins' Red Coss Champion Coss's Champion Hare Melon