Colvert.

Fruit large, roundish-oblate, slightly conic, regular, often unequal ; Surface smooth, yellowish-green, mixed, striped, light red ; Dots scattered, distinct, white.

Basin deep, abrupt, regular, folded ; Eye medium.

Cavity rather deep, acute, brown ; Stem medium.

Core round, flattened, slightly open, meeting the eye ; Seeds numerous, long, pointed, imperfect ; Flesh white, breaking, fine-grained, juicy ; Flavor sub-acid; Quality scarcely good ; Use, market chiefly ; Season October, November.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Colvert.

Prussian.

An old variety, of uncertain origin, valued mainly for cooking.

Tree a strong grower, and an enormous bearer.

Fruit large, oblate, inclining to conic, greenish yellow, striped and shaded with dull red in sun. Flesh greenish white, tender, brisk subacid. Good. October, November.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

COLVERT.

REFERENCES. 1. Warder, 1867:427. 2. Downing, 1869:131. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1875:6. 4. Thomas, 1885:506. 5. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 6. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:39. 1903.

SYNONYMS. Colvert (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Prussian (2).

Ripens about with Twenty Ounce. It is inferior to that variety in size, color and quality, and is not as good a seller, but is more productive. The fruit is large, uniform in size, yellowish-green shaded and lightly striped with pinkish-red on the sunny side, smooth, showy and fairly attractive. It needs to be picked early to prevent loss from dropping. It is not a good keeper and is not much in demand among buyers, but sometimes it sells pretty well.

The tree is generally hardy, healthy and an excellent cropper. It generally succeeds well on any good apple land.

Historical. Origin uncertain (2). It has long been known and pretty widely disseminated but it is not much grown in New York. Even in those localities where it is best known the trees of this variety constitute less than one per cent of the orchards.

TREE.

Tree medium size to large, moderately vigorous to vigorous; branches long, medium stout, curved, crooked. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs above medium to long, usually nearly straight, moderately stout; internodes medium. Bark rather dark brownish-red, shaded with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium, oblong, raised. Buds medium to large, broad, prominent, very plump, obtuse, free, pubescent. Leaves medium in size, broad.

FRUIT.

Fruit averages large, fairly uniform in size but rather variable in shape. Form oblate to oblate conic, obscurely ribbed, irregular and with sides sometimes unequal. Stem short, rather thick. Cavity acute to slightly acuminate, medium to nearly deep, medium in width to sometimes broad, usually very heavily russeted, sometimes compressed and frequently lipped. Calyx medium, closed or slightly open; lobes short, narrow, acuminate. Basin abrupt, medium in depth, narrow, slightly furrowed.

Skin very thick, rather tough, rather dull greenish-yellow, sometimes partly washed with red and striped and splashed with carmine. Dots inconspicuous, small, usually submerged; a few scattering ones are large and russet. Prevailing color greenish-yellow, not particularly attractive.

Calyx tube broadly conical to funnel-shape. Stamens median to basal.

Core axile, small; cells closed or partly open. Carpels broad-cordate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds large to above medium, wide, rather long, plump, acute; frequently they are abortive.

Flesh tinged with yellow, firm, nearly coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, subacid, good.

Season October to January or February.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Colvert is a large apple of roundish oblate form, with yellow-red skin. Quality is good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: early autumn. Reported by 3 stations in the Northern Division (also reported in another division) and 2 stations in the Central Division (also reported in another division); no Southern Division stations reported.

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

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous and spreading grower and free producer. Fruit large, oblate, somewhat conical. Skin greenish yellow, with a little dull red in the sun. Flesh yellow, fine grained, juicy, nearly sweet, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season October and November.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

Colvert. Large, oblate, striped; sub-acid, quality moderate—culinary. Autumn. Succeeds well Northwest.

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

COLVERT.

Colvert is grown in some localities to compete with Twenty Ounce, to which, however, it is usually inferior in size, color, and quality of fruit. The trees are quite as good as those of Twenty Ounce, being hardy, healthy, and productive. The origin is uncertain, but it is an American sort and was first described by Warder in 1867.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open; branches long, curved, crooked. Leaves broad. Fruit large, uniform in size but variable in shape, oblate to oblate-conic, obscurely ribbed, irregular and with sides unequal; stem short, thick; cavity acute, deep, medium in width, usually heavily russeted, sometimes compressed and frequently lipped; calyx closed or open; lobes short, narrow, acuminate; basin abrupt, medium in depth, narrow, furrowed; skin thick, tough, dull greenish-yellow, sometimes partly washed with red and striped and splashed with carmine; dots inconspicuous, usually submerged, a few scattering ones are large and russet; prevailing color greenish-yellow; calyx-tube broadly conical; stamens median; core axile, small; cells closed or partly open; carpels broad-cordate, emarginate, tufted; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute, frequently abortive; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid; good; October to January.

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