Curtis Sweet
AppleOrigin & History
According to Downing, introduced to notice by Joseph Curtis, St. Alban's, Vermont. Elliott, however, states the origin is unknown.
Tree
Vigorous, upright, productive, and hardy (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Downing describes the fruit as roundish, conical, and ribbed. Elliott and Thomas both describe it as oval and ribbed.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small (Elliott).
Basin: Shallow (Elliott).
Skin: Pale yellow, sprinkled, marbled, and splashed with crimson. Downing describes it as thickly covered with crimson dots. Elliott describes whitish gray dots. Thomas describes it as striped red on pale yellow.
Flesh & Flavor: White, fine-grained, very tender, with a very pleasant sweet flavor (Downing). Elliott describes the flesh as white, tender, juicy, and esteemed. Thomas says tender and pleasant.
Core & Seeds: Core large (Downing, Elliott). Seeds not described in source.
Season
August to October.
Uses
Not described in source.
Quality
Rated "Good" by Downing. Elliott describes the fruit as "esteemed."
Other
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists this variety in a coded characteristic table only:
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Curtis' Sweet....... L rc yr G k a
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Curtis Sweet. Introduced to notice by Joseph Curtis, St. Alban's, Vt. Tree vigorous, upright, productive, and hardy. Fruit large, roundish, conical, ribbed, pale yellow, sprinkled, marbled, and splashed with crimson, and thickly covered with crimson dots. Flesh white, fine-grained, very tender, with a very pleasant sweet flavor. Core large. Good. August to October.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Curtis' Sweet....... L rc yr G k a
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Curtis Sweet.
Origin, unknown. Fruit, large, oval, ribbed, yellow, sprinkled and marbled with crimson, whitish gray dots ; calyx, small ; basin, shallow ; flesh, white, tender, juicy, esteemed ; core, large. August to October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Curtis Sweet. Large, oval, ribbed, striped red on pale yellow; tender and pleasant. August to October.