Danver's Winter Sweet.

Epse's Sweet.

American. Tree, vigorous, spreading, shoots yellowish, yearly productive; valuable winter fruit for baking or stock.

Size, medium; form, roundish oblong; color, dull yellow, with orange blush, and small russet specks; stem, slender, inclining to one side; calyx, small, woolly; basin, shallow, rather narrow; flesh, yellow, firm, sweet; core, large, open; seeds, ovate pointed, dark rich brown. December to April.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Danvers' Winter Sweet.

Origin Danvers, Massachusetts. Tree very thrifty, very productive.

Fruit large, globular, truncate, sometimes globular-oblate, regular; Surface smooth, uneven, greenish-yellow; Dots numerous, medium, prominent, with white and green bases.

Basin abrupt, deep, regular; Eye small, closed; Segments long.

Cavity wide, deep, brown; Stem long, slender, knobby.

Core round, regular, closed; Seeds numerous, long, brown, pointed; Flesh yellow, breaking, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor very sweet; Quality good to very good; Use, baking; Season, December and January.

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

Danvers Winter Sweet.

Epse's Sweet.

Origin, Massachusetts, in the town of Danvers, from which this variety takes its name, it has been for a long time one of the best market apples, but we think it inferior to the Ladies' Sweeting. It is an abundant bearer, and a very rapid tree in its growth. Young shoots dark grayish brown, slightly downy.

Fruit of medium size, roundish oblong. Skin smooth, dull yellow, with an orange blush. Stalk slender, inclining to one side. Calyx set in a smooth, narrow basin. Flesh yellow, firm, sweet, and rich. Very good. It bakes well, and is fit for use the whole winter, and often till April.

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

Danvers Winter Sweet.* Medium or rather large, roundish, remotely oblong or conical, obscurely ribbed; greenish yellow, becoming a rather dull rich yellow, sometimes an orange blush; stalk three-quarters to one inch long, cavity acute; basin smooth, narrow; flesh yellow, sweet, rich. Fig. 408. Growth vigorous, tree productive. Massachusetts.

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

DANVERS SWEET.

REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1833:43. 2. Mag. Hort., 1:154. 1835. 3. Manning, 1838:60. 4. Downing, 1845:108. 5. Thomas, 1849:161. 6. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:86. 1851. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 8. Elliott, 1858:74. 9. Mag. Hort., 26:101. 1860. 10. Warder, 1867:550. 11. Barry, 1883:344. 12. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 14. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:132. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:69.

SYNONYMS. DANVERS SWEET (12). Danvers Winter (14). DANVERS WINTER SWEET (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13). Eppes' Sweet (1, 2). Epse's Sweet (4, 8).

Tree a good grower and very productive. Fruit is of good marketable size and very good in quality, but rather dull green and not particularly attractive in color. It is no longer recommended for planting.

Historical. About 75 years ago this was being recommended by Kenrick (1) and Manning (3) as a profitable market apple, very productive and worthy of extensive cultivation. Danvers Sweet was included in the American Pomological Society's first list of varieties worthy of being recommended (6). In New York state it is now nearly obsolete. It originated at Danvers, Mass., where the original tree was still standing in 1832 (1).

TREE.

Tree a rapid grower. Twigs dark brown with grayish scarf-skin, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to sometimes large; pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish inclined to conic, sometimes a little oblate. Stem short to medium, pubescent, knobby. Cavity rather large, acute to acuminate, rather deep, broad, sometimes partly russeted, often distinctly furrowed. Calyx small to medium, usually closed; lobes pubescent, sometimes separated at the base. Basin varies from large and wide to rather small and narrow, moderately abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled.

Skin moderately thin, tough, smooth, grass-green somewhat shaded with yellow, sometimes with faint bronze blush. Dots conspicuous, many submerged and whitish, others areolar with russet center.

Calyx tube funnel-shape with rather narrow limb. Stamens median or above.

Core axile, medium; cells symmetrical, closed; core lines clasping. Carpels rather flat, roundish to roundish obovate, slightly emarginate, mucronate, smooth. Seeds dark, medium or below, narrow, acute to obtuse.

Flesh greenish with decided yellow tinge, breaking, moderately fine, very tender, rather juicy, very sweet, good to very good.

Season November to April.

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

Danvers Sweet.—Origin, Danvers, Massachusetts; tree productive and of very rapid growth.

Fruit large, roundish oblong, sometimes roundish oblate, regular; surface smooth, uneven, dull greenish yellow, with orange blush; dots numerous, medium, prominent, with white and green bases; cavity wide, deep, brown; stem long, slender, knobby; basin smooth, deep, narrow, abrupt; calyx small, closed; segments long. Core round, regular, closed; seeds numerous, long, brown, pointed; flesh yellow, fine-grained, juicy, firm, very sweet and rich, very good; good for baking. All winter.

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

Danvers' Sweet is a medium-sized fruit of roundish oblate form with greenish yellow skin. Quality is very good. Use is both kitchen and market. Season is winter. Reported by 4 stations in the Northern Division (also reported in more than one division) and 6 stations in the Central Division (also reported in more than one division).

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

Planted Spring 1895. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit above medium size, oblong, conical. Skin smooth, greenish yellow, with a dull blush. Flesh yellow, firm, rich, sweet, quality very good. Season midwinter.

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