Early Harvest
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Early Harvest
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Elliott's entry is headed "Sinclair's Yellow," a name Downing places under Early Harvest. It describes a fine orange skin darkened in the sun and pale yellow flesh. This conflicts with the pale yellow, yellow, or straw-colored skin of the other sources that give a skin color, and with the white flesh of those that give a flesh color. Its details are kept below under Elliott's name.]
Origin / History
Early Harvest is an American apple according to Warder, Downing, and Budd and Hansen. Beach calls its origin unknown but supposes it to have originated in America, and Hedrick calls it probably of American origin. Beach's references begin with the Amer. Gard. Cat. of 1806, and Hedrick says the variety "was described as long ago as 1806." Beach (1905) says it had then been known in cultivation for more than a hundred years.
Coxe described it in 1817 under the name "Princes Harvest, or Early French Reinette." Hovey calls Coxe "the first author who notices this variety" and observes that he "does not, however, state its origin, or from whence he received it." Because it had not been identified among the great number of foreign kinds introduced to American collections, Hovey concluded "there can be no doubt of its native origin." Hovey heads the name Early Harvest with Kenrick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1833.
Coxe wrote that "the character of this apple stands very high." Hovey (1852) called Early Harvest "without doubt, the finest early apple we yet possess," of good size and beautiful appearance. He noted that, upwards of thirty years after Coxe brought it to notice, it was "yet very little cultivated, in comparison with other sorts more recently introduced, and of inferior quality." He found this "somewhat remarkable" and hoped his description and figure would help make it better known to all cultivators. Downing, weighing its beauty, its excellence for dessert and cooking, and its productiveness, thought it "the finest early apple yet known," and held that "the smallest collection of apples should comprise this and the Red Astrachan."
Warder (1867) wrote that it "has long been a prime favorite in the orchard, especially when planted for family use." He added that it was falling into disfavor with the market men "because of its uncertainty, and its proneness to be defective on some soils." Beach says it was at one time quite extensively cultivated for local market in some localities but was now "seldom or never planted except for home use." He still calls it a desirable variety for the home orchard, being one of the earliest of the summer apples. Hedrick (1922) holds that as the earliest summer apple it "should hold a welcome place in every home collection." Stark Bros. (1910) say it is generally planted for home use and judge it "much inferior to Liveland Raspberry, Early Ripe, or Henry Clay."
Tree
Tree of middling to medium size, moderately vigorous by most accounts. Coxe calls the growth "not very vigorous," while Warder and the Agassiz station call it vigorous and Hedrick rates it above the average in vigor. Beach calls it a fairly good grower and moderately long-lived.
Habit upright, spreading, or roundish and open. Coxe gives a round head with the limbs spreading "without much symmetry or regularity." Hovey says the tree is upright, the branches making very acute angles, branching low but forming, when full grown, a fine round head. In his account the young trees grow upright and may readily be distinguished by the forked appearance of the lateral shoots, several of which spring from the extremity of the previous year's wood. Thomas likewise gives the shoots as erect, slightly diverging, straight, often forked. Warder says the limbs are very strongly attached to the trunk by a woody enlargement at their base, and the pale olive twigs are produced in twos and threes from a common origin.
Wood reddish chestnut, sprinkled with small whitish specks, moderately stout, short-jointed. Annual shoots somewhat downy at the ends; old wood brownish chestnut (Hovey). Young shoots reddish brown (Downing). Twigs moderately long, curved, rather stout; internodes short. Bark dark brown with some olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, round, not raised (Beach).
Buds small to medium: small, short, and flattened, with small shoulders (Hovey); medium size, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent (Beach). Flower buds medium size, frequently formed at the ends of the shoots. Leaves medium size, roundish obovate, rather light green, tapering to the point, wavy at the edges, irregularly and rather obtusely serrated. Petioles rather short, about half an inch long, stout. Flowers medium size; petals obovate, cupped (Hovey).
Comes early or rather early into bearing. Productive, a great bearer of abundant crops. Beach calls it moderately productive and a biennial or almost annual cropper; Hedrick rates it above the average in productiveness.
Tree healthy. Hedrick rates it above the average in hardiness and healthfulness, and Stark Bros. call it healthy but subject to scab. Needs rich cultivation to be fine. Thomas calls it good throughout the northern States and Southwest, tender Northwest. The Agassiz station in British Columbia planted it in spring 1890. Elliott calls it a good bearer.
Fruit
Size: Medium, the whole range running from small to rather above the middling. Hovey calls it of good size and measures it at about three inches broad and two and a half deep. Beach gives it as usually medium or below but sometimes rather large, uniform in size and shape, while Coxe calls it rather above the middling and Bunyard small.
Form: Roundish to oblate or flat, often or usually more or less oblate, regular or slightly angular, the sides slightly unequal. Hovey describes it as roundish, sometimes a little flattened at the base, rounding off to the crown, which is full. Warder says the almost round form is rare in the West, where the oblate form prevails.
Stem: Medium in length to rather short or short, about half to three-quarters of an inch, rather slender; Coxe alone calls it long. Beach calls it moderately thick.
Cavity: Shallow to deep, somewhat narrow to wide, regular, russeted with outspreading, broken russet rays or a russet patch. Coxe gives a deep hollow, and Hovey and Downing one of moderate depth; Beach calls it shallow and nearly acuminate, and Budd and Hansen obtuse.
Calyx: Eye small to medium, closed, slightly or moderately sunk. Segments narrow, twisted (Hovey); lobes long, narrow (Beach). Calyx tube short, funnel-shape (Beach), or conical or funnel-shaped (Budd and Hansen). Stamens medium (Beach), or marginal or median (Budd and Hansen).
Basin: Shallow, regular, moderately wide to wide, obtuse, nearly smooth to slightly wrinkled. Warder calls it narrow and abrupt, and Coxe places the crown in a deep hollow.
Skin: Thin, tender, smooth to very smooth, fair, of beautiful appearance. Clear waxy pale yellow, or bright straw color when fully ripe, occasionally deeper yellow on the exposed cheek, with a few traces of russet round the stem. Very rarely to sometimes a very slight, faint blush on the sunny side; Stark Bros. alone give "often with pink blush." Elliott gives a fine orange color, darkened in the sun.
Dots: Few to numerous, minute to large; faint white, green, or russet, obscure or submerged. Hovey describes scattered russet spots intermixed with white specks. Downing, the Agassiz station, and Budd and Hansen call the dots few; Warder and Beach call them numerous.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white to very white or nearly white; Elliott gives pale yellow. Rather fine, crisp, tender, breaking (Warder), not firm (Beach), juicy, the juice abundant.
Flavor sprightly, subacid to rather acid, agreeable, pleasant, rich in some accounts, aromatic (Bunyard). Hovey describes "that pleasant admixture of sweet and acid which gives a freshness peculiar among early apples," the juice "pleasantly acid, sprightly and well flavored," and Downing gives "rich sprightly subacid." Beach finds it "at first briskly subacid but eventually becoming milder, and more agreeable for dessert."
Quality from fair to best. Downing rates it "very good to best," Warder "of first quality," Thomas "fine," and Beach "very good" and "good to very good." Coxe calls it "a very pleasant eating apple," the Agassiz station "good," and Stark Bros. "fair quality."
Core and seeds: Core small to medium, rather close to closed; round, not meeting the eye (Warder); somewhat abaxile, the cells closed or slightly open, core lines clasping (Beach). Carpels slightly obovate (Beach); cells obovate (Budd and Hansen). Seeds few (Budd and Hansen), small to large, narrow, long, plump, pointed or acute; Hovey calls them small and Warder large.
Season
The recorded season runs from June to the end of August. Most authors place it in July, a first early apple, beginning about the first of the month or at wheat harvest and continuing through the month or for about three weeks; Bunyard gives ripe the middle of July. Hovey extends it from the middle of July to the end of August, Beach gives late July and August, and the Agassiz station August; Elliott gives June and July. Lowther says the season depends on the latitude and the elevation, but the fruit is generally ripe in July and August. Keeps but a short time; not a good keeper.
Uses
Excellent for both dessert and kitchen. Coxe calls it "a very fine apple for stewing when green," and Bunyard "a good garden fruit."
Hovey (1852) found the supply for the markets exceedingly limited, and fruit that was large and fine commanded a very high price. Beach judges it not a desirable commercial variety, for three reasons: a comparatively large percentage of undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit, a color that shows bruises very readily, and short keeping. Hedrick, for the same faults of small fruit and bad bruising in handling, calls it "suitable only for nearby markets."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Stark Bros.' entry closes with the notation "CS."
Book Sources
Described in 10 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Princes Harvest, Or Early French Reinette
- Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852) — listed as THE EARLY HARVEST APPLE.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 77 catalogs (1845–1932) from Alabama, Arkansas, California, England, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Early June
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864
- Hutchison Nursery , James Hutchison, Oakland , California — 1881
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Fancher Creek Nursery , Fresno , California — 1886
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- W.R. Strong & Co. , Capital and Orange Hill Nurseries (Robert Williamson, prop.), Sacramento , California — 1886
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- Glen St. Mary Nurseries (G.L. Taber , Proprietor), Glen St. Mary , Florida — 1893
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Oregon Wholesale Nurseries , Salem , Oregon — 1893
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Green's Nursery Co. (Charles A. Green) , Rochester , New York — 1894
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- Arthur J. Collins & Sons , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1898
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as July Pippin
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- S.L. Watkins , Grizzly Flats, El Dorado County , California — 1901
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Forestville Nurseries , T.J. True, Forestville , California — 1902
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- Henderson Luelling / Traveling Nursery (historical recall) , Oregon — 1904
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- J.B. Pilkington , Portland , Oregon — 1907
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Samuel Fraser , Geneseo , New York — 1913
- Van Holderbeke Nursery Co. , Incorporated, Spokane, Washington (nurseries at Otis Orchards WA, Pasadena WA, Kennewick WA) — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Holsinger Bros. Nurseries (Holsinger Brothers Nursery) , Rosedale , Kansas — 1916
- Fancher Creek Nurseries , George C. Roeding, Fresno , California — 1918
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
- Fresno Nursery Co. , Fresno , California — 1924
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925
- Stark Bro's Nurseries , Louisiana , Missouri — 1932
- North-Western Nurseries , Walla Walla , Washington
View original book sources (13)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 2. PRINCES HARVEST, OR EARLY FRENCH REINETTE.
This is a very fine apple for stewing when green, and when ripe is a very pleasant eating apple—the form is flat, the size rather above the middling; the skin when fully ripe, of a beautiful bright straw colour; the flesh white, tender, sprightly, and juicy. The character of this apple stands very high; it is a great bearer, and is in season during the whole month of July: the tree is of a middling size, the growth not very vigorous; the head round, the limbs spreading, without much symmetry or regularity—the stalk is long and planted in a deep hollow, as is also the crown.
— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)THE EARLY HARVEST APPLE.
Early Harvest. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1833. Large Early Harvest, Thatcher's Am. Orchardist. Prince's Harvest, or } Early French Reinette, } Coxe's View of the Orchard, &c. July Pippin, Floy, in Guide to the Orchard, Am. Ed. July Early Pippin, } Large Early, } Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d. Ed. 1842. Harvest, } Yellow Harvest, } Large White Juneating, } of some American collections. Tart Bough, }
The Early Harvest is, without doubt, the finest early apple we yet possess. Of good size, and beautiful appearance, it has a crisp and tender flesh, and combines, in its flavor, that pleasant admixture of sweet and acid which gives a freshness peculiar among early apples.
Mr. Coxe, in his excellent work on fruit trees, describes the Early Harvest under the names above quoted from his work, and he is the first author who notices this variety. He does not, however, state its origin, or from whence he received it; but as it has not been identified among the great number of foreign kinds which have been introduced to American collections, there can be no doubt of its native origin.
Though now upwards of thirty years since it was first brought to notice by Mr. Coxe, it is yet very little cultivated, in comparison with other sorts more recently introduced, and of inferior quality. The supply of fruit for our markets is exceedingly limited, and what there is, when large and fine, commands a very high price. That a variety so excellent should not have been much more extensively disseminated is somewhat remarkable, and we hope our description and figure of it may aid in making it better known to all cultivators.
The Early Harvest is a moderately vigorous and healthy growing tree, branching low, but forming, when full grown, a fine round head ; it comes early into bearing, and produces abundant crops. The young trees grow upright, and may readily be distinguished among others from the forked appearance of the lateral shoots, several of which spring from the extremity of the previous year's wood.
Tree. — Moderately vigorous, upright, the branches making very acute angles.
Wood. — Reddish chestnut, sprinkled with small whitish specks, moderately stout, short-jointed ; annual shoots somewhat downy at the ends ; old wood, brownish chestnut ; buds, small, short, and flattened, with small shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size, frequently formed at the ends of the shoots.
Leaves. — Medium size, roundish obovate, rather light green, tapering to the point, wavy at the edges, and irregularly and rather obtusely serrated ; petioles rather short, about half an inch long, stout.
Flowers. — Medium size ; petals obovate, cupped.
Fruit. — Medium size, about three inches broad, and two and a half deep : Form, roundish, sometimes little flattened at the base, rounding off to the crown, which is full : Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellow or straw color when mature, very slightly tinged with blush on the sunny side, with a few traces of russet round the stem, and some scattered spots of the same color, intermixed with white specks, over the surface : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and inserted in a moderately deep and somewhat narrow cavity : Eye, medium size, closed, and slightly sunk in a shallow, nearly smooth, basin ; segments of the calyx narrow, twisted : Flesh, white, rather fine, crisp, and tender : Juice, abundant, pleasantly acid, sprightly and well flavored : Core, rather close : Seeds, small.
Ripe from the middle of July to the end of August.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Sinclair's Yellow. Fruit, small to medium, flat or roundish ; skin, smooth, of a fine orange color, darkened in the sun ; flesh, pale yellow, with a rich, sub-acid flavor ; a good bearer, and excellent for both the table and kitchen. June and July,
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Early Harvest.
This American apple has long been a prime favorite in the orchard, especially when planted for family use, since it is of excellent quality for table as well as in the kitchen. For the commercial orchard, however, it is falling into disfavor with the market men, because of its uncertainty, and its proneness to be defective on some soils.
Tree spreading, healthy and vigorous ; the limbs are very strongly attached to the trunk by a woody enlargement at their base, and the pale olive twigs are remarkable for their peculiar mode of production in twos and threes from a common origin.
Fruit medium, regular, oblate, sometimes almost round, as described by Downing, but this is rare in the West, where the oblate form prevails. Surface smooth, clear, waxy yellow, very rarely blushed ; Dots numerous, minute, green. Basin regular, narrow, abrupt ; Eye small, closed. Cavity wide, regular ; Stem short. Core round, closed, not meeting the eye ; Seeds large, pointed ; Flesh tender, breaking, juicy, acid to sub-acid, agreeable ; Of first quality for table or kitchen during the month of July.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Early Harvest.
Prince's Harvest, or Early French Reinette, of Coxe. July Pippin. Tart Bough. Yellow Harvest. Early French Reinette. Large White Juneating. Sinclair's Yellow.
An American Apple; and taking into account its beauty, its excellent qualities for the dessert and for cooking, and its productiveness, we think it the finest early apple yet known. It begins to ripen about the first of July, and continues in use all that month. The smallest collection of apples should comprise this and the Red Astrachan. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, spreading. Young shoots reddish brown.
Fruit medium size. Form roundish, often roundish oblate, medium size. Skin very smooth, with a few faint white dots, bright straw-color when fully ripe. Stalk half to three-fourths of an inch long, rather slender, inserted in a hollow of moderate depth. Calyx set in a shallow basin. Flesh very white, tender, and juicy, crisp, with a rich sprightly subacid flavor. Very good to best. Core small.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Early Harvest.* (Yellow Harvest, Prince's Harvest, Early French Reinette, July Pippin.) Size medium, roundish, usually more or less oblate, smooth; bright straw color when ripe; stalk rather short and slender; calyx moderately sunk; flesh nearly white, flavor rather acid, fine. Ripens at wheat harvest, and for three weeks afterward. Shoots erect, slightly diverging, straight, often forked. Productive. Needs rich cultivation to be fine. Good throughout the northern States and Southwest, tender Northwest. Fig. 354.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)EARLY HARVEST.
REFERENCES. 1. Amer. Gard. Cat., 1806:584. 2. Coxe, 1817:101. fig. 3. Thacher, 1822:129. 4. Buel, N. Y. Bd. Agr. Mem., 1826:476. 5. Wilson, 1828:136. 6. Fessenden, 1828:131. 7. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 355. 8. Kenrick, 1832:26. 9. Floy-Lindley, 1833:410. 10. Mag. Hort., 1:362. 1835. 11. Manning, 1838:45. 12. Ib., Mag. Hort., 7:51. 1841. 13. Downing, 1845:72. fig. 14. French, Horticulturist, 1:256. 1846. 15. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 14:115. 1848. fig. 16. Cole, 1849:97. fig. 17. Walker, Mag. Hort., 15:165. 1849. 18. Thomas, 1849:142. 19. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:16. 1851. 20. Barry, 1851:280. 21. Hovey, 1:75. 1851. col. pl. and fig. 22. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 23. Elliott, 1854:84. fig. 24. Hooper, 1857:31, 107, 111. 25. Gregg, 1857:36. fig. 26. Warder, 1867:403. fig. 27. Fitz, 1872:143, 160, 172. 28. Downing, 1872:10 index, app. 29. Ib., 1881:11 index, app. 30. Hogg, 1884:67. 31. Wickson, 1889:243. 32. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 33. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 34. Stinson, Ark. Sta. An. Rpt., 7:44. 1894. 35. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:320. 1896. 36. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 3:7. 1896. figs. 37. Can. Hort., 20:328. 1897. figs. 38. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:121. 1901. 39. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:292. 1901. 40. Budd-Hansen, 1903:73. fig.
SYNONYMS. Early French Reinette (2, 8, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 30, 34). EARLY HARVEST (1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40). Early Harvest (9, 23). Early July Pippin (24). Early June (23). HARVEST (23). Harvest (21). Early Pippin (15, 21, 30). JULY PIPPIN (9). July Pippin (13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 30, 34). Large Early (15, 21, 30). Large Early Harvest (15, 21). LARGE EARLY HARVEST (3). Large White Juneating (13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 30). Maralandica (29). Oats incorrectly (29). Pomme d'Ete of Canada (30). Prince's Early Harvest (8, 30). PRINCE'S HARVEST (2, 4, 5, 6). Prince's Harvest (8, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 30, 34). Prince's Yellow Harvest (30). Tart Bough (13, 15, 19, 21, 30). Yellow Harvest (13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 30, 34). Yellow Juneating (23).
Fruit medium, pale yellow, sometimes with a faint blush, tender, sprightly subacid, and very good in quality. It is a desirable variety for the home orchard because it is one of the earliest of the summer apples, and is excellent for either dessert or culinary uses. It is not a desirable commercial variety because there is a comparatively large percentage of undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit, the color is such that it shows bruises very readily and it keeps but a short time. The tree is a fairly good grower, moderately long-lived, comes into bearing rather early, is a biennial or almost annual cropper and moderately productive.
Historical. Early Harvest has been known in cultivation for more than a hundred years. Its origin is unknown but it is supposed to have originated in America. At one time it was quite extensively cultivated for local market in some localities but it is now seldom or never planted except for home use.
TREE. Tree medium size, moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs moderately long, curved, rather stout; internodes short. Bark dark brown with some olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, round, not raised. Buds medium size, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit usually medium or below but sometimes rather large, uniform in size and shape. Form oblate to nearly round, regular or slightly angular; sides slightly unequal. Stem medium in length, moderately thick. Cavity nearly acuminate, shallow, rather narrow to moderately broad, russeted and with outspreading, broken russet rays. Calyx small to medium, closed; lobes long, narrow. Basin shallow, moderately wide, obtuse, slightly wrinkled. Skin thin, tender, very smooth, clear pale waxen yellow, occasionally with deeper yellow on exposed cheek, sometimes slightly blushed. Dots numerous, large and small, submerged or russet. Calyx tube short, funnel-shape. Stamens medium. Core medium size, somewhat abaxile; cells closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels slightly obovate. Seeds small to rather large, narrow, long, plump, acute. Flesh white, not firm, rather fine, crisp, tender, juicy, at first briskly subacid but eventually becoming milder, and more agreeable for dessert. Good to very good.
Season late July and August.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Early Harvest. — Of American origin; tree moderately vigorous, upright, spreading, productive, needs rich cultivation.
Early Harvest.
Fruit medium or below, roundish, often roundish oblate, usually oblate at the West; surface very smooth, clear, pale waxen yellow, very rarely blushed; dots obscure, few, minute, white and green; cavity wide, regular, obtuse, with russet patch; stem medium; basin wide, shallow, smooth. Core small, closed; cells obovate; tube conical or funnel-shaped; stamens marginal or median; seeds few, large, pointed; flesh very white, tender, juicy, crisp, sprightly, pleasant rich subacid, very good to best. The first three weeks of July.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Early Harvest
The Early Harvest is in color pale yellow, sometimes with a faint blush, tender, sprightly subacid, and very good in quality. It is desirable as an early variety for home use and is excellent either for cooking or dessert. It is not desirable as a market variety, because it easily bruises; fruit keeps but a short time and produces a considerable percentage of small, undersized and unmarketable fruit.
Historical. The origin of the variety is unknown, but it is supposed to have originated in America, and is known to have been in cultivation for more than one hundred years.
The tree is a medium size, moderately vigorous. Form upright, spreading, roundish, open. Twigs moderately long, curved, rather stout; internodes short. Bark dark brown, with some olive green, lightly streaked with scarf skin; slightly pubescent, or hairy.
Season depending on the latitude and the elevation, but generally ripe in July and August.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)EARLY HARVEST. Fig. 17. July Pippin. Tart Bough. Yellow Harvest. Yellow Juneating.
As the earliest summer apple, and because the fruit is excellent for either dessert or cooking, Early Harvest should hold a welcome place in every home collection. Much of the fruit is too small to be marketable, and the apples bruise badly in handling, so that the variety is suitable only for nearby markets. The trees are above the average in vigor, productiveness, hardiness, and healthfulness. Early Harvest was described as long ago as 1806, and is probably of American origin.
Tree medium size, moderately vigorous, upright-spreading or roundish, open. Fruit medium, sometimes large, uniform in size and shape, oblate to nearly round, regular or slightly angular; sides unequal; stem medium in length, thick; cavity acuminate, shallow, narrow to broad, russeted, with outspreading, broken russet rays; calyx small, closed; lobes long, narrow; basin shallow, wide, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth, clear pale waxen yellow, with deeper yellow on exposed cheek, sometimes slightly blushed; dots numerous, large and small, submerged or russet; calyx-tube short, funnel-shape; stamens median; core medium, abaxile; cells closed or slightly open; core-lines clasping; carpels obovate; seeds small to large, narrow, long, plump, acute; flesh white, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, at first briskly subacid but becoming mild; good to very good; late July and August.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous and spreading grower. Fruit of medium size, roundish. Skin pale clear yellow, with a few white dots. Flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy, sprightly, quality good. Season August.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Small, first early yellow aromatic apple; ripe here middle of July: a good garden fruit.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)Pale yellow, often with pink blush; sprightly, sub-acid, fair quality. A good apple for either dessert or culinary use, but not a good keeper. Generally planted for home use. Tree healthy, but subject to scab; much inferior to Liveland Raspberry, Early Ripe, or Henry Clay. CS