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Early Joe

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Early Joe

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Early Joe

Origin / History

Early Joe originated in the orchard of Heman Chapin at East Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York (Downing; Thomas; Beach; Hedrick). Beach and Hedrick record that the orchard was planted with seedling trees grown from seeds brought from Salisbury, Connecticut about the year 1800; Hedrick specifies the seed itself was "planted in 1800 by Heman Chapin." Northern Spy and Melon originated in the same orchard (Beach). Elliott notes the American origin is "claimed Ontario Co., N. Y." but adds that "it is somewhat questionable if it is not an old Connecticut variety."

In October 1843, Early Joe was exhibited at the fair of the New York State Agricultural Society at Rochester, N. Y., by Jonathan Buel of East Bloomfield (Beach). It has been widely disseminated and was still listed by nurserymen at the turn of the twentieth century, though not extensively cultivated in any locality (Beach).

Tree

Growth is characteristically slow, especially while young; as the trees get older growth improves (Elliott). Downing and Budd-Hansen both describe the tree as "of slow growth, productive, requires high [cultivation/culture] for fair fruit." Budd-Hansen add that "the poor growth of this variety in nursery makes it undesirable for the nurseryman." Thomas records "shoots dark, growth slow. A profuse bearer." Elliott notes shoots are "dark-colored" and describes it as of round, irregular, spreading form of medium size, "very hardy, but should have rich, strong soil."

Warder describes the tree as "moderately vigorous, bushy when young, early bearer, very productive."

Beach gives the fullest description: "Tree moderately vigorous, dwarfish with short, moderately stout, crooked branches. Form rather flat, spreading. Twigs short, straight, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent." Beach also characterizes the tree overall as small to medium in size, slow growing, moderately long-lived, coming into bearing rather young, and a reliable biennial cropper. The fruit hangs pretty well to the tree until it is quite ripe, but the crop contains a large percentage of undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit.

Hedrick calls the tree "vigorous, flat, spreading, dwarfish with short, stout, crooked branches" and notes it is among the "unmanageables," being slow of growth, attaining only medium size, seldom fruitful, and producing many undersized and otherwise unmarketable apples.

Fruit

Size

Small to medium, generally below medium; Elliott: "medium, or rather below"; Warder: "small to medium"; Downing: "below medium"; Thomas: "medium or rather small"; Beach: "small to medium, uniform in size and shape"; Budd-Hansen: "below medium, regular"; Hedrick: "small, uniform in size and shape"; Lowther: "small in size."

Form

Sources vary between oblate and oblate-conic descriptions. Elliott: "roundish flattened." Warder: "flat-conic, regular." Downing: "oblate, very slightly conic, smooth." Thomas: "oblate, sometimes obscurely approaching conical; smooth and regular." Beach: "oblate conic to conic, somewhat ribbed, rather symmetrical." Budd-Hansen: "oblate." Hedrick: "oblate-conic to conic, ribbed, symmetrical." Lowther: "flat in form."

Stem

Elliott: "rather slender." Warder: "medium, thick." Downing: "of medium length, inserted in a large cavity surrounded by russet." Thomas: "three-fourths of an inch long, rather thick." Beach: "medium to long, rather slender to moderately thick." Budd-Hansen: "medium to long, stout." Hedrick: "long, slender."

Cavity

Elliott: "open, deep, a little russetted." Warder: "wide, acute, wavy, green." Downing: "large" and "surrounded by russet." Thomas: "shallow, acute." Beach: "acute, shallow to medium in depth, rather broad, symmetrical, sometimes thinly russeted." Budd-Hansen: "large, wide, regular obtuse, with stellate russet, occasionally lipped." Hedrick: "acute, shallow, broad, symmetrical, sometimes thinly russeted."

Calyx / Eye

Elliott: "small, nearly closed." Warder: "eye medium, long, closed; segments reflexed." Downing: "closed." Beach: "medium size, closed or slightly open." Budd-Hansen: "calyx closed; segments connivent, leaf-like." Hedrick: "closed or slightly open." Beach also notes: "Calyx tube medium in length, rather wide, broadly conical. Stamens median or basal." Budd-Hansen: "tube conical; stamens marginal." Hedrick: "calyx-tube wide, broadly conical; stamens median."

Basin

Elliott: "shallow." Warder: "abrupt, regular." Downing: "moderate." Thomas: "small, even." Beach: "small to medium, usually shallow, medium in width or rather narrow, somewhat abrupt, smooth or slightly wrinkled." Budd-Hansen: "narrow, abrupt, smooth." Hedrick: "small, shallow, medium in width, abrupt, smooth or wrinkled."

Skin / Color

Elliott: "pale yellowish green, overspread and striped with deep and pale red." Warder: "yellow or waxen, mixed red, splashed carmine; dots minute, with yellow bases." Downing: "yellowish, shaded and striped with red, and thickly sprinkled with greenish spots." Thomas: "with numerous short, broken, red stripes on yellow ground, a nearly uniform deep red to the sun, with conspicuous white specks." Beach: "Skin thin, tender, smooth, pale greenish-yellow, irregularly and obscurely striped and splashed with dull, dark red, in highly colored specimens becoming deeply blushed on the exposed cheek. Dots russet and greenish or nearly white." Budd-Hansen: "surface smooth, greenish yellow, thinly shaded, stripes and splashes of dark and light red; dots obscure, minute, gray, and some conspicuous greenish white specks." Hedrick: "skin thin, tender, smooth, pale yellow, irregularly and obscurely striped and splashed with dull, dark red, in highly colored specimens deeply blushed on the exposed cheek; dots russet, white." Lowther: "yellow in color."

Flesh / Flavor

Elliott: "yellowish white, tender, very delicate"; and (regarding the variety overall): "This apple has the most of delicate-pear flavor of any variety." Warder: "light yellow, breaking, very fine grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, spicy, rich, very satisfying; Quality best." Downing: "whitish, tender, juicy, with a very agreeable vinous flavor. Best." Thomas: "fine grained, very tender, slightly crisp, juicy, sub-acid, spicy, quality 'best.'" Beach: "Flesh tinged with yellow, fine, crisp, very tender, very juicy, mild subacid, very good to best." Budd-Hansen: "flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, fine-grained, spicy subacid, vinous, best." Hedrick: "flesh yellow, fine, crisp, very tender, very juicy, mild subacid; very good to best." Hedrick opens with the summary: "The rarest and richest essence of the apple is to be found in the fruits of Early Joe; their crisp, tender, juicy, aromatic, richly-flavored flesh is universally liked." Lowther: "quality is rated best." Beach's overall quality note: "excellent in flavor and quality for dessert use."

Core / Seeds

Elliott: "core, medium, centre open; seeds, short ovate pyriform." Warder: "Core wide, closed, clasping; Seeds plump, brown." Beach: "Core medium to rather small, axile; cells slightly open or closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly obcordate to elliptical, decidedly concave. Seeds small to medium, rather wide, short, obtuse to acute." Budd-Hansen: "Core closed; cells round, slit; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds numerous, short, plump, pyriform." Hedrick: "core small, axile; cells open or closed; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly obcordate, concave; seeds small, wide, short, obtuse."

Season

Sources give closely overlapping late-summer/early-autumn seasons. Elliott: "Last of August." Warder: "Season, July." Downing: "Ripe middle of August to middle of September." Thomas: "Ripens the last two weeks of summer." Beach: "Season August and September" (also stated as "August and early September"). Budd-Hansen: "Early August to middle of September." Hedrick: "August to September." Lowther: "No season of ripening is recorded."

Beach notes the fruit hangs pretty well to the tree until it is quite ripe.

Uses

A dessert apple. Warder: "Use, dessert only." Beach: recommended for the home orchard, but not for commercial planting; also "excellent in flavor and quality for dessert use." Elliott: "while it is all unsuited to orcharding, one tree should always be planted." Lowther: primary use is family. The crop's large percentage of undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit (Beach) and the tree's poor nursery growth (Budd-Hansen) argue against commercial planting.

Geographic Distribution

Lowther reports Early Joe from 5 stations in the Northern Division and 11 stations in the Central Division (both cross-division reported, indicated by asterisk), with the Southern Division not recorded.

Subtypes / Variants

Downing notes: "There is a Luce's Early Joe which is distinct from this, being larger and not as good quality."

Other

Thomas references a figure (Fig. 362) illustrating the variety.

Book Sources

Described in 8 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 5 catalogs (1845–1904) from Illinois, Massachusetts

View original book sources (8)

Early Joe.

American : origin, claimed Ontario Co., N. Y. It is somewhat questionable if it is not an old Connecticut variety. This apple has the most of delicate-pear flavor of any variety, and, while it is all unsuited to orcharding, one tree should always be planted. While young, it is of slow growth, but, as the trees get older, it improves, and makes a tree of round irregular spreading form, of medium size. It is very hardy, but should have rich, strong soil. Shoots, dark-colored, and so foliage.

Size, medium, or rather below ; form, roundish flattened ; stem, rather slender ; cavity, open, deep, a little russetted ; color, pale yellowish green, overspread and striped with deep and pale red : calyx, small, nearly closed ; basin, shallow ; flesh, yellowish white, tender, very delicate ; core, medium, centre open ; seeds, short ovate pyriform. Last of August.

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

Early Joe.

This delicious summer apple originated in Ontario County, New York; Tree moderately vigorous, bushy when young, early bearer, very productive.

Fruit small to medium, flat-conic, regular; Surface yellow or waxen, mixed red, splashed carmine; Dots minute, with yellow bases.

Basin abrupt, regular; Eye medium, long, closed; Segments reflexed.

Cavity wide, acute, wavy, green; Stem medium, thick.

Core wide, closed, clasping; Seeds plump, brown; Flesh light yellow, breaking, very fine grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, spicy, rich, very satisfying; Quality best; Use, dessert only; Season, July.

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

Early Joe.

Origin, orchard of Heman Chapin, Ontario Co., N. Y. Tree of slow growth, productive, requires high culture for fair fruit.

Fruit below medium, oblate, very slightly conic, smooth, yellowish, shaded and striped with red, and thickly sprinkled with greenish spots. Stalk of medium length, inserted in a large cavity surrounded by russet. Calyx closed. Basin moderate. Flesh whitish, tender, juicy, with a very agreeable vinous flavor. Best. Ripe middle of August to middle of September.

There is a Luce's Early Joe which is distinct from this, being larger and not as good quality.

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

Early Joe.* Size medium or rather small; oblate, sometimes obscurely approaching conical; smooth and regular; color, with numerous short, broken, red stripes on yellow ground, a nearly uniform deep red to the sun, with conspicuous white specks; stem three-fourths of an inch long, rather thick; cavity shallow, acute; basin small, even; flesh fine grained, very tender, slightly crisp, juicy, sub-acid, spicy, quality "best." Ripens the last two weeks of summer. Shoots dark, growth slow. A profuse bearer. Fig. 362. Origin, East Bloomfield, N. Y.

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

EARLY JOE.

References. 1. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1843:152. 2. Mag. Hort., 9:469. 1843. 3. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1846:187. fig. 4. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 12:474. 1846. 5. Ib., 13:159. 1847. fig. 6. Smith, Horticulturist, 1:386. 1847. fig. 7. Cultivator, 4:310. 1847. fig. 8. Mag. Hort., 14:539. 1848. 9. Cole, 1849:105. fig. 10. Thomas, 1849:137. fig. 11. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:19. 1851. 12. Barry, 1851:280. 13. Elliott, 1854:75. fig. 14. Gregg, 1857:36. 15. Downing, 1857:76. 16. Hooper, 1857:32. 17. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1860:240. 18. Warder, 1867:513. 19. Fitz, 1872:152, 172. 20. Leroy, 1873:404. figs. 21. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1877:124. 22. Hogg, 1884:68. 23. Wickson, 1889:243. 24. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 25. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 26. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1901:96. 27. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:292. 1901. 28. Budd-Hansen, 1903:74. fig.

Synonyms. Early Joe (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28). Joe Précoce (20).

Fruit medium to small, red striped, excellent in flavor and quality for dessert use; season, August and early September. The tree is small to medium in size, slow growing, moderately longlived, comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable biennial cropper. The fruit hangs pretty well to the tree until it is quite ripe. The crop contains a large percentage of undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit. Recommended for the home orchard, but not for commercial planting.

Historical. Originated with Northern Spy and Melon in the orchard of Heman Chapin, East Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N. Y. This orchard was planted with seedling trees grown from seeds brought from Salisbury, Conn. about the year 1800. In October, 1843, Early Joe was exhibited at the fair of the New York State Agricultural Society, Rochester, N. Y., by Jonathan Buel of East Bloomfield (1). It has been widely disseminated and is still listed by nurserymen (25) but it is not cultivated extensively in any locality.

Tree.

Tree moderately vigorous, dwarfish with short, moderately stout, crooked branches. Form rather flat, spreading. Twigs short, straight, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.

Fruit.

Fruit small to medium, uniform in size and shape. Form oblate conic to conic, somewhat ribbed, rather symmetrical. Stem medium to long, rather slender to moderately thick. Cavity acute, shallow to medium in depth, rather broad, symmetrical, sometimes thinly russeted. Calyx medium size, closed or slightly open. Basin small to medium, usually shallow, medium in width or rather narrow, somewhat abrupt, smooth or slightly wrinkled. Skin thin, tender, smooth, pale greenish-yellow, irregularly and obscurely striped and splashed with dull, dark red, in highly colored specimens becoming deeply blushed on the exposed cheek. Dots russet and greenish or nearly white. Calyx tube medium in length, rather wide, broadly conical. Stamens median or basal. Core medium to rather small, axile; cells slightly open or closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly obcordate to elliptical, decidedly concave. Seeds small to medium, rather wide, short, obtuse to acute. Flesh tinged with yellow, fine, crisp, very tender, very juicy, mild subacid, very good to best. Season August and September.

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

Early Joe.—Origin, Ontario Co., New York; tree of slow growth, productive, requires high cultivation. The poor growth of this variety in nursery makes it undesirable for the nurseryman.

Fruit below medium, regular, oblate; surface smooth, greenish yellow, thinly shaded, stripes and splashes of dark and light red; dots obscure, minute, gray, and some conspicuous greenish white specks; cavity large, wide, regular obtuse, with stellate russet, occasionally lipped; stem medium to long, stout; basin narrow, abrupt, smooth; calyx closed; segments connivent, leaf-like. Core closed; cells round, slit; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds numerous, short, plump, pyriform; flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, fine-grained, spicy subacid, vinous, best. Early August to middle of September.

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

Early Joe is small in size, flat in form, and yellow in color. Its quality is rated best, and its primary use is family. No season of ripening is recorded. It is reported by 5 stations in the Northern Division (with the asterisk indicating the variety is reported in more than one division) and 11 stations in the Central Division (likewise cross-division reported); the Southern Division is not recorded.

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

EARLY JOE. The rarest and richest essence of the apple is to be found in the fruits of Early Joe; their crisp, tender, juicy, aromatic, richly-flavored flesh is universally liked. Unfortunately the tree is among the "unmanageables," being slow of growth, attaining only medium size, seldom fruitful, and producing many undersized and otherwise unmarketable apples. Early Joe grew from a seed planted in 1800 by Heman Chapin, East Bloomfield, New York. Tree vigorous, flat, spreading, dwarfish with short, stout, crooked branches. Fruit small, uniform in size and shape, oblate-conic to conic, ribbed, symmetrical; stem long, slender; cavity acute, shallow, broad, symmetrical, sometimes thinly russeted; calyx closed or slightly open; basin small, shallow, medium in width, abrupt, smooth or wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth, pale yellow, irregularly and obscurely striped and splashed with dull, dark red, in highly colored specimens deeply blushed on the exposed cheek; dots russet, white; calyx-tube wide, broadly conical; stamens median; core small, axile; cells open or closed; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly obcordate, concave; seeds small, wide, short, obtuse; flesh yellow, fine, crisp, very tender, very juicy, mild subacid; very good to best; August to September.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
Joe Précoce Luce's Early Joe