Early Ripe
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Early Ripe
Origin/History
The locality of origin is unknown, but the variety is supposed to have originated in Pennsylvania. The tree comes into bearing young and yields full crops in alternate years.
Tree
Tree large, vigorous, with moderately long, stout branches. Form upright spreading, rather dense, top roundish. A free grower and productive. Twigs long, stout, curved; internodes medium. Bark brown tinged with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin; heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, appressed, pubescent.
Fruit
Size and Form: Fruit medium to above, fairly uniform in size but not in shape. Form roundish oblate, somewhat inclined to conic, irregular, broadly ribbed.
Stem: Often bracted, medium in length or short, thick. Downing describes the stalk as long. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, usually shallow, rather broad, sometimes russeted. Downing notes the cavity as slightly russeted.
Calyx: Rather small, closed. Basin obtuse, usually very shallow, moderately wide, somewhat wrinkled.
Skin: Downing describes the color as pale yellow; Beach describes it as light yellowish-green. Dots numerous, small, pale gray or russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh white, quite firm, moderately coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, briskly subacid, becoming rather mild subacid when fully ripe. Fair to good. Good for culinary use.
Core/Seeds: Calyx tube rather narrow, funnel-form. Stamens median. Core medium to rather large, abaxile; cells closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish, emarginate. Seeds medium size, plump, obtuse.
Season
August.
Uses
Good for culinary use.
Subtypes/Variants
Downing notes a second apple circulating under the name Early Ripe, distinct from the above: small, oblate, stalk short, flesh brisk subacid. No further details are given for this variant.
Other
Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Early Ripe.......... M rob y G f S .... 4* 2*
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1886–1918) from Alabama, Missouri, Washington
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1896
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Early Ripe.
Supposed Pennsylvania origin, but unknown. Tree a free grower, and productive.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, pale yellow, sprinkled with a few gray dots. Stalk long, in a slightly russeted cavity. Calyx small, closed. Flesh white, tender, juicy, subacid. Good. August.
There is also another apple under name of Early Ripe, which is small, oblate. Stalk short. Flesh brisk subacid.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)EARLY RIPE.
REFERENCES. 1. Warder, 1869:717. 2. Downing, 1869:156. 3. Fitz, 1872:151. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 5. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 6. Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:320. 1896. 7. Mich. Sta. Bul., 143:200. 1897. 8. Thomas, 1897:634. 9. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:121. 1901. 10. Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:52. 1902. 11. Budd-Hansen, 1903:74.
SYNONYMS. None.
Fruit of good medium size, yellowish-green, subacid, good for culinary use. The tree is a good grower, comes into bearing young, and yields full crops in alternate years.
Historical. The locality of its origin is unknown but it is supposed to have originated in Pennsylvania (2).
TREE.
Tree large, vigorous with moderately long, stout branches. Form upright spreading, rather dense, top roundish. Twigs long, stout, curved; internodes medium. Bark brown tinged with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin; heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, appressed, pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to above, fairly uniform in size but not in shape. Form roundish oblate somewhat inclined to conic, irregular, broadly ribbed. Stem often bracted, medium in length or short, thick. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, usually shallow, rather broad, sometimes russeted. Calyx rather small, closed. Basin obtuse, usually very shallow, moderately wide, somewhat wrinkled. Skin light yellowish-green. Dots numerous, small, pale gray or russet. Calyx tube rather narrow, funnel-form. Stamens median. Core medium to rather large, abaxile; cells closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish, emarginate. Seeds medium size, plump, obtuse. Flesh white, quite firm, moderately coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, briskly subacid, becoming rather mild subacid when fully ripe, fair to good. Season August.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Early Ripe.......... M rob y G f S .... 4* 2*