Equinetelee
Apple
Equinetelee
Origin / History
Equinetelee originated in Yancey County, North Carolina, introduced through Sol. Carter (as cited by Downing). Both Elliott and Warder identify it as one of the best of the Southern apples. Warder notes it had not yet been sufficiently tested in the Northern States at the time of his writing but was considered to have great promise in northern orchards, where it was beginning to be introduced. P.J. Berckmans described it as "the finest of the late fall and winter apples."
Tree
According to Warder, the trees bear a strong resemblance to those of the Buckingham.
Fruit
Size
Large (Elliott, Warder, Thomas).
Form
Elliott describes the fruit as oblate, conic, angular, and slightly oblique. Warder concurs — oblate, sometimes oblique. Thomas characterizes it as roundish and slightly oblate, differing somewhat from Elliott and Warder's emphasis on the conic and angular character.
Stem
Short (all three sources); Elliott adds that the stalk is fleshy.
Cavity
Elliott: broad and deep. Warder: wide and deep.
Calyx
Elliott: closed. Warder: eye medium, closed.
Basin
Deep, narrow, and irregular (Elliott and Warder, in close agreement).
Skin
Elliott describes the skin as whitish yellow, mostly overspread with beautiful bright crimson, and thinly sprinkled with whitish dots. Warder similarly records light yellow, mostly covered with bright crimson, obscurely striped, with small white dots. Thomas gives the color simply as dark red or whitish-yellow.
Flesh / Flavor
Elliott and Warder agree closely: flesh yellowish (Elliott) or pale yellow (Warder), very tender, almost melting (Elliott) or melting (Warder), juicy, with a very mild sub-acid flavor — making it, in Warder's words, "a very superior table fruit." Thomas diverges, describing the flesh as yellowish, coarse, and sub-acid, in conflict with Elliott and Warder's characterization of tender, melting texture.
Core / Seeds
Not described in sources.
Season
Elliott gives November to May. Warder, citing Berckmans, gives November to January in Georgia. Thomas does not specify dates.
Uses
Primarily a table fruit. Considered among the best of the Southern apples (Elliott, Warder). Thomas notes it is valued in the South. Berckmans regarded it as the finest of the late fall and winter apples.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Possibly identical with: Buckingham
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1886–1913) from Alabama, Illinois
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Equinteley. Sol. Carter. Origin, Yancey Co., N. Carolina. One of the best of the Southern apples. Fruit, large, oblate, conic, angular, slightly oblique; skin, whitish yellow, mostly overspread with beautiful bright crimson, and thinly sprinkled with whitish dots; stalk, short and fleshy, inserted in a broad, deep cavity; calyx, closed, set in a deep, rather narrow, irregular basin; flesh, yellowish, very tender, almost melting, juicy, with a very mild, sub-acid flavor. November to May. (Downing.)
[Additional entry in this volume: "Batchelor", pp. 69–69]
Batchelor.
Gross, | King, erroneously.
From North Carolina. Fruit, very large, roundish, flattened, angular, lemon yellow, washed with lively red on sunny side, gray dots, russet around stem ; stem, short ; cavity, deep ; calyx, small, open ; basin, deep ; flesh, white, tender, fine-grained, juicy, mild, sub-acid; core, medium. October, November. Very valuable in Southern States.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Equinteley", pp. 79–80]
Equinteley. Sol. Carter.
Origin, Yancey Co., N. Carolina. One of the best of the Southern apples.
Fruit, large, oblate, conic, angular, slightly oblique; skin, whitish yellow, mostly overspread with beautiful bright crimson, and thinly sprinkled with whitish dots; stalk, short and fleshy, inserted in a broad, deep cavity; calyx, closed, set in a deep, rather narrow, irregular basin; flesh, yellowish, very tender, almost melting, juicy, with a very mild, sub-acid flavor. November to May. (Downing.)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Equinetelee.
BACHELOR — BYERS — IOLA (Berckmans' M.S.) SOL. CARTEE (Downing.)
This fine southern apple has its origin traced to Yancey County, in North Carolina. It has not yet been sufficiently tested in the Northern States, but is considered one of the best in the South, and is looked upon as having great promise in our northern orchards, where it is somewhat introduced. Berckmans says : " The finest of the late fall and winter apples."
The trees bear a strong resemblance to those of the Buckingham.
Fruit large, oblate, sometimes oblique ; Surface light yellow, mostly covered with bright crimson, obscurely striped ; Dots small, white.
Basin deep, narrow, irregular ; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity wide, deep ; Stem short.
Flesh pale yellow, very tender, juicy, melting ; Flavor very mild sub-acid, making it a very superior table fruit, from November to January in Georgia, according to Berkmans.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Equinetely. Large, roundish, slightly oblate, dark red or whitish-yellow, stalk short, flesh yellowish, coarse, sub-acid. Valued South.