Etowah

Apple

Etowah

Origin / History

Originated in the garden of Major M. A. Cooper at Glen Holly, Georgia (Downing). A variety of Georgia origin, regarded with favor in some parts of the South (Beach, citing Downing 1876, Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 1881, and Bailey 1892). Esteemed in the neighborhood of its origin as one of their best late-keeping apples (Downing). So far as Beach knew at the time of writing (1905), it was not being grown in New York; Beach further notes that the variety described under the name Etowah in Bulletin 248 of the New York Station is not true to name.

Tree

Healthy, moderately vigorous; upright, compact, rather round head; bearing abundantly nearly every year (Downing).

Fruit

Size

Nearly of medium size (Downing); medium-sized (Lowther).

Form

Oblate conic, slightly oblique (Downing). Lowther records the form as "obe" (an unmapped form code).

Stem

Stalk very short, small (Downing).

Cavity

Large, deep, sometimes slight russet (Downing).

Calyx

Half open (Downing).

Basin

Large, very deep (Downing).

Skin

Pale yellow, almost entirely covered with bright red, with some obscure stripes and splashes, a few large light dots, areole (Downing). Lowther describes the skin as yellow-red.

Flesh / Flavor

Whitish, half fine, tender, moderately juicy, mild pleasant subacid, inclining to sweet (Downing). Quality good (Lowther).

Core / Seeds

Core small (Downing). Seeds not described in source.

Season

January to March (Downing); winter (Lowther).

Uses

Both kitchen and market (Lowther). Esteemed as a late-keeping apple (Downing).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Lowther's regional reports: Northern Division — no reports; Central Division — no reports; Southern Division — 2F.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1901) from Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois

Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901

View original book sources (4)

Etowah. Cooper's Red.

Origin, in the garden of Major M. A. Cooper, Glen Holly, Georgia; tree healthy, moderately vigorous; upright, compact, rather round head; bearing abundantly nearly every year; it is esteemed in the neighborhood of its origin as one of their best late-keeping apples.

Fruit nearly of medium size, oblate conic, slightly oblique; skin pale yellow, almost entirely covered with bright red, some obscure stripes and splashed, a few large light dots, areole; stalk very short, small; cavity large, deep, sometimes slight russet; calyx half open; basin large, very deep; flesh whitish, half fine, tender, moderately juicy, mild pleasant subacid, inclining to sweet; core small. January, March.

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

Etowah. See Cooper's Red.

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

ETOWAH.

REFERENCES.

Downing, 1876:51. app. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1881. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 4. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:118. 1904.

SYNONYM. COOPER'S RED (3). Cooper's Red (1).

This is a variety of Georgia origin which is regarded with favor in some parts of the South (1, 2, 3). So far as we know it is not being grown in New York. The variety described under the name Etowah in Bulletin 248 of this Station is not true to name.

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

Etowah is a medium-sized fruit of form obe (unmapped form code) with yellow-red skin. Quality is good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter. Northern Division: no reports; Central Division: no reports; Southern Division: 2F.

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

Cooper's Red