Fall Harvey
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Fall Harvey
Origin / History
Fall Harvey is a native of Massachusetts, originating in Essex County. Downing calls it "a fine large fall fruit" that is "highly esteemed in that neighborhood," but does "not think it comparable to the Fall Pippin." Beach finds it similar to Fall Pippin in general appearance, but less desirable where that variety can be grown. Warder described it from a specimen from Zanesville, Ohio.
The earliest reference in Beach's list is Manning (1838). It is followed by Downing (1845), Cole (1849), Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture (1849), Thomas (1849), Emmons' Natural History of New York (1851), Barry (1851), Elliott (1854), Gregg (1857), Warder (1867), the American Pomological Society Catalogue (1869), Hoskins in the American Garden (1894), Waugh in the Vermont Station Annual Report (1901), and Budd-Hansen (1903).
Hoskins, as cited by Beach, considers it valuable for all Northern New England and Canada. Lowther's station table (1914) records it from 2 stations in each of the Northern, Central, and Southern Divisions. Each division count carries an asterisk marking the variety as reported adapted to more than one division.
Tree
Productiveness is disputed. Elliott calls it not productive and Thomas a moderate or poor bearer. Hovey and Cole, as cited by Beach, call it a vigorous grower and a good bearer. Hoskins found it hardy in Northern Vermont and an excellent annual bearer there.
The fruit is "rather apt to fall, or to rot on the tree" (Cole). In the nursery it is easily known from Fall Pippin by its yellow and more slender shoots (Hovey, cited by Beach).
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Roundish, a little flattened or slightly oblate, to oblate or roundish-oblate. Obscurely ribbed or irregular about the stalk (Downing); regular or somewhat ribbed at the base, with the crown large and slightly oblique (Beach). Warder calls the fruit irregular, Thomas nearly regular.
Stem: Slender to rather slender, an inch long (Downing, Thomas). Warder gives it long to medium, while Beach calls it short, stout or rather slender.
Cavity: Wide, rather shallow to deep, wavy or uneven. Thomas calls it moderate. Warder calls it green.
Calyx: Small to large, closed.
Basin: Narrow to wide, shallow to rather shallow, corrugated, furrowed, or wrinkled. Thomas calls it medium in size. Warder calls it regular and leather-cracked.
Skin: Smooth, greenish yellow, pale straw yellow, pale yellow, yellow, to deep yellow, sometimes blushed (Beach). A showy fruit (Beach).
Dots: Few, scattered, small to minute, distinct, gray or russet. Elliott calls them brown.
Flesh and flavor: White or whitish, or tinged with yellow; Warder calls it yellow. Juicy, crisp, breaking (Warder). Thomas calls it fine-grained, while Beach calls it a little coarse.
Flavor rich, good, subacid, "with high flavor" (Beach). Elliott and Thomas call it mild subacid, while Warder gives it "rich, acid."
Quality good to very good. Elliott and Beach rate it "very good," and Downing "good to very good." At the lower end, Lowther's table gives good, Warder "only good, but valuable for the kitchen," and Cole "fine and fair but not first-rate."
Core and seeds: Core large and abaxile (Beach); wide or globular, regular, closed, not meeting the eye (Warder). Seeds medium size, pointed or acute. Warder calls them defective, while Beach calls them short and plump.
Season
October into December, centered on October and November. Beach carries it to December. Lowther's station table gives early autumn.
Uses
Valuable for the kitchen (Warder). Lowther's table gives market as the primary use.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hovey's 1849 account carries a figure. Emmons' Natural History of New York (1851) gives a colored plate, No. 74, and a figure.
Book Sources
Described in 7 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1855) from Massachusetts
- 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
View original book sources (7)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Fall Harvey.
Native of Mass. Not productive. Fruit, large, roundish flattened, greenish yellow, with scattered brown dots ; stem, slender ; cavity, deep ; flesh, white, mild sub-acid, juicy ; "very good." October and November.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Fall Harvey. Origin Essex County, Massachusetts. Specimen from Zanesville, Ohio. Fruit large, oblate, irregular; Surface smooth, yellow or pale yellow; Dots minute, gray, distinct. Basin wide, regular, leather-craked; Eye medium, closed. Cavity wide, wavy, green; Stem long to medium. Core wide or globular, regular, closed, not meeting the eye; Seeds medium, pointed and defective; Flesh yellow, breaking; Flavor rich, acid; Quality only good, but valuable for the kitchen; Season, October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Fall Harvey.
A fine large fall fruit from Essex Co., Mass., highly esteemed in that neighborhood. We do not think it comparable to the Fall Pippin. Fruit large, roundish, a little flattened, obscurely ribbed or irregular about the stalk, which is rather slender, an inch long, set in a wide, deep cavity. Calyx closed, small, in a rather shallow corrugated basin. Skin pale straw yellow, with a few scattered dots. Flesh white, juicy, crisp, with a rich, good flavor. Good to very good. October and November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Fall Harvey. Large, roundish-oblate, nearly regular; pale yellow; stalk slender, one inch long; cavity moderate; basin medium in size, furrowed; flesh fine-grained, juicy, good, mild sub-acid flavor. Moderate or poor bearer. Essex County, Mass.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)FALL HARVEY.
REFERENCES. 1. Manning, 1838:48. 2. Downing, 1845:84. 3. Cole, 1849:117. 4. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 15:537. 1849. fig. 5. Thomas, 1849:155. 6. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:47. 1851. col. pl. No. 74 and fig. 7. Barry, 1851:284. 8. Elliott, 1854:132. 9. Gregg, 1857:42. 10. Warder, 1867:482. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1869. 12. Hoskins, Amer. Gard., 15:272. 1894. 13. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:296. 1901. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:79.
SYNONYMS. FALL HARVEY (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14). Fall Harvey (13). Fall Pippin erroneously (13). HARVEY (13).
Fruit large, yellow, showy, similar in general appearance to Fall Pippin but less desirable where that variety can be grown. According to Hoskins (12) it is hardy in Northern Vermont and has there proved an excellent annual bearer. He considers it valuable for all Northern New England and Canada. Cole (3) observes that the fruit is "fine and fair but not first-rate, and rather apt to fall, or to rot on the tree." Elliott (8) says that it is not productive but Hovey (4) and Cole (3) call it a vigorous grower and a good bearer. In the nursery it may be easily known from Fall Pippin by its yellow and more slender shoots (4).
FRUIT (2, 3, 4, 10). Fruit large. Form roundish, slightly oblate, regular or somewhat ribbed at the base; crown large, slightly oblique. Stem short, stout or rather slender. Cavity rather shallow to deep, wide, uneven. Calyx small to large, closed. Basin narrow to rather wide, shallow, wrinkled. Skin smooth, pale yellow to deep yellow, sometimes blushed. Dots small, gray or russet. Core large, abaxile. Seeds medium size, acute, short, plump. Flesh whitish or tinged with yellow, a little coarse, crisp, juicy, rich subacid, with high flavor, very good quality. Season October to December.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Fall Harvey.—Origin, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
Fruit large, roundish, a little flattened; obscurely ribbed or irregular about the stem; surface pale straw yellow; dots few, scattered, gray, distinct; cavity wide, deep, wavy, green; stem rather slender, medium to long; basin rather shallow, wide corrugated, leather-cracked; calyx small, closed. Core regular, closed, not meeting, seeds medium, pointed, defective; flesh whitish, juicy, crisp with a rich good flavor, good to very good. October and November.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Fall Harvey is a large apple of roundish oblate form, with greenish yellow skin. Quality is good. Primary use is market. Season is early autumn. It is reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, 2 stations in the Central Division, and 2 stations in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division count indicates the variety is reported as adapted to more than one division.