Fall Winesap

Apple

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Fall Winesap

Origin / History

A Western variety, origin unknown (Downing; Budd and Hansen).

Tree

Tree a free clean grower (Downing), of strong growth (Budd and Hansen), moderately spreading, somewhat drooping as the tree acquires age. Productive and an early bearer; Budd and Hansen add "abundant" bearer.

Fruit

Size: Medium.

Form: Roundish, sometimes slightly conical (Downing); conical (Budd and Hansen).

Stem: Medium (Budd and Hansen).

Cavity: Deep, narrow, regular, acuminate, with a trace of russet in the bottom.

Calyx: Closed; segments erect, convergent. Tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal.

Basin: Wavy, abrupt.

Skin: Yellowish green to yellow, pale yellow in the Stark Bros. catalog, with a pale or delicate blush; Downing notes considerable blush in the sun.

Dots: Distinct, numerous, yellowish, large (Budd and Hansen).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white (Downing) or yellowish white (Budd and Hansen); fine-grained, tender, juicy, firm (Budd and Hansen). Flavor subacid; Budd and Hansen call it pleasant rich subacid. Quality good.

Core and seeds: Core closed; cells ovate, entire; seeds short, plump.

Season

October to December (Downing; Budd and Hansen). In northwestern Arkansas, from the last of July to the middle of October (Stark Bros.).

Uses

In northwestern Arkansas much valued as a cooking apple (Stark Bros.).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 9 catalogs (1894–1913) from Illinois, Missouri

The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904 — listed as Fall Wine Sap
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
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913

View original book sources (3)

Fall Winesap. A Western variety, the origin of which is unknown. Tree a free clean grower, moderately spreading, somewhat drooping as the tree acquires age, productive and an early bearer. Fruit medium, roundish, sometimes slightly conical, yellowish green, with considerable blush in the sun. Flesh white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, subacid. Good. October, December.

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

Fall Winesap. — A Western variety; origin unknown; tree an early and abundant bearer, tree of strong growth, moderately spreading, somewhat drooping with age.

Fruit medium; form conical; surface yellow with pale blush; dots distinct, numerous, yellowish, large; cavity deep, narrow, regular, acuminate, trace of russet in bottom; stem medium; basin wavy, abrupt; calyx closed; segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells ovate, entire; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; seeds short, plump; flesh yellowish white, juicy, firm, fine-grained, pleasant rich subacid, good. October, December.

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

Pale yellow with delicate blush, of medium size. Flesh fine, tender, and juicy; flavor sub-acid—quality good. In northwestern Arkansas much valued as a cooking apple from last of July to middle of October. NCS

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)