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Fallawater

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Fallawater

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Fallawater

Origin / History

A native of Pennsylvania, originating in Bucks County (Beach). Hedrick calls Fallawater "at least a century old." Beach's references begin with Downing in 1845 and include colored plates in Emmons, Natural History of New York (1851), and in the North Carolina Board of Agriculture Bulletin (1900). He reports that Hovey in 1856 described it as having been known and cultivated for many years under the name Fallawater. Hedrick says it was taken by pioneers from its native state to the Middle West, "where it is still widely cultivated."

In Pennsylvania it was "a great favorite" and "extensively cultivated through the West" (Warder), and Downing calls it "a favorite Apple of Pennsylvania." Budd and Hansen find it "very popular in Pennsylvania and Ohio." Thomas writes that "although this fruit is of quite moderate quality, its large size and fair appearance render it very popular in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and portions of the West." In New York its standing was lower: "although it has long been disseminated throughout New York, it has not generally been regarded with favor by New York orchardists, except possibly in some parts of Long Island" (Beach).

Lowther's station table reports it from 3 stations in the Northern Division, 15 in the Central Division, and 1 in the Southern Division, each "also grown in more than one division." The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, British Columbia, planted it under test in spring 1890.

Tree

A strong grower, vigorous and very productive, becoming large and vigorous in the orchard. Warder calls it very vigorous and spreading, but "not long-lived." Form upright to roundish (Beach). Shoots very stout and dark; leaves large (Warder).

Makes a moderately light root growth in the nursery. Twigs medium in length to short, moderately stout, thick at the tips, erect; internodes medium. Bark smooth, bright brownish-red mingled with olive-green, finely mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels moderately conspicuous, rather abundant, medium in size, usually roundish. Buds medium or above, roundish, obtuse, sparingly pubescent, free (Beach).

Beach calls it usually a good, regular bearer, producing biennially or in some localities almost annually. Sometimes the larger branches break under their load of fruit. The fruit being large, there is apt to be considerable loss from dropping, but considering its size it generally hangs to the tree pretty well. Hedrick says "the tree characters are usually very satisfactory, though productiveness is sometimes a fault, causing branches to break."

Fruit

Size: Large to very large; Thomas alone says "rather large." Pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach). Hedrick calls the fruits "unique, easily recognized by their large size, globular form, and, in well-colored specimens, the unbroken pinkish-red color on a yellow background."

Form: Globular or round, regular, very regular in Thomas and in Budd and Hansen. Most sources give it a tendency toward the conic: inclining to conic, slightly or somewhat conical, oblate-conic (Warder), or roundish and slightly ovate-conical (Thomas). Beach gives it as globular, sometimes a little oblate, usually symmetrical, sometimes slightly irregular and faintly ribbed, and "attractive in size and form." Lowther's table gives the form as "re."

Stem: Short to very short, inserted in a deep cavity. Warder calls it stout; Thomas calls it slender.

Cavity: Deep, regular, acuminate, narrow to broad, usually somewhat furrowed (Beach). Brown (Warder) or slightly russeted (Budd and Hansen).

Calyx: Small to large, closed, partly open, or open; lobes variable. Downing gives it as small and closed, and Beach as medium to large, closed or partly open. Warder and Budd and Hansen call the eye large and open, and Budd and Hansen describe the segments as divergent. Calyx tube wide, short, cone-shaped or approaching funnel-form (Beach); conical and short (Budd and Hansen). Beach places the stamens basal to median, while Budd and Hansen call them marginal.

Basin: Nearly flat to rather deep, small and narrow, moderately abrupt to abrupt, regular or often nearly symmetrical. Wrinkled or slightly plaited, sometimes distinctly furrowed. Beach gives the depth as shallow to moderately deep, Warder as rather deep, and Budd and Hansen as nearly flat.

Skin: Tough, a little waxy (Beach); smooth, though Warder says only "sometimes smooth." Ground color light greenish yellow to yellowish green, often dull grass-green (Beach), shaded or blushed with dull red on the sunny side as a dull red cheek; Warder says "often blushed crimson." Highly colored specimens eventually become distinctly yellow and largely blushed with bright deep pinkish-red (Beach), the color unbroken on the yellow ground (Hedrick). Often considerably streaked with thin grayish scarf-skin (Beach). Large specimens are covered with whitish veined marks (Warder), "often overlaid with whitish net-veinings" (Budd and Hansen).

Color varies with locality. As grown in Western New York it is often rather dull in color. Beach's colored plate was made from a highly colored Hudson valley specimen, and in favorable localities on Long Island the fruit colors well.

Dots: Large, conspicuous, distinct, gray to whitish, with whitish bases (Warder) or areolar with a russet point or center (Beach; Budd and Hansen). Warder and Budd and Hansen call them numerous, while Thomas says "a few."

Flesh and flavor: Whitish to greenish white, or tinged with yellow or green. Firm (Beach), light (Warder; Budd and Hansen), crisp, juicy, moderately tender to tender. Thomas calls it fine-grained, while Beach and Hedrick call it coarse.

Flavor mild subacid to mildly sweet, pleasant, "without distinct or high flavor" (Beach). Warder gives "very mild sub-acid, or sweet, with little character," and Thomas "a mild, slightly sub-acid, moderate flavor."

Most verdicts are "good," with Budd and Hansen writing "good only." Beach gives "good or nearly so" and "at best but second rate," Hedrick "fair to good," and Thomas "of quite moderate quality." Warder alone rates it "scarcely good." On Long Island it develops better quality than it commonly does north of Orange County (Beach).

Core and seeds: Core medium to large, decidedly abaxile to nearly axile (Beach), meeting the eye (Warder). Cells unsymmetrical (Beach), elliptical, slit (Budd and Hansen). Core lines meeting or somewhat clasping (Beach). Warder calls the core closed, and Budd and Hansen open; Beach gives it as open or closed. Carpels distinctly tufted, long, narrowly ovate, mucronate, only slightly emarginate if at all (Beach). Beach describes the seeds as often very few, long, narrow, acute to acuminate, and tufted. Warder calls them numerous and angular, and Budd and Hansen short and plump.

Season

The recorded season runs from October into April. Most authors give early winter, November into February; Lowther's table says winter. Warder gives November and December, adding that the fruit "may be kept longer if desired." Beach gives November to March or April, quite variable in different localities and seasons, and says that on Long Island it is commonly in season in October and out of season in January. He ranks it as a keeper sometimes with Hubbardston and sometimes with Rhode Island Greening, and Hedrick calls the season "more or less variable."

Uses

A market apple, the primary use in Lowther's table. Warder calls it "essentially a market apple, having little to recommend it but its size, appearance and productiveness," and gives its use as market and stock. Beach finds it "desirable only for cooking and market," well known in market, and often handled at satisfactory prices in domestic and export trade.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Figured by Warder (Fig. 138) and Thomas (Fig. 464).

Book Sources

Described in 7 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 23 catalogs (1845–1921) from Alabama, England, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia, Washington

View original book sources (8)

Fallawater. TULPEHOCKEN, ETC.

A native of Pennsylvania, where it is a great favorite; extensively cultivated through the West.

Fig. 138.—FALLAWATER.

This is essentially a market apple, having little to recommend it but its size, appearance and productiveness.

Tree very vigorous, spreading, productive, not long-lived; Shoots very stout, dark; Leaves large.

Fruit large, round or oblate-conic, regular; Surface sometimes smooth, greenish-yellow, often blushed crimson—large specimens covered with whitish veined marks; Dots numerous, gray, large, and having whitish bases.

Basin rather deep, regular; Eye large, open.

Cavity deep, regular, brown; Stem short, stout.

Core medium, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, angular; Flesh whitish, often greenish-white, light, tender, juicy; Flavor very mild sub-acid, or sweet, with little character; Quality scarcely good; Use, market and stock; Season, November, December, and may be kept longer if desired.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Fallawater.

Falwalder. Pirn's Beauty of the West. Winter Blush Fornwalder. Pound. Green Mountain Pippin. Tulpehocken. Mountain Pippin. Molly Whopper. Pfarrer Walter. Fall de Walldes. Falder. Baltimore, erroneously. Brubacker. Fallawalder. Fallawalder.

A favorite Apple of Pennsylvania, of which State it is a native. Tree a strong grower and very productive.

Fruit very large, globular, inclining to conic. Skin yellowish green, shaded with dull red, and sprinkled with large gray dots. Stalk very short, inserted in a deep cavity. Calyx small and closed, set in a slightly plaited basin. Flesh greenish white, juicy, crisp, rather tender, pleasant, subacid flavor. Good. November, February.

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

Fallawater.* (Tulpahocken, Fornwalder.) Rather large, roundish, and slightly ovate-conical, very regular, smooth; color a smooth shade of dull red on light greenish yellow, with a few large whitish dots; stalk slender; cavity narrow, acuminate; basin small; flesh greenish white, fine-grained, with a mild, slightly sub-acid, moderate flavor. Early winter. A native of Pennsylvania. Although this fruit is of quite moderate quality, its large size and fair appearance render it very popular in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and portions of the West. Fig. 464.

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

FALLAWATER

References. 1. Downing, 1845:109. 2. Horticulturist, 2:482, 570. 1848. 3. Thomas, 1849:180. 4. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:44. 1851. col. pl. 5. James, Horticulturist, 8:247. 1853. 6. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 22:556. 1856. fig. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1856. 8. Elliott, 1858:79. fig. 9. Norris, Horticulturist, 15:183. 1860. 10. Warder, 1867:495. fig. 11. Downing, 1872:167. 12. Barry, 1883:345. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 14. Wickson, 1891:248. 15. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238, 251. 16. Dempsey, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. 17. N. C. Bd. of Agr. Bul., 1900:10. col. pl. 18. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:293. 1901. 19. Budd-Hansen, 1903:78. fig. 20. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:119. 1904.

Synonyms. Faldwalder (6). Fallawater (2, 5, 8). Fall de Waides (9). Fallenwalder (5, 8). Fallenwalder (6). Fornwalder (5). Green Mountain Pippin (6, 8, 11). Mountain Pippin (8, 11). Pim's Beauty of the West (8). Pine's Beauty of the West (6). Pound (2, 11). Tulpahocken (6, 8). Tulpehocken (2). Tulpehocken (10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20). Winter Blush (11).

Fruit large or very large, globular, attractive in size and form, but as grown in Western New York it is often rather dull in color. The accompanying colored plate was made from a highly colored specimen grown in the Hudson valley. In favorable localities on Long Island it colors well and develops better quality than it commonly does north of Orange county. The flesh is coarse and at best but second rate in quality. It is well known in market, and is often handled at satisfactory prices in domestic and also in export trade.

The tree is usually a good, regular bearer, producing biennially or in some localities almost annually. Sometimes the larger branches break under their load of fruit. The fruit being large, there is apt to be a considerable loss from dropping, but considering its size it generally hangs to the tree pretty well. It is variable in season, ranking as a keeper sometimes with Hubbardston and sometimes with Rhode Island Greening. Although it has long been disseminated throughout New York, it has not generally been regarded with favor by New York orchardists, except possibly in some parts of Long Island.

Historical. Origin Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Hovey referred to it in 1856 as having been known and cultivated for many years under the name Fallawater (6). Warder in 1867 remarked that it was then a great favorite in Pennsylvania and "extensively cultivated through the West."

Tree.

Tree makes a moderately light root growth in the nursery. In the orchard it becomes large and vigorous. Form upright to roundish. Twigs medium in length to short, moderately stout, thick at the tips, erect; internodes medium. Bark smooth, bright brownish-red mingled with olive-green, finely mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels moderately conspicuous, rather abundant, medium in size, usually roundish. Buds medium or above, roundish, obtuse, sparingly pubescent, free.

Fruit.

Fruit large to very large. Form globular, sometimes a little oblate, usually symmetrical, sometimes slightly irregular, and faintly ribbed, but it is pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem very short. Cavity distinctly acuminate, deep, rather narrow to broad, usually somewhat furrowed. Calyx medium to large, closed or partly open; lobes variable. Basin shallow to moderately deep, moderately abrupt to abrupt, often nearly symmetrical, sometimes distinctly furrowed, wrinkled.

Skin tough, smooth, a little waxy, often dull grass-green with dull blush, but highly colored specimens eventually become distinctly yellow and largely blushed with bright deep pinkish-red, often considerably streaked with thin grayish scarf-skin. Dots conspicuous, whitish, often large areolar with russet point.

Calyx tube wide, rather short, cone-shape or approaching funnel-form. Stamens basal to median.

Core decidedly abaxile to nearly axile, medium to large, cells unsymmetrical, open or closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels distinctly tufted, long, narrowly ovate, mucronate, but slightly emarginate if at all. Seeds often are very few, long, narrow, acute to acuminate, tufted.

Flesh tinged with yellow or green, firm, coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, subacid to mildly sweet, without distinct or high flavor, quality good or nearly so.

Season November to March or April, being quite variable in different localities and in different seasons. On Long Island it is commonly in season in October and out of season in January.

Use. Desirable only for cooking and market.

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

Fallawater (Tulpehocken). — Origin, Pennsylvania; tree of strong growth and very productive. Very popular in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Fruit large to very large, round, slightly conical, very regular; surface smooth, yellowish green, shaded with dull red blush on sunny side, often overlaid with whitish net-veinings; dots many, distinct, large, gray with russet centres; cavity regular, narrow, acuminate, slightly russeted; stem short; basin slightly wrinkled, narrow, nearly flat; calyx large, open; segments divergent. Core open, meeting; cells elliptical, slit; tube conical, short; stamens marginal; seeds short, plump; flesh greenish white, light, crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant, mild subacid, good only. Early winter.

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

Fallawater is large in size. Form: re. Skin color is greenish yellow. Quality is good. Primary use is market. Season is winter. Reported by 3 stations in the Northern Division (also grown in more than one division), 15 stations in the Central Division (also grown in more than one division), and 1 station in the Southern Division (also grown in more than one division).

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

FALLAWATER.

Tulpahocken.

The fruits of Fallawater are unique, easily recognized by their large size, globular form, and, in well-colored specimens, the unbroken pinkish-red color on a yellow background. The flesh is coarse, without distinctive flavor. The season is more or less variable. The tree characters are usually very satisfactory, though productiveness is sometimes a fault, causing branches to break. Fallawater is at least a century old, having originated in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; it was taken by pioneers from its native state to the Middle West, where it is still widely cultivated.

Tree large, vigorous, upright. Fruit large to very large, globular, sometimes oblate, symmetrical, sometimes slightly irregular and faintly ribbed, uniform in size and shape; stem very short; cavity acuminate, deep, narrow, somewhat furrowed; calyx large, closed or open; lobes variable; basin shallow to deep, abrupt, sometimes furrowed, wrinkled; skin tough, smooth, waxy, often dull grass-green with dull blush, highly-colored specimens yellow and blushed with bright deep red, often streaked with thin grayish scarf-skin; dots conspicuous, white, areolar with russet point; calyx-tube wide, short, cone-shape; stamens basal; core abaxile to axile, large; cells unsymmetrical, open or closed; core-lines meeting or clasping; carpels tufted, long, narrowly ovate, mucronate; seeds few, long, narrow, acuminate, tufted; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid to mildly sweet; fair to good; November to March or April.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong grower. Fruit large, globular, somewhat conical. Skin greenish yellow, with a dull red cheek, and sprinkled with grayish dots. Flesh greenish white, juicy, crisp, pleasant, sub-acid, quality good. Season, early Winter.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)
Baltimore Baltimore Pippin Benjamite Brubacker Falder Faldwalder Fall de Waides Fall de Walldes Fallawalder Fallenwalder Fallwalder Falwalder Fornwalder Green Mountain Pippin Molly Whopper Mountain Green Mountain Pippin Pfarrer Walter Pim's Beauty of the West Pine's Beauty of the West Pirn's Beauty of the West Pound Tulpahocken Tulpehocken Winter Blush Gloria Mundi Golden Pippin Golden Reinette Green Geneting Green Mountain Pippin McAFEE Melon Missouri Pippin Newtown Pippin Nickajack Rock Pippin Of Eastern New York Roseau Vandervere Pippin Virginia Greening Winter Pearmain Yellow Newtown Pippin