Ferris

Origin / History

An old variety of unknown origin (Downing; Thomas). According to Downing, it was brought into Westchester County, New York, about sixty years prior to his 1900 account, where it was quite extensively grown and considered a profitable market apple. Warder (1867) noted that the variety "still has its admirers in the Eastern States, but is not often seen in the West," and described specimens from Wm. S. Carpenter of Westchester County, New York. Beach (1905) records that the variety was formerly grown in Westchester County and there considered profitable for market, but that by the time of his writing it was "not now listed by nurserymen." Beach further notes that "another variety of the same name which originated in Delaware is still offered in some southern nurseries," referenced to Bailey's Annals of Horticulture (1892:239), Ragan's U.S.B.P.I. Bulletin 66:109 (1905), and the American Pomological Society Catalogue (1875:8). Downing also describes this second Ferris of Wilmington, Delaware, "where its value is mainly for its keeping qualities and productiveness." Beach states that neither of these varieties was recommended for growing in New York.

Tree

Warder describes the tree as vigorous and productive. Downing describes it as making an upright, round, rather open head, "a great bearer every other year, and moderate bearer in alternate years." Beach summarizes the tree as vigorous and an annual bearer, "producing alternately light and heavy crops." Thomas notes simply that the tree is productive.

Fruit

Size: Elliott calls the fruit medium; Warder rather large; Downing large; Thomas large; Lowther medium. The Delaware Ferris described by Downing is below medium.

Form: Elliott: roundish flattened. Warder: oblate, conic, regular. Downing: oblate, inclining to conic. Thomas: oblate, conical. Lowther: round-flat. The Delaware Ferris (Downing): roundish oblate, slightly conic.

Stem: Elliott: slender. Warder: long. (Thomas, Downing, Beach, Lowther: not described.)

Cavity: Elliott: broad, deep. Warder: wide, regular, brown. (Other sources: not described.)

Calyx / Eye: Elliott: calyx closed. Warder: eye medium, closed.

Basin: Elliott: shallow. Warder: shallow, wavy.

Skin / Color: Elliott: yellow shades and stripes of red. Warder: surface greenish-yellow, splashed bright red; dots numerous, scattered, russet. Downing: whitish green, shaded, splashed, and striped over most of the surface with shades of crimson. Thomas: yellow, striped and splashed with red. Lowther: yellow-red. The Delaware Ferris (Downing): whitish, shaded and indistinctly splashed with dark red. Beach summarizes as "a large, red striped apple."

Flesh / Flavor: Elliott: flesh yellow, crisp, tender, mild sub-acid; "very good." Warder: flesh greenish-white, breaking, juicy; flavor sub-acid, aromatic; quality good to very good. Downing: flesh white, tender, juicy, refreshing, vinous, mild subacid; very good. Thomas: flesh tender, with a good sub-acid flavor. The Delaware Ferris (Downing): flesh greenish white, rather firm, juicy, subacid, good. Lowther: quality good.

Core / Seeds: Elliott: core small. Warder: core regular, closed; seeds pointed, angular, imperfect. (Other sources: not described.)

Season

Elliott: November, December. Warder: October, November. Downing: November, December. Thomas: October to February. Beach summarizes the season as extending "from October to December or later." Lowther: winter. The Delaware Ferris (Downing): March, April.

Uses

Warder: table, cooking. Lowther: both kitchen and market. Downing and Beach emphasize use as a profitable market apple (in Westchester County). The Delaware Ferris was valued mainly for its keeping qualities and productiveness (Downing).

Subtypes / Variants

Two distinct varieties bore the name Ferris:

1. The principal Ferris described above — an old variety of unknown origin, grown extensively in Westchester County, New York; large, oblate-conic, red-striped, season October–December, vigorous and biennially heavy-bearing tree.
2. A separate Ferris originating in Wilmington, Delaware (Downing) — fruit below medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic, whitish shaded and indistinctly splashed with dark red; flesh greenish white, rather firm, juicy, subacid, good; season March, April; valued for its keeping qualities and productiveness; still offered in some southern nurseries at the time of Beach's writing (1905).

Other

Lowther's regional reporting data: Northern Division — no reports; Central Division — no reports; Southern Division — 1 reporting station, with an asterisk indicating the variety is reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions of the American Pomological Society.