General Taylor

Origin & History

A native American seedling, first introduced by L. N. Rogers of Baltimore, Maryland, who found the original tree in the town of Franklin, Maryland. Hedrick dates this discovery to 1854. Elliott notes that the tree supposed to be the original one grows near Baltimore and was 25 or 30 years old at the time of his writing (1865), placing its origin around 1835–1840. Downing reports that it was afterwards said to have been brought from Germany by a man named Keyports, but notes he could find nothing resembling it in any foreign pomological work, concluding it is without doubt a native American seedling.

Tree

Vigorous, upright. Young wood reddish brown grayish (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Medium (Downing) to under medium (Hedrick, Elliott); Thomas describes it as rather small.

Form: Obovate obtuse pyriform, sometimes oblate obtuse pyriform (Downing). Hedrick describes it as obovate-obtuse-pyriform. Elliott describes it as turbinate, obscurely pyriform, broad at the crown. Thomas describes it as turbinate.

Stem: Medium length and thickness, a little inclined, inserted in a small cavity (Downing). Elliott describes the stem as inserted into a very small cavity.

Cavity: Small (Downing) to very small (Elliott).

Calyx: Partially open (Downing). Elliott describes it as partially closed.

Basin: Lightly corrugated (Downing). Elliott describes it as broad, not very deep, furrowed.

Skin: Downing describes the color as yellow, shaded in the sun with thin bright rich crimson, partially netted and patched with russet, much russet near the calyx, and many russet dots. Hedrick describes it as yellow but practically all cinnamon-russet. Elliott describes it as cinnamon russet, becoming fawn on the exposed side. Thomas describes it simply as cinnamon russet.

Flesh & Flavor: Whitish, a little coarse, juicy, melting, sweet; good to very good (Downing). Hedrick describes the flesh as yellowish-white, granular, buttery, melting, sweet, highly flavored; good to very good. Elliott describes it as yellowish white, granular, becoming buttery and melting, but somewhat gritty at the core; flavor as high as the Seckel, aroma delicious; quality "best." Thomas describes it as granular, buttery, melting, aromatic; very rich, excellent.

Core & Seeds: Core medium; seeds dark brown, ovate, no angle at the obtuse end (Elliott).

Season

October (Downing). October and November (Hedrick). November (Elliott, Thomas).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes & Variants

Not described in source.