Gibb
Crab AppleGibb
Origin / History
Gibb originated with George P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Budd and Hansen write of him as "the late Geo. P. Peffer." It is a seedling of an oblate Yellow Siberian crab crossed with Fall Greening. Budd and Hansen state that the crab was crossed with pollen of the Fall Green apple.
Hedrick calls Gibb "another cross between the common apple and the crab-apple, with characters that make it somewhat doubtful with which of its parents, Yellow Siberian and Fall Greening, it should be placed." He records that the variety was first described in 1884. The earliest reference Beach cites is the Montreal Horticultural Society Report for 1884, with a figure.
Tree
Vigorous (Thomas, Hedrick), yet a slow, spreading grower. Hedrick calls it upright-spreading and slow in growth, eventually attaining large growth. Hardy to very hardy; Beach, citing Craig, calls it fairly hardy as far north as Montreal. Productive to very productive; Hedrick also calls it "fruitful."
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Round oblate to roundish oblate, very regular (Budd and Hansen).
Stem: Short to medium length, thick. Budd and Hansen call it medium long.
Cavity: Wide, deep, regular.
Calyx: Medium size, open.
Basin: Very wide, shallow, wrinkled, often wrinkled around the eye (Budd and Hansen). Thomas calls it ribbed.
Skin: Thin, thinner than Hyslop (Beach). Yellow to bright or rich orange yellow, flushed or blushed on the sunny side; Beach gives the blush as dull red. Budd and Hansen note a little thin net-veining of russet. Attractive, "a beautiful fruit."
Dots: White, minute.
Flesh and flavor: Remarkably yellow, deep yellow, or rich orange yellow; firm, crisp, juicy. Pleasant acid, subacid in Thomas's word. Beach adds that it is sprightly and a little astringent, though much less astringent than Hyslop.
Thomas ranks it "one of the best." Hedrick calls it "very good" in his introductory remarks and "fair to good" in his technical description.
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Early: autumn, in September. Beach gives the last half of September.
Uses
Beach reports it highly esteemed for canning. He recommends it for the home orchard and calls it worthy of trial for commercial planting where a crabapple of its season is desired.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas illustrates the variety as Fig. 482. Beach's later references include the American Pomological Society Report for 1885 and Catalogue for 1897. He also cites Stark in the Missouri Horticultural Society Report for 1886 and the Illinois Horticultural Society Report for 1889. Further references are Craig, Canadian Horticulturist, 1892, with a figure, and Thomas, 1897, with a figure. He lists two bulletins of 1903: Farrand, Michigan Station Bulletin 205, and Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bulletin 48. The last is Budd-Hansen, 1903, with a figure.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1891–1913) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Cotta Nursery (J.V. Cotta) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1895
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897 — listed as Gibbs
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900 — listed as Gibbs
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as Gibbs' Golden
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (4)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Gibb. Large, round oblate; bright orange yellow, flushed in sun; stem short, thick; cavity wide, deep; calyx medium, open; basin very wide, shallow, ribbed; flesh deep yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, sub-acid. Tree vigorous, hardy, and productive. One of the best. Autumn. Fig. 482. Wisconsin.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GIBB.
REFERENCES. 1. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1884:35. fig. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:29. 3. Stark, Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886:233. 4. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1889:22. 5. Craig, Can. Hort., 15:225. 1892. fig. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:11. 7. Thomas, 1897:298. fig. 8. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:47. 1903. 9. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:42. 1903. 10. Budd-Hansen, 1903:219. fig.
SYNONYMS. None.
Fruit large, yellow blushed with dull red. It is thinner skinned and much less astringent than Hyslop with remarkably yellow flesh. It is highly esteemed for canning; season last half of September. It is recommended for the home orchard and is worthy of trial for commercial planting where a crabapple of its season is desired. The tree is a slow, spreading grower, fairly hardy as far north as Montreal, very productive (5).
Historical. Originated with George P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wis., being a seedling of an oblate Yellow Siberian crab crossed with Fall Greening (5, 10).
FRUIT (5, 7, 10). Fruit large. Form roundish oblate. Stem short to medium length, thick. Cavity wide, deep, regular. Calyx medium size, open. Basin very wide, shallow, wrinkled. Skin thin, yellow, blushed with dull red, attractive. Dots white, minute. Flesh remarkably yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, pleasantly acid, a little astringent, sprightly. Season early.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Gibb.—Originated by the late Geo. P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, by crossing an oblate yellow Siberian crab with pollen of the Fall Green apple.
Gibb Crab.
Fruit large, roundish oblate, very regular; surface rich orange yellow, blushed on sunny side, with a little thin net-veining of russet, a beautiful fruit; dots white, minute; cavity regular; stem medium long; basin shallow, wide, often wrinkled around the eye; calyx open; flesh a rich orange yellow, juicy, pleasant acid. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)GIBB.
Gibb is another cross between the common apple and the crab-apple, with characters that make it somewhat doubtful with which of its parents, Yellow Siberian and Fall Greening, it should be placed. The fruits are large, yellow, blushed with dull red, with remarkably yellow flesh, which is juicy, pleasantly acidulous, and very good. The trees are slow growing but eventually attain large growth, and are very hardy and fruitful. Gibb originated with George P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The variety was first described in 1884.
Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, slow in growth, very hardy and very productive. Fruit large, round-oblate; stem short, thick; cavity wide, deep, regular; calyx of medium size, open; basin very wide, shallow, wrinkled; skin thin, yellow, blushed with dull red; dots white, minute; flesh remarkably yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, pleasant acid, astringent, sprightly; fair to good; early.