GOLDEN DELICIOUS. There are no yellow dessert apples of first rate in America, fruit or tree of all failing in one character or another. Golden Delicious is now being introduced for this place as a cosmopolitan yellow dessert apple with the expectation that it will rank with the best red apples. Judged by its fruit-characters, the expectations of the introducers may be realized, for no other yellow apple is handsomer and of better quality, nor possesses better shipping and keeping characters. It is too soon to speak with confidence of the trees, but it seems certain, from their behavior in many widely separated regions, that they are hardy, vigorous, healthy, and productive, with no marked faults that have appeared as yet. The variety was given the Wilder Silver Medal by the American Pomological Society in 1920. Golden Delicious originated as a chance seedling in West Virginia in the orchard of A. H. Mullins about thirty years ago, and was introduced by Stark Brothers, Louisiana, Missouri, in 1916. Trees hardy, vigorous, healthy, productive. Fruit large, 3¼ inches broad, 3⅝ inches long, oblong-conic, uniform in size and shape, symmetrical, distinctly ribbed; stem 1⅝ inches long, slender, curved; cavity acuminate, broad, very deep, smooth, gently furrowed; calyx large, closed; basin narrow, abrupt, furrowed; skin golden yellow, thin, smooth; dots numerous, small, conspicuous, russet and submerged at the apex; core large, open, abaxile; core-lines distinct, clasping; calyx-tube long, wide, funnel-shaped; carpels round-oval, tufted; seeds large, plump, acute; flesh firm, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid, rich, aromatic; quality very good to best for dessert and cooking; autumn to May.

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

Golden Delicious*

Golden Delicious originated with A. H. Mullens as a seedling in West Virginia and was introduced by Stark Brothers in 1916. It has long been one of the most popular varieties among growers because of both its high fruit quality and its desirability as an orchard tree.

Characteristics

Trees are upright and roundish, medium in vigor, and well branched with naturally strong, wide-angled crotches. This variety is noted for its early bearing and consistent fruit production. Fruit is roundish, oblong, conic, resembling Red Delicious in shape but with a less pronounced crown. Fruit is medium to large in size and uniform in shape. Skin is thin, tough, a vivid, rich, pale yellow with many small, rather inconspicuous brown dots. Flesh is yellow, crisp, juicy, rich, pleasant, mildly subacid, and excellent in quality. It is rated among the best for cooking uses and for dessert. With the development of new storage methods, it is now possible to hold this variety in cold storage until February.

One of the significant trends in recent years is the increase in new plantings of Golden Delicious. A recent survey showed that 62 percent of the nonbearing acreage of apples in Washington is planted to Golden Delicious. Recently completed surveys in Oregon likewise indicate a decided preference for Golden Delicious in new orchard plantings.

— Quentin B. Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964)

7. Golden Delicious has recently surpassed Mclntosh in the United States production and, in the late 1960's, became second in importance after Delicious. In 1965, more trees of Golden Delicious than those of any other variety were planted in New York, mostly in western counties. Although its production ranks sixth in New York (Fig. 1), new plantings in the early 1970's indicate that its importance will decrease. For the fresh market, russet is one of the biggest problems with Golden Delicious. Russeted fruits, however, are acceptable for processing. Russet is often caused by damp, cool weather during the 30 days following bloom or by toxic sprays. Golden Delicious requires a captan spray program which is mild and not russet inducing. Trees should not be planted near Monroe or Idared because sulphur sprays for mildew control on these two will cause russet on Golden Delicious. Avoid using water with high iron content for spraying and irrigating. Golden Delicious trees begin to bear at a very young age, but after they come into production, they sometimes overcrop and become biennial. Biennial trees can be made annual croppers by applying blossom thinning sprays in years of oversetting. Fruit quality can vary widely from large, handsome, yellow fruits with excellent eating quality to small, poor quality, greenish fruits from overcropped trees. Large, fully yellow Golden Delicious fruits, because of their high quality, can command premium prices on the fresh market. Because it makes an excellent quality sauce, Golden Delicious is also in strong demand for processing. In storage, Golden Delicious requires high humidity to prevent skin shrivelling. Yellow Delicious and Golden Delicious are synonymous. Smoothee, a sport of Golden Delicious, has some resistance to russet. Some spur sports of Golden Delicious are Starkspur Golden Delicious, Yellospur, Goldspur, and Nugget. Special problems with spur Golden Delicious are greater fruit russet and some tendency to revert to the normal growth habit. Golden Delicious substitutes. Because of the russet problem in Golden Delicious, a search has been made to find yellow apples that do not russet so badly. These are not mutations of Golden Delicious but are distinct varieties. Some are seedlings of Golden Delicious, but others are seedlings of other varieties. They include Mutsu, Sungold, Ozark Gold, Prime Gold, Virginiagold, Magnolia Gold, Blushing Golden, Thewgold, Honeygold, Pacific Gold, Sinta, Maigold, Chehalis, Toko, Hawaii, Ivette, Granny Smith, Firmgold, and Clear Gold. Some of these have lower eating quality than Golden Delicious. Granny Smith should not be planted in New York because it requires too long a season to ripen here.

— Roger D. Way, Apple Varieties Grown in New York State (1979)