Golden Sweet
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Golden Sweet
Origin / History
An old Connecticut variety, its exact origin unknown. Downing calls it "a celebrated Connecticut fruit." Hedrick (1922) calls it "at least a century old, probably from Connecticut, but now grown in all apple regions," and "a standard early variety for home use." It was recorded by Kenrick in 1832 as Orange Sweeting, the earliest of Beach's references. Beach (1905) cites Downing (1845) for its Connecticut origin. Writing of New York, Beach says it "has been pretty generally disseminated throughout the state but is nowhere grown extensively," and cites Bailey (1892) for its being listed by nearly all nurserymen. Lowther's station table (1914) reports it from 12 stations in the Northern Division, 13 in the Central, and 4 in the Southern, each count noted as reported in more than one division.
Tree
Vigorous; a free or good grower, free "while young" in Elliott's words. Warder calls it very robust, and Downing and Budd and Hansen call it very vigorous. Spreading and round-headed. Beach gives the form as roundish spreading, inclined to droop, and dense; Elliott gives spreading, irregular branches. Elliott makes it "an orchard tree of only medium size," and Downing makes it a tree of moderate size; Beach calls the tree large.
Shoots stout and dark (Warder); young shoots reddish brown (Downing). Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin, pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, oval, slightly raised. Buds broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent; medium size in Beach's account, large in Thomas's. Foliage large and dark (Warder). Leaves sharply serrate (Thomas).
Hardy (Downing, Beach), healthy, and moderately long-lived (Beach). Thomas finds it tender in the far West but says it succeeds well in the Southwest. Elliott says it succeeds well in all soils.
Comes into bearing early, "rather young" in Beach's words. Productive to very productive; Budd and Hansen call it a heavy bearer. Elliott calls it "productive annually of large crops of fair fruit." At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C., trees planted in spring 1890 proved vigorous growers and regular bearers. Beach says it yields moderate to heavy crops biennially.
Fruit
Size: Below medium to large, uniform in size. Most authors place it between medium and large: good medium, above medium, medium or rather large. Warder and Lowther's table call it large, and Beach gives below medium to nearly large. Hedrick, in his introductory remarks, calls it "of only medium size."
Form: Roundish, round, or globular. Slightly or scarcely flattened, roundish oblate, or somewhat ovate. Regular to very regular, or faintly ribbed; fair, well formed, uniform in shape. Elliott calls it "rather deeper than wide." Lowther's table gives the form as "fir."
Stem: Medium to very long, about an inch or more. Slender, especially at its junction with the fruit; yellow. Beach alone calls it moderately thick.
Cavity: Acute or acuminate, round, regular, symmetrical. Shallow to rather deep, of medium depth in Beach's account; rather narrow to wide. Beach finds it usually partly russeted, often with outspreading russet rays; Budd and Hansen find only a faint trace of russet.
Calyx: Closed. Eye medium (Warder), or calyx medium to small with lobes medium in length, narrow, acute (Beach). Segments reflexed (Warder) or divergent (Budd and Hansen). Calyx tube medium in width, conical, cone-shape to truncate funnel-form. Stamens median.
Basin: Shallow to moderately deep, of moderate depth in Downing's account. Round, smooth, regular, symmetrical, somewhat obtuse, furrowed; slightly furrowed or crimped at the base of the calyx (Elliott). Warder calls it wide, and Beach narrow to medium.
Skin: Thin, tender, very smooth, waxy; becoming unctuous (Budd and Hansen). Greenish, yellowish green, or greenish yellow, becoming clear pale yellow or straw color when fully ripe. Warder gives "waxen to rich yellow," Budd and Hansen clear, rich golden yellow, and Elliott yellow on green, "suffused slightly underneath skin." The fruit is always fair; its clear yellow color and uniformity make it attractive and handsome.
Dots: Green or greenish, small to minute, indented, scattered, distinct, with a few minute russet dots. Elliott finds them many and becoming russety in the sun; Budd and Hansen call them few.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white to yellow, fine-grained, juicy; firm, tender to moderately tender, breaking (Warder), "hardly tender" (Elliott). Flavor very sweet, rich to "very rich," aromatic, "like sassafrass" (Warder). Hedrick says the fruits "are surpassed by those of few other sweet apples in richness and sweetness of flavor."
Quality "good to very good" in most accounts, and "very good" in Beach's summary ("very good in flavor and quality"), Budd and Hansen, and Lowther's table; Downing calls the flesh "excellent." The Agassiz station rates it "quality good," and Thomas rates it lowest: "good, of moderate quality."
Core and seeds: Core medium to rather small, regular, abaxile, round ovate (Elliott). Warder calls the core closed; Beach finds the cells open, and Budd and Hansen the core open and meeting. Cells often unsymmetrical, or obovate and entire. Core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels ovate. Seeds abundant, numerous, small to medium; ovate, pointed, acute, rather narrow, angular, plump; light brown to medium brown.
Season
A late-summer apple, July to late September. Most authors give August, or August and September, Beach from the middle of August to the last of September. Elliott alone begins in July, giving July and August.
Uses
A cooking and baking apple, valuable for culinary purposes, also grown for stock feeding and home use. Elliott says that as a baking fruit, or to grow for stock feeding, "this is unsurpassed." Downing calls it valuable for cooking, market, or stock feeding, and Warder and Lowther's table also list it for market. Beach says it is cultivated principally for home use and is "of no commercial value except that it is sold in limited quantities in local markets."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Illustrated in Thomas (Fig. 359) and Hedrick (Fig. 21, ×¾).
Book Sources
Described in 8 period pomological works
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 33 catalogs (1845–1936) from Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Washington
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864
- Palouse Nursery and Pleasant Dale Fruit Farm , Colfax, Washington Territory (situated two miles northeast of Colfax) - undated (single-page broadside flyer; "Washington Territory" suggests pre — 1889
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- Oregon Wholesale Nurseries , Salem , Oregon — 1893
- Green's Nursery Co. (Charles A. Green) , Rochester , New York — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- Henderson Luelling / Traveling Nursery (historical recall) , Oregon — 1904
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
- Hudson's Wholesale Nurseries , Tangent , Oregon — 1936
- North-Western Nurseries , Walla Walla , Washington
View original book sources (9)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Golden Sweet. Orange Sweet. American. Originated in Connecticut. Tree, free grower while young, making, however, an orchard tree of only medium size; spreading, irregular branches; succeeds well in all soils; productive annually of large crops of fair fruit. Fruit, medium to large; form, roundish, rather deeper than wide: color, yellow on green, suffused slightly underneath skin, and with many small greenish dots that become russety in sun; stem, medium to long; cavity, round, shallow, regular; calyx, closed; basin, round, moderately deep, slightly furrowed or crimped at base of calyx; flesh, yellowish white, very rich, sweet, hardly tender; core, medium, round ovate; seeds, abundant, ovate pointed. As a baking fruit, or to grow for stock feeding, this is unsurpassed. July and August.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Golden Sweet. ORANGE SWEETING.
From Connecticut. Tree very robust, vigorous, spreading, round-head, early — productive; Shoots stout, dark, foliage large, dark.
Fruit large, globular, regular; Surface very smooth, waxen to rich yellow; Dots scattered, indented, green.
Basin shallow, wide regular; Eye medium, closed; Calyx reflexed.
Cavity wide, regular; Stem long, slender, yellow.
Core medium, regular, closed; Seeds numerous, small, pointed, light brown; Flesh yellow, breaking, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor very sweet, aromatic, like sassafrass; Quality good to very good; Use, baking and market; Season, August.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Golden Sweet.
Orange Sweeting. Early Golden Sweet.
A celebrated Connecticut fruit. Tree very vigorous, spreading, forming a tree of moderate size, hardy and very productive. Young shoots reddish brown.
Fruit above the medium size, roundish, scarcely flattened, fair, and well formed; when fully ripe, pale yellow or straw color. Stalk about an inch long, slender at its junction with the fruit. Calyx closed, and set in a basin of moderate depth. Flesh tender, sweet, rich, and excellent. Good to very good. August and September. A valuable sort for cooking, market, or stock feeding.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Golden Sweet.* Medium or rather large, roundish, slightly flattened; greenish, becoming pale yellow; stalk an inch or more long, slender; cavity acuminate; basin moderate; flesh very sweet, good, of moderate quality. The fruit is always fair, the tree a free grower, and very productive. Buds large; leaves sharply serrate. Late in summer. Valuable for culinary purposes. Tender far West; succeeds well Southwest. Connecticut. Fig. 359.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GOLDEN SWEET.
REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1832:37. 2. Downing, 1845:84. 3. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 1:361. 1846. 4. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1846:189. 5. Thomas, 1849:136. 6. Cole, 1849:102. fig. 7. Barry, 1851:280. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:40. 1851. fig. 9. Elliott, 1854:81. fig. 10. Gregg, 1857:37. fig. 11. Hooper, 1857:41. 12. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 13. Warder, 1867:551. fig. 14. Downing, 1869:196. fig. 15. Wickson, 1889:244. 16. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 17. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 18. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:295. 1901. 19. Budd-Hansen, 1903:90. fig.
SYNONYMS. Early Golden Sweet (14). GOLDEN SWEET (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). GOLDEN SWEETING (7, 10). Orange Sweet (6, 9). ORANGE SWEETING (1). Orange Sweeting (2, 13, 14). Trenton Early (9). Yellow Sweeting ? (1).
Fruit of good medium size, attractive clear yellow when fully mature, rich, sweet, very good in flavor and quality. Cultivated principally for home use. Of no commercial value except that it is sold in limited quantities in local markets. In season from the middle of August to the last of September. The tree is a good grower, healthy, hardy, moderately long-lived, comes into bearing rather young and yields moderate to heavy crops biennially.
Historical. An old Connecticut variety (2). Its exact origin is unknown. It has been pretty generally disseminated throughout the state but is nowhere grown extensively. It is listed by nearly all nurserymen (17).
TREE.
Tree large, vigorous. Form roundish spreading, inclined to droop, dense. Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, oval, slightly raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit below medium to nearly large, uniform in size and shape. Form roundish to roundish oblate or somewhat ovate, regular or faintly ribbed. Stem very long, moderately thick. Cavity acute, of medium depth, medium in width to rather narrow, symmetrical, usually partly russeted, often with outspreading russet rays. Calyx medium to small, closed; lobes medium in length, narrow, acute. Basin shallow to moderately deep, narrow to medium in width, somewhat obtuse, smooth, symmetrical, furrowed. Skin thin, tender, smooth, waxy, yellowish-green becoming clear pale yellow when fully mature. Calyx tube medium in width, cone-shape to truncate funnel-form. Stamens median.
Core medium to rather small, abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical, open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels ovate. Seeds medium to rather small, rather narrow, angular, acute, medium brown. Flesh yellowish-white, firm, fine-grained, moderately tender, juicy, very sweet, aromatic, good to very good. Season mid-August to late September.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Golden Sweet.—Origin, Connecticut; tree very vigorous, spreading, round headed, an early and heavy bearer.
Fruit large, round, very regular; surface very smooth, becoming unctuous, clear, rich, golden yellow; dots green, minute, few, distinct, a few minute russet dots; cavity rather deep, wide, regular, acuminate, with faint trace of russet; stem long, slender at insertion, yellow; basin smooth, shallow, regular; calyx closed; segments divergent. Core open, regular, meeting; cells obovate, entire, abaxile; tube conical; stamens median; seeds numerous, small, pointed, plump, light brown; flesh yellow, fine-grained, juicy, rich, aromatic, very good August and September.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Golden Sweet. Size: large. Form: "fir". Color: greenish yellow. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. N. Div.: 12 stations (reported in more than one division). C. Div.: 13 stations (reported in more than one division). S. Div.: 4 stations (reported in more than one division).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)GOLDEN SWEET. Fig. 21. Golden Sweeting. Orange Sweet. Yellow Sweeting. Golden Sweet is a standard early variety for home use. The fruits are surpassed by those of few other sweet apples in richness and sweetness of flavor; while of only medium size, they are very attractive in appearance, being uniform in size and shape and having a handsome clear yellow color. The variety is at least a century old, probably from Connecticut, but now grown in all apple regions.
- Golden Sweet. (X¾)
Tree large, vigorous, spreading or drooping, dense. Fruit large, uniform in size and shape, round, round-oblate or ovate, regular or faintly ribbed; stem very long, thick; cavity acute, of medium depth and width, symmetrical, usually partly russeted, often with outspreading russet rays; calyx small, closed; lobes narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical, furrowed; skin thin, tender, smooth, waxy, pale yellow; calyx-tube medium in width, cone-shape; stamens median; core small, abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical, open; core-lines clasping the funnel cylinder; carpels ovate; seeds small, narrow, angular, acute, brown; flesh yellow, firm, fine-grained, tender, juicy, very sweet, aromatic; good to very good; mid-August to late September.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous grower and a regular bearer. Fruit above medium size, roundish. Skin smooth, pale yellow. Flesh yellowish, tender, sweet, with a rich flavour, quality good. Season August.