Granite Beauty

Apple

Granite Beauty

Origin & History

Originated on the farm of Z. Breed, Weare, New Hampshire, and was brought to notice in 1860 (Beach). Originally known also as Aunt Dorcas, Grandmother's Apple, and Clothes-yard Apple. In some portions of New England it was still much esteemed in the 1890s, both for home use and for market (Beach, citing Munson 1893), but it was little known in New York (Beach).

Tree

Hardy, vigorous, upright, spreading (Downing). Thomas describes the growth as "rather spreading." An annual bearer (Downing). Young wood light reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing). Beach confirms the tree is hardy and a good bearer.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large (Downing). Beach describes it as "about the size of Baldwin." Thomas and the Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture both call it large.

Form: Downing describes the fruit as roundish oblong, largest at the centre, and narrowing toward stalk and calyx, with an uneven surface, or obscurely ribbed. Thomas describes it as roundish-ovate, longest at middle, ribbed.

Stem: Short, slender.

Cavity: Downing describes the cavity as uneven, or ribbed, acute. Thomas describes it as rather small, ribbed.

Calyx: Closed. Segments short, erect (Downing).

Basin: Medium, corrugated (Downing) or furrowed (Thomas).

Skin: Somewhat oily (Downing). Color pale yellow, mostly overspread, striped, splashed, and mottled with two shades of red, with brown dots (Downing). Beach describes it more simply as yellow mostly overspread with red. Thomas describes the skin as yellow, striped bright red.

Flesh & Flavor: Whitish, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid (Downing). Beach concurs: "mild subacid." Thomas describes the flesh as "juicy, rich sub-acid." Quality is rated good to very good by both Downing and Beach, but Thomas rates quality as medium.

Core & Seeds: Core large, open (Downing). Seeds not further described.

Season

December to February (Downing). Beach gives the season as November to February. Thomas places it in early and mid-winter.

Uses

Esteemed both for home use and for market in New England (Beach).

Subtypes & Variants

Not described in source.

Other

The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists Granite Beauty in a variety-characteristic table:

Granite Beauty | L | rob | yr | G | b | W

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Granite Beauty. Aunt Dorcas. Grandmother's Apple. Clothes-yard Apple. Origin, on the farm of Z. Breed, Weare, N. H. Tree hardy, vigorous, upright, spreading. An annual bearer. Young wood light reddish brown, slightly downy. Fruit medium to large, roundish oblong, largest at the centre, and narrowing toward stalk and calyx, uneven surface, or obscurely ribbed. Skin somewhat oily. Color pale yellow, mostly overspread, striped, splashed, and mottled with two shades of red, brown dots. Stalk short, slender. Cavity uneven, or ribbed, acute. Calyx closed. Segments short, erect. Basin medium, corrugated. Flesh whitish, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid. Core large, open. Good to very good. December to February.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

GRANITE BEAUTY.

REFERENCES. 1. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 26:65, 149. 1860. fig. 2. Mead, Horticulturist, 18:83. 1863. fig. 3. Lothrop, Mag. Hort., 32:362. 1866. 4. Warder, 1867:720. 5. Downing, 1872:199. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 7. Barry, 1883:346. 8. Thomas, 1885:233. 9. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:132. 10. Hoskins, Amer. Gard., 15:299. 1894.

SYNONYMS. Aunt Dorcas (5). Clothes-yard Apple (5). Grandmother's Apple (5).

Fruit about the size of Baldwin, yellow mostly overspread with red, mild subacid, good to very good in quality. In season from November to February. Tree hardy and a good bearer.

Historical. A local variety brought to notice in 1860 by Z. Breed, Weare, N. H. (1). In some portions of New England it is still much esteemed, both for home use and for market (9), but it is little known in New York.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Granite Beauty | L | rob | yr | G | b | W

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

Granite Beauty. Large, roundish-ovate, longest at middle, ribbed; skin yellow, striped bright red; stalk short, slender; cavity rather small, ribbed; basin medium, furrowed; flesh juicy, rich sub-acid, quality medium. Early and mid-winter. Growth rather spreading. New Hampshire.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Aunt Dorcas Clothes-yard Apple Grandmother's Apple