Granite Beauty
AppleGranite Beauty
Origin / History
A local variety originating on the farm of Z. Breed, Weare, New Hampshire. Brought to notice in 1860 by Z. Breed (Hovey, Magazine of Horticulture, 1860). In some portions of New England it was still much esteemed at the close of the nineteenth century, both for home use and for market, but it was little known in New York.
Tree
Hardy, vigorous, upright, spreading; Thomas describes the growth as "rather spreading." An annual bearer and a good bearer. Young wood light reddish brown, slightly downy.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large (Downing); about the size of Baldwin (Beach); large (Lowther; Thomas).
Form: Roundish oblong, largest at the centre, and narrowing toward stalk and calyx, with uneven surface, or obscurely ribbed (Downing). Thomas describes it as roundish-ovate, longest at middle, ribbed. Lowther gives the form as roundish (oblate).
Stem / Stalk: Short, slender.
Cavity: Uneven, or ribbed, acute (Downing); rather small, ribbed (Thomas).
Calyx: Closed; segments short, erect.
Basin: Medium, corrugated (Downing); medium, furrowed (Thomas).
Skin: Somewhat oily. Color pale yellow, mostly overspread, striped, splashed, and mottled with two shades of red, with brown dots (Downing). Thomas describes the skin as yellow, striped bright red. Lowther gives the color simply as yellow with red.
Flesh / Flavor: Whitish, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid (Downing); juicy, rich sub-acid (Thomas). Quality good to very good (Downing; Beach); quality medium (Thomas); quality good (Lowther).
Core / Seeds: Core large, open. Seeds not described in source.
Season
December to February (Downing); November to February (Beach); early and mid-winter (Thomas); winter (Lowther).
Uses
Both home use and market (Beach); both kitchen and market (Lowther).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)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.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)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.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Granite Beauty. Size: large. Form: roundish (oblate). Color: yellow with red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)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.