Green Seek-No-Further
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Green Seek-No-Further
Origin/History
The earliest known description of this variety is that given by Coxe (1817), who remarks that it is a native of one of the eastern states. Downing states that it originated in the garden of William Prince, Flushing, New York. By the early twentieth century it was seldom found in cultivation in New York.
Tree
The tree is a rather slow grower, especially while young, but eventually forms a regular, compact, well-formed head in the orchard and is quite productive. Desirable for the home orchard.
Fruit
Size: Large, often quite large.
Form: Sources vary somewhat: roundish conical (Downing); roundish conic or a little inclined to oblate conic, ribbed (Beach); roundish, slightly approaching oblong obtuse conical (Thomas). Fruit is apt to be knotty and unfair (Downing).
Stem: Described as short (Downing), very short (Thomas), or short to medium and thick (Beach).
Cavity: Moderate (Downing); large, acute to somewhat acuminate, deep, broad, more or less marked with faint greenish-russet (Beach).
Calyx: Closed (Downing); closed or slightly open (Beach); large (Thomas, Beach describes it as moderately large). Calyx tube large, moderately long, wide, conical. Stamens median.
Basin: Rather deep (Downing); deep, slightly ribbed (Thomas); deep, rather wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled (Beach).
Skin: Moderately thick, tough. Color is yellowish green (Downing), greenish yellow becoming yellow (Thomas), or greenish-yellow to yellow (Beach). Beach alone notes a faint orange-red blush. Dots variable, large and small, often irregular, areolar with russet center or whitish and submerged (Beach); Downing describes them as green and brown; Thomas notes the specks as large and conspicuous.
Flesh: White (Downing) or yellowish-white (Beach). Moderately coarse (Beach, Thomas), though Downing describes it as tender. Crisp, tender, very juicy (Beach; Downing concurs on crispness, tenderness, and juiciness). Flavor sprightly, rich subacid (Beach); mild subacid, pleasant (Downing); sub-acid, of good flavor (Thomas). Quality rated very good (Downing, Beach).
Core/Seeds: Core small, axile; cells symmetrical, closed; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels roundish to broadly ovate, tufted. Seeds rather numerous, above medium, narrow, long, acute to acuminate, tufted.
Season
October to January.
Uses
Desirable for the home orchard.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Green Seek-no-Further.
White Seek-no-Further. Flushing Seek-no-Further. Seek-no-Further of Coxe.
Origin in the garden of the late Wm. Prince, Flushing, L. I.
Tree while young very slow in its growth, but makes a compact, well-formed head in the orchard.
Fruit apt to be knotty and unfair. Rather large, roundish conical, yellowish green, sprinkled with green and brown dots. Stalk short, in a moderate cavity. Calyx closed, in a rather deep basin. Flesh white, crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant, mild subacid. Very good. October, January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GREEN SEEK-NO-FURTHER.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:131. fig. 2. Kenrick, 1832:53. 3. Thomas, 1849:181. fig. 4. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:38. 1851. fig. 5. Elliott, 1854:137. 6. Warder, 1867:720. 7. Downing, 1869:202.
SYNONYMS. Autumn Secknofurther (4). Bracy's Seck-no-further (5). Flushing Seek-no-further (7). GREEN SEEK-NO-FURTHER (3, 5, 6, 7). SEEKNOFURTHER (4). Secknofurther (5, 7, of Coxe 3). SEEK-NO-FURTHER (1). White Seek-no-further (7). WINTER SEEK-NO-FURTHER (2).
A large yellowish-green apple with faint blush of orange-red, very good in quality; season early winter. The tree is a rather slow grower, but eventually forms a regular, compact head and is quite productive. Desirable for the home orchard (1, 7.)
Historical. The earliest description of this variety which we find is that given by Coxe (1) who remarks that it is a native of one of the eastern states. Downing states that it originated in the garden of William Prince, Flushing, N. Y. (7). It is now seldom found in cultivation in New York.
FRUIT.
Fruit large. Form roundish conic or a little inclined to oblate conic, ribbed. Stem short to medium, thick. Cavity large, acute to somewhat acuminate, deep, broad, more or less marked with faint greenish-russet. Calyx moderately large, closed or slightly open. Basin deep, rather wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin moderately thick, tough, greenish-yellow or yellow with faint orange-red blush. Dots variable, large and small, often irregular, areolar with russet center or whitish and submerged.
Calyx tube large, moderately long, wide, conical. Stamens median. Core small, axile; cells symmetrical, closed; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels roundish to broadly ovate, tufted. Seeds rather numerous, above medium, narrow, long, acute to acuminate, tufted. Flesh yellowish-white, moderately coarse, crisp, tender, very juicy, sprightly, rich subacid, very good. Season October to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Green Seek-no-further. Large, often quite large, roundish, slightly approaching oblong obtuse conical; greenish yellow becoming yellow, specks large and conspicuous; stalk very short; calyx large, basin slightly ribbed, deep; flesh rather coarse, sub-acid, of good flavor.