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Green Sweet

Apple

Green Sweet

Origin / History

An old variety of uncertain origin, probably originating more than a century ago in New England. It was already well known and much cultivated in Northeastern Massachusetts in the first half of the nineteenth century, and has long been highly esteemed in Central and Western New York, where it is still chiefly grown (Beach; Hedrick). Thomas associates it with Massachusetts.

Beach notes two distinct varieties that should not be confused with Green Sweet: the Sweet Greening of Thacher (1822) or Green Sweeting of Kenrick (1832) is said to be a distinct variety, and a fall apple has been introduced from Russia under the name Green Sweet, which Beach notes will be treated separately in the succeeding volume.

Reporting distribution (Lowther): Northern Division — 3 reporting stations (also reported in another division); Central Division — 2 reporting stations (also reported in another division); Southern Division — not reported.

Tree

Tree hardy (Elliott), vigorous or moderately vigorous (Beach; Warder; Downing; Hedrick), and productive — a good reliable cropper that bears biennially and yields so abundantly that fruit commonly averages below medium or rather small, but is perfect, smooth, bright, regular and uniform in size and shape, with little loss from drops and culls (Beach). Size medium or sometimes large (Beach); large (Hedrick).

Growth habit upright, rather compact (Beach; Hedrick), erect or roundish, also described as round-topped (Hedrick); half-spreading (Elliott); upright spreading (Downing). The tree is unique in its upright, compact growth, and in bearing fruit close to the branches on short laterals or spurs, which makes the apples easily picked. Green Sweet may be set more closely in the orchard than either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening because it does not grow so large as either of these varieties and is decidedly more upright in habit (Beach).

Wants deep, rich, strong soil; fruit always fair (Elliott). Warder notes the tree is productive in most situations where cultivated, but is not much planted in the West.

Branches moderately stout (Beach); stout (Hedrick); shoots rather slender (Elliott); young branches dark green. Twigs short, straight, stout; internodes short. Bark very dark brown, mingled with reddish-brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels numerous, medium, oblong, slightly raised, rather conspicuous. Buds large, plump, broad, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent (Beach).

Fruit

Size

Medium, often below medium, sometimes large (Beach; Hedrick; Budd-Hansen; Downing; Lowther). Elliott reports medium to large; Thomas reports large or medium; Warder reports rather small. Grown in Indiana it is large (Elliott).

Form

Roundish (Elliott; Lowther — roundish oblate); roundish oblate, somewhat conic (Downing; Budd-Hansen); ovate to roundish inclined to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed; pretty regular and uniform in size (Beach); ovate to round-conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed, regular and uniform in size (Hedrick); nearly round, slightly approaching ovate-conical, regular (Thomas). Warder reports the fruit as regular and usually flat, though sometimes conical.

Stem / Stalk

Variable — varying (Elliott); long and stout (Warder); medium length (Downing); medium to long, stout (Budd-Hansen); about an inch long, moderately thick (Thomas); medium to rather long, slender to moderately thick (Beach); long, slender (Hedrick).

Cavity

Narrow, russeted (Elliott); wide, regular and brown (Warder); rather deep, covered with russet (Downing); wide, regular, rather deep, covered with russet (Budd-Hansen); rather small and narrow, round, acuminate (Thomas); somewhat furrowed, deep, acuminate, moderately broad, smooth or with some radiating russet rays (Beach); furrowed, deep, acuminate, broad, smooth or open (Hedrick).

Calyx / Eye

Calyx above medium size for the fruit, closed (Elliott); eye large, closed (Warder); calyx closed (Downing — in the related Pelham Sweet entry); medium to rather large, closed or somewhat open; lobes rather leafy, long, acute (Beach; Hedrick).

Basin

Medium, slightly furrowed (Elliott); rather shallow and wavy (Warder); shallow and abrupt, somewhat furrowed (Downing); shallow, abrupt, somewhat wavy and furrowed (Budd-Hansen); small, slightly furrowed (Thomas); variable, usually medium in width and depth, abrupt, slightly wrinkled and more or less obscurely furrowed (Beach); variable, medium in width and depth, abrupt, wrinkled and more or less obscurely furrowed (Hedrick).

Skin / Color

Dull greenish white or yellow (Elliott); smooth, green (Warder); green, sometimes becoming a little yellow at maturity (Downing; Budd-Hansen); green (Thomas); greenish yellow (Lowther); grass-green eventually becoming pretty yellow with a thin brownish-red blush in highly colored specimens; prevailing color green (Beach); green, becoming yellow, with a thin brownish-red blush; prevailing color green (Hedrick). Grown in Indiana, fruit has a brownish cheek (Elliott).

Dots

Greenish white, or sometimes pale russet dots (Elliott); whitish, with green bases (Warder); greenish or light russet dots (Downing); whitish or light russet with green bases (Budd-Hansen); greenish white (Thomas); green or with fine russet point, often submerged and whitish/white (Beach; Hedrick).

Flesh / Flavor

Greenish white, tender, juicy, and quite sweet (Elliott); greenish-white, breaking, tender, juicy and fine grained; very sweet, and valued for baking and market; those who do not admire sweet apples would hardly consider it second rate (Warder); whitish, tender, juicy, sweet, pleasant; good (Downing); whitish, tender, juicy, very sweet, pleasant, good (Budd-Hansen); greenish white, with a very sweet, spicy, good flavor (Thomas); greenish-white, tender, fine-grained, juicy, very sweet, good (Beach; Hedrick). Quality good (Lowther).

Beach adds that the variety "holds its flavor and remains crisp, brittle and juicy till spring," and Hedrick echoes that "the fruits of this excellent variety remain crisp and juicy until spring: from apple harvest to apple blossoming, it is a delicious sweet apple either for dessert or culinary uses."

Core / Seeds

Core medium, round (Elliott); core closed, regular, meeting the eye, containing numerous angular, acuminate brown seeds (Warder); core closed, regular, meeting; seeds many, angular, long-pointed (Budd-Hansen); core rather large, abaxile, open; core lines somewhat clasping or nearly meeting; carpels roundish ovate; seeds numerous, medium or below, rather narrow, acute (Beach); core large, abaxile, open; core-lines clasping or meeting; carpels round-ovate; seeds numerous, small, narrow, acute (Hedrick). Seeds ovate (Elliott). Calyx tube wide, cone-shape; stamens median (Beach; Hedrick).

Season

December to March (Elliott; Downing; Budd-Hansen); December to February or March (Warder); December to April or May (Beach; Hedrick); winter (Lowther). Grown in Indiana, it matures in October and November (Elliott). A long keeper (Thomas). Often kept in common cellar storage till April or May (Beach); from apple harvest to apple blossoming (Hedrick).

Uses

Excellent for either dessert or culinary use (Beach; Hedrick). Valued for baking and market (Warder). Valuable for cooking and for stock (Elliott). Both kitchen and market (Lowther). Fair (Thomas).

Beach notes it "is grown with profit for selling in local markets wherever it is well known, but it does not sell so readily in the general market because it is not large and not well known and because the trade demands chiefly red, subacid apples."

Subtypes / Variants

Downing's volume includes a separate but related entry, "Pelham Sweet," giving Green Sweet as a synonym: from Massachusetts; tree a fair grower and good bearer; fruit below medium, roundish, oblate conic, greenish, sometimes shaded with red in sun, splashes and patches of russet; stalk short; calyx closed; flesh yellowish, moderately tender, sweet; good; core small; December to March.

A fall apple introduced from Russia under the name Green Sweet is noted by Beach as distinct, to be treated in the succeeding volume.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 8 period pomological works

USDA Nomenclature (1905)

From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56

May be Victuals and Drink.

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 3 catalogs (1894–1901) from Illinois, Oregon

View original book sources (8)

Green Sweet. Honey Greening.

Tree, hardy; productive, half spreading; shoots rather slender; fruit valuable for cooking and for stock; wants deep, rich, strong soil; fruit always fair.

Fruit, medium to large; form, roundish; color, dull greenish white or yellow, with greenish white, or sometimes pale russet dots; stem, varying; cavity, narrow, russeted; calyx, above medium size for the fruit, closed; basin, medium, slightly furrowed; flesh, greenish white, tender, juicy, and quite sweet; core, medium, round; seeds, ovate. December to March. Grown in Indiana, it is large, has a brownish cheek, and matures in October and November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Green Sweet.

HONEY GREENING.

Tree vigorous and productive in most situations where cultivated, but is not much planted in the West.

Fruit rather small, regular, and usually flat, though sometimes conical; Surface smooth, green; Dots whitish, with green bases.

Basin rather shallow and wavy; Eye large, closed.

Cavity wide, regular and brown; Stem long and stout.

Core closed, regular, meeting the eye, containing numerous angular, acuminate brown seeds; Flesh greenish-white, breaking, tender, juicy and fine grained; very sweet, and valued for baking and market; those who do not admire sweet apples would hardly consider it second rate.

Season from December to February, or March.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Green Sweet.

Honey Greening.

Tree vigorous, upright spreading, and productive.

Fruit medium, roundish oblate, somewhat conic. Skin green, sometimes becoming a little yellow at maturity, covered with greenish or light russet dots. Stalk of medium length. Cavity rather deep, covered with russet. Basin shallow and abrupt, somewhat furrowed. Flesh whitish, tender, juicy, sweet, pleasant. Good. December to March.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Pelham Sweet", pp. 327–327]

Pelham Sweet.

Green Sweet.

From Massachusetts. Tree a fair grower and good bearer. Fruit below medium, roundish, oblate conic, greenish, sometimes shaded with red in sun, splashes and patches of russet. Stalk short. Calyx closed. Flesh yellowish, moderately tender, sweet. Good. Core small. December to March.

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

Green Sweet.* Large or medium, nearly round, slightly approaching ovate-conical, regular; surface green, with greenish white dots; stalk about an inch long, moderately thick, cavity rather small and narrow, round, acuminate; basin small, slightly furrowed; flesh greenish white, with a very sweet, spicy, good flavor. Fair, productive, and a long keeper. Fig. 407. Massachusetts.

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

GREEN SWEET.

References. 1. Manning, 1838:63. 2. Manning, Mag. Hort., 7:45. 1841. 3. Thomas, 1849:162. 4. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:90. 1851. 5. Horticulturist, 9:192. 1854. 6. Hooper, 1857:45. 7. Downing, 1857:81. 8. Elliott, 1858:83. fig. 9. Mag. Hort., 27:152. 1861. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 11. Warder, 1867:385. 12. Barry, 1883:347. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:95. 15. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:42. 1903.

Synonyms. Green Sweet (6). Green Sweeting (5). Green Sweeting (4). Honey Greening (6). Honey Greening (7, 8, 11, 12).

A desirable late keeping apple excellent for either dessert or culinary use. It holds its flavor and remains crisp, brittle and juicy till spring. Often it is kept in common cellar storage till April or May. It is undoubtedly one of the best late keeping sweet apples in cultivation in this state. It is grown with profit for selling in local markets wherever it is well known, but it does not sell so readily in the general market because it is not large and not well known and because the trade demands chiefly red, subacid apples. The tree is a good reliable cropper, bears biennially and yields so abundantly that the fruit commonly averages below medium or rather small, but it is perfect, smooth, bright, regular and uniform in size and shape with little loss from drops and culls. The apples are easily picked because the habit of the tree is upright and rather compact and it usually bears its fruit close to the branches or on short laterals or spurs. Green Sweet may be set more closely in the orchard than either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening because it does not grow so large as either of these varieties and is decidedly more upright in habit.

The Sweet Greening of Thacher¹ or Green Sweeting of Kenrick² is said to be distinct from this variety.

A fall apple has been introduced from Russia under the name Green Sweet. This will be noticed in the succeeding volume.

Historical. An old variety of uncertain origin. It was already well known and much cultivated in Northeastern Massachusetts in the first half of the last century (1). It has long been highly esteemed in Central and Western New York (3, 4, 5, 9).

Tree.

Tree medium or sometimes large, vigorous or moderately vigorous; branches moderately stout; young branches dark green. Form erect or roundish, rather compact. Twigs short, straight, stout; internodes short. Bark very dark brown, mingled with reddish-brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels numerous, medium, oblong, slightly raised, rather conspicuous. Buds large, plump, broad, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.

Fruit.

Fruit medium or often below medium, sometimes large. Form ovate to roundish inclined to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed; pretty regular and uniform in size. Stem medium to rather long, slender to moderately thick. Cavity somewhat furrowed, deep, acuminate, moderately broad, smooth or with some radiating russet rays. Calyx medium to rather large, closed or somewhat open; lobes rather leafy, long, acute. Basin variable, usually medium in width and depth, abrupt, slightly wrinkled and more or less obscurely furrowed.

Skin grass-green eventually becoming pretty yellow with a thin brownish-red blush in highly colored specimens. Dots green or with fine russet point, often submerged and whitish. Prevailing color green.

Calyx tube wide, cone-shape. Stamens median.

Core rather large, abaxile, open; core lines somewhat clasping or nearly meeting. Carpels roundish ovate. Seeds numerous, medium or below, rather narrow, acute.

Flesh greenish-white, tender, fine-grained, juicy, very sweet, good.

Season December to April or May.

¹Thacher, 1822:138. ²Kenrick, 1832:46.

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

Green Sweet. — Fruit medium, roundish oblate, somewhat conic; surface green, sometimes becoming a little yellow at maturity; dots whitish or light russet with green bases; cavity wide, regular, rather deep, covered with russet; stem medium to long, stout; basin shallow, abrupt, somewhat wavy and furrowed. Core closed, regular, meeting; seeds many, angular, long-pointed; flesh whitish, tender, juicy, very sweet, pleasant, good. December to March.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Green Sweet. Size: medium. Form: roundish (oblate). Color: greenish yellow. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter. Northern Division: 3 reporting stations (also reported in another division). Central Division: 2 reporting stations (also reported in another division). Southern Division: not reported.

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

GREEN SWEET. Green Sweeting. Honey Sweeting.

The fruits of this excellent variety remain crisp and juicy until spring: from apple harvest to apple blossoming, it is a delicious sweet apple either for dessert or culinary uses. The fruits run small, with the result that there is usually much loss from culls, as there is also from dropping. The tree is unique in its upright, compact growth, and in bearing fruit close to the branches on short laterals and spurs. The variety probably originated more than a century ago in New England, where it is still chiefly grown.

Tree large, vigorous, compact, erect or round-topped; branches stout, young branches dark green. Fruit medium, sometimes large, ovate to round-conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed, regular and uniform in size; stem long, slender; cavity furrowed, deep, acuminate, broad, smooth or open; lobes leafy, long, acute; basin variable, medium in width and depth, abrupt, wrinkled and more or less obscurely furrowed; skin green, becoming yellow, with a thin brownish-red blush; dots green or with fine russet point, often submerged and white; prevailing color green; calyx-tube wide, cone-shape; stamens median; core large, abaxile, open; core-lines clasping or meeting; carpels round-ovate; seeds numerous, small, narrow, acute; flesh greenish-white, tender, fine-grained, juicy, very sweet; good; December to April or May.

U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
Green Sweeting Honey Greening Honey Sweeting Pelham Sweet Green Sweet Honey Greening Honey Sweet Repka Malenka White Sweeting Winter Sweet Paradise