Gros Pommier.

Gros Pomier. Fall Queen, or Haas. Haas. Maryland Queen. Horse of some. Hoss.

Originated on the grounds of Gabriel Cerre many years since, adjoining the then village of St. Louis (now city), Mo. It was at first called Gros Pommier, but now generally Fall Queen or Haas, and we retain this, as it is most commonly used. It is very popular through most of the West and Southwest as a profitable market fruit, and for family use. Tree hardy, very vigorous, upright, forming a beautiful symmetric head; an early, annual, and abundant bearer.

Fruit medium to large, oblate, slightly conical, angular or slightly ribbed; skin smooth, pale greenish yellow, shaded nearly over the whole surface with light and dark red, some rather obscure splashes and stripes, and a few light dots; stalk short, small; cavity medium, a little greenish; calyx closed; basin small or medium, slightly corrugated; flesh quite white, fine, often stained next the skin, and sometimes through the flesh, tender, very juicy, vinous, brisk subacid; good to very good; core medium or large. September, October.

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

HAAS.

REFERENCES. 1. Horticulturist, 25:55. 1870. 2. Downing, 1872:110. app. fig. 3. Barry, 1883:345. 4. Thomas, 1885:512. 5. Can. Hort., 11:69, 73. 1888. 6. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 7. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. 8. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 43:103. 1896. 9. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:70. 10. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:296. 1901. 11. Munson, Me. Sta. Bul., 82:95. 1902. 12. Dickens and Greene, Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:53. 1902. 13. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:56. 1902. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:96. fig. 15. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:44. 1903. 16. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:123. 1904.

SYNONYMS. FALL QUEEN (2, 3, 7). Fall Queen (4, 5, 14, 16). Gros Pomier (2, 14). Gros Pommier (2). HAAS (5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). Haas (2, 3, 7). HASS (8). Horse, of some (2). Hoss (1). Hoss (2).

Fruit of good medium size and very attractive bright red color but only fair in quality. With some growers it has proved profitable because the tree comes into bearing young and is very thrifty, hardy and productive, but on account of the inferior quality of its fruit doubtless it will be eventually wholly supplanted by better kinds.

Historical. Originated on the grounds of Gabriel Cerré, St. Louis, Mo. (2). It has been widely disseminated throughout the Middle West and Southwest where it is recognized as one of the hardiest of American apples. In New York it has been planted to a limited extent only and its cultivation is not increasing.

TREE.

Tree large, very vigorous with long, slender branches. Form at first comparatively tall and upright but becoming spreading or roundish. Twigs long, curved, slender with large terminal buds; internodes long. Bark brown or reddish-brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, oval, not raised. Buds medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to above. Form oblate a little inclined to conic, somewhat ribbed; sides usually unequal. Stem medium to short, thick, often partly red. Cavity acute to acuminate, deep, broad, usually symmetrical, more or less covered with thin greenish-russet. Calyx small to medium, closed or nearly so; lobes separated at base, short, narrow, acuminate. Basin moderately narrow, rather deep, abrupt, smooth or slightly furrowed and wrinkled.

Skin thin, tough, smooth, yellow, mottled, washed and nearly covered with deep bright red or brownish-red, striped and splashed with deep carmine. Dots small to rather large, inconspicuous, numerous, pale or russet. Prevailing effect red striped with carmine.

Calyx tube very variable, rather long and wide, conical or approaching funnel-form. Stamens median or below.

Core below medium to above, somewhat abaxile; cells symmetrical, open or sometimes closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish to elliptical. Seeds dark brown, medium to large, of medium width, plump, acute.

Flesh white, often stained with red, firm, moderately fine, a little tough, moderately juicy to juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic, a little astringent, poor to fair or sometimes nearly good.

Season October to early winter. In common storage the ordinary commercial limit is November (16).

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Name: Fall Queen (Haas). Size: medium. Form: "obe". Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: autumn. Northern Division reporting stations: 4 (also reported in another division). Central Division reporting stations: 4 (also reported in another division). Southern Division reporting stations: 0 (also reported in another division).

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

Haas (Gros. Pomier, Fall Queen)—Origin, near St. Louis, Missouri, tree of very strong, upright growth in nursery and orchard. Tree one of the hardiest of the old list, but not sufficiently hardy at the north. Where hardy it is a good top-grafting stock for Jonathan. R. P. Speer, Cedar Falls, Iowa, reports tree productive on sandy land—Fruit medium or above, roundish oblate, conical, obscurely angular; skin thick, tough, becoming oily; surface yellow, almost or wholly covered with bright crimson, marbled, splashed and striped, a handsome fruit; dots very obscure, few, white, minute; cavity regular, acute, with trace of russet; stem short; basin abrupt, narrow; calyx half open. Core open; cells widely slit; tube funnel-shaped, open to core; stamens median; flesh snow white, often stained red next to skin, juicy, subacid, with a peculiar quince-like texture; quality fair; use culinary. Season late fall.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

HAAS. Fig. 25. Fall Queen. Haas. Horse, Hoss. Yellow Horse. Because of early bearing, thriftiness, hardiness, and productiveness in tree, Haas has been widely planted in different parts of America, and is still in favor in Texas and other parts of the South. It might be a universal favorite, were it not for the poor quality of the fruit, which has a flavor disagreeable to many. Haas originated over half a century ago on the farm of Gabriel Cerre, St. Louis, Missouri.

25. Haas. (X½)

Tree large, very vigorous, tall and upright becoming spreading, with long, slender branches. Fruit medium to large, oblate-conic, ribbed, sides usually unequal; stem short, thick, often partly red; cavity acute, deep, broad, usually symmetrical, covered with thin greenish-russet; calyx small, closed; lobes separated at base, short, narrow, acuminate; basin narrow, deep, abrupt, smooth or furrowed and wrinkled; skin thin, tough, smooth, yellow, mottled, washed and covered with bright red or brownish-red, striped and splashed with carmine; dots large, inconspicuous, numerous, pale or russet; prevailing effect red striped with carmine; calyx-tube variable, long and wide, conical; stamens median; core medium, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open or closed; core-lines clasping; carpels round to elliptical; seeds dark brown, large, plump, acute; flesh white, often stained with red, firm, fine, a little tough, juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic, a little astringent; poor in quality; October to early winter.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Haas. Reported by the Agricultural Experiment Station, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

— H.H. Fisher (USDA ARS), A Survey of Apple Clones in the United States (1963)