Hightop Sweet
Apple
Origin & History
Origin, Plymouth, Massachusetts. An old variety; in 1822 Thacher remarked: "This tree, it is believed, is peculiar to the old Plymouth colony. The first settlers, either from choice, or for want of other varieties, cultivated it more generally than any other apple. It is now much on the decline" (Beach). Downing describes it as "highly prized at the West," and Elliott calls it "very popular Southwest and West." It appears that this variety was introduced into Ohio from Connecticut and Massachusetts and afterward disseminated westward under the name of Sweet June. In 1892 Bailey found that although various nurserymen were offering Sweet June for sale none of them mentioned Hightop Sweet. Some have held that the Sweet June of the West is not identical with the Hightop Sweet of Massachusetts. Beach notes: "We have not had the opportunity of determining whether this is true, but if they are identical it appears strange that the name Hightop Sweet should be entirely dropped by those who are propagating it in the West." The variety was but little known in New York as of 1905 (Beach).
Tree
Vigorous, very upright, very productive and profitable. Tree hardy (Downing). Bright reddish brown shoots (Downing). Thacher noted the tree "is remarkable for its long upright stem" (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Small to medium (Warder). Medium or below (Downing). Medium (Beach, Elliott).
Form: Round, regular (Warder). Roundish, regular (Downing, Elliott).
Stem: Warder describes the stem as medium. Downing describes it as medium, inserted in a deep narrow cavity, surrounded by thin russet. Elliott describes it as slender.
Cavity: Deep, narrow (Warder, Downing). Surrounded by thin russet (Downing).
Calyx: Small, closed.
Basin: Warder describes the basin as medium, regular. Downing describes it as shallow, slightly furrowed.
Skin: Very smooth (Downing). Smooth (Warder). Color greenish-yellow (Warder, Elliott) or light yellow, partially covered (Downing). Dots: Warder describes minute, black dots. Downing describes green dots. Elliott describes greenish white dots.
Flesh & Flavor: White or greenish-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, sweet; quality good (Warder). Yellowish, very sweet, not very juicy, but pleasant and rich; very good (Downing). Yellowish, very sweet, rich and of very good quality (Beach). Yellowish white, tender, juicy, sweet; "very good" (Elliott). Note the disagreement on juiciness: Warder and Elliott describe the flesh as juicy, while Downing says "not very juicy."
Core & Seeds: Core very small, oval, separate from the eye. Seeds numerous, angular, yellow (Warder).
Season
June and July (Warder). August (Downing). July and August (Beach). Last of July (Elliott).
Uses
Table and kitchen (Warder). Thacher noted it was "chiefly used for baking, and for drying" and "is not long preserved" (Beach).
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas (1903) lists Hightop Sweet at p. 299 but provides no description.
Lowther (1914): description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
High Top Sweet (8)............ S r gy VG b 6* 10* 2*
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Hightop Sweet. SWEET JUNE.
From Plymouth, Massachusetts. Tree vigorous, very upright, exceedingly productive and profitable. Fruit small to medium, round, regular; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow; Dots minute, black. Basin medium, regular; Eye small, closed. Cavity deep, narrow; Stem medium. Core very small, oval, separate from the eye; Seeds numerous, angular, yellow; Flesh white, or greenish-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy; Flavor sweet; Quality good; Use, table and kitchen; Season, June and July.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Hightop Sweet. Summer Sweet. Sweet June. Origin, Plymouth, Mass. An old variety, highly prized at the West. Growth upright, vigorous. Tree hardy, very productive, bright reddish brown shoots. Fruit medium or below, roundish, regular. Skin very smooth. Color light yellow, partially covered with green dots. Stalk medium, inserted in a deep narrow cavity, surrounded by thin russet. Calyx small, closed. Basin shallow, slightly furrowed. Flesh yellowish, very sweet, not very juicy, but pleasant and rich. Very good. August.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)HIGHTOP SWEET.
REFERENCES. 1. Thacher, 1822:128. 2. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 14:390. 1848. 3. Cole, 1849:97. 4. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:472. 1850. 5. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:16. 1851. fig. 6. Elliott, 1854:139. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1856. 8. Mag. Hort., 22:181. 1856. 9. Downing, 1857:151. 10. Gregg, 1857:40. 11. Warder, 1867:553. 12. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1869:33. 13. Fitz, 1872:145. 14. Thomas, 1875:189. 15. Downing, 1881:11 index, app. 16. Barry, 1883:333. 17. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 18. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:250. 19. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:132. 20. Hoskins, Rural N. Y., 1894:248. 21. Budd-Hansen, 1903:99. fig.
SYNONYMS. Early Sweet (15). HIGH Top SWEET (19). High Top Sweet' (13). HIGHTOP Sweet (21). HIGH TOP SWEETING (1, 5, 6, 8, 12, 15). High Top Sweeting? (2, 3). SUMMER SWEET (3). Summer Sweet (5, 6, 9, 14). SUMMER SWEETING (2). SWEET JUNE (4, 10, 13, 18). Sweet June (6, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21).
Fruit of medium size; flesh yellowish, very sweet, rich and of very good quality; season July and August. Tree upright, vigorous, very productive.
Historical. In 1822 Thacher (1) remarked: "This tree, it is believed, is peculiar to the old Plymouth colony. The first settlers, either from choice, or for want of other varieties, cultivated it more generally than any other apple. It is now much on the decline. The fruit is under the middle size; of a yellowish colour, pleasant taste; but chiefly used for baking, and for drying. It is ripe in August, and is not long preserved. The tree is remarkable for its long upright stem." It appears that this variety was introduced into Ohio from Connecticut and Massachusetts and afterward disseminated westward under the name of Sweet June. In 1892 Bailey (18) found that although various nurserymen were offering Sweet June for sale none of them mentioned Hightop Sweet. Some have held that the Sweet June of the West is not identical with the Hightop Sweet of Massachusetts (12). We have not had the opportunity of determining whether this is true, but if they are identical it appears strange that the name Hightop Sweet should be entirely dropped by those who are propagating it in the West. This variety is but little known in New York.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)High Top Sweet (8)............ S r gy VG b 6* 10* 2*
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)High Top Sweet. Summer Sweet, of Ohio | Sweet June, of Illinois. From Plymouth, Mass. Tree, upright, productive. Fruit, medium, roundish, greenish yellow, with greenish white dots; stem, slender; calyx, closed; flesh, yellowish white, tender, juicy, sweet; "very good." Last of July. Very popular Southwest and West.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Hightop Sweet, p. 299.