Hill's Favorite

Apple

Hill's Favorite

Origin/History

Originated in Leominster, Massachusetts. No further historical detail provided in sources.

Tree

A thrifty grower and very productive. No further detail on bark, twigs, buds, or leaves described in sources.

Fruit

Size: Sources differ slightly: Downing and Thomas give the size as medium; Elliott gives it as above medium.

Form: Sources differ: Downing describes the fruit as roundish oblate, slightly conic; Elliott describes it as roundish conical.

Stem/Stalk: Short (Downing, Elliott).

Cavity: Medium in size, uneven (Downing). Elliott confirms uneven but does not characterize the size.

Calyx: Closed.

Basin: Small and shallow (Downing). Elliott describes it as shallow only, without characterizing size.

Skin: Yellow ground, mostly shaded and striped with red, covered with a thin bloom and numerous whitish dots.

Flesh/Flavor: Yellow, tender, juicy, and aromatic (Downing, Elliott). Downing further describes the flesh as fine-grained and pleasant, with a slightly subacid flavor. Elliott adds that the flesh is firm. Thomas characterizes it as compact and sub-acid. Quality rated "good to very good" (Downing) and "very good" (Elliott).

Core/Seeds: Core medium (Elliott). Not described by Downing or Thomas.

Season

Ripens in middle of September (Downing), remaining in use for about a month; Elliott extends the season through October. Thomas places it broadly in autumn.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

View original book sources (3)

Hill's Favorite. Origin, Leominster, Mass. A thrifty grower, and very productive. Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic, yellow, mostly shaded and striped with red, covered with thin bloom and numerous whitish dots. Stalk short. Cavity medium, uneven. Calyx closed. Basin small, shallow. Flesh yellow, fine-grained, tender, juicy, pleasant, slightly subacid, aromatic. Good to very good. Middle of September, and in use for a month.

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

Hill's Favorite. From Mass. Tree, thrifty, productive. Fruit, above medium, roundish conical; yellow shaded and striped with red, whitish dots, thin bloom; stem, short; cavity, uneven; calyx, closed; basin, shallow; flesh, yellow, firm, tender, juicy, aromatic; core, medium; "very good." September, October.

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

Hill's Favorite. Medium, roundish, red; compact, sub-acid, aromatic. Autumn. Mass.

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