Huntsman's Favorite
Apple
Huntsman's Favorite
Origin/History
A seedling originating on the farm of John Huntsman, of Fayette, Missouri. Said to be a valuable and profitable fruit in the locality where it originated.
Tree
Vigorous. Not a very early bearer, but very productive annually once the tree has attained sufficient age. Young shoots smooth, reddish brown.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large, oblate, slightly conic, often a little oblique.
Stem: Short, small.
Cavity: Broad, deep, sometimes with a slight russet.
Calyx: Closed, or nearly so.
Basin: Large, deep, slightly corrugated.
Skin: Smooth, pale yellow, sometimes a shade of pale red or deep yellow in the sun; a few scattering grayish dots.
Flesh and Flavor: Pale yellow, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy; mild rich subacid, slightly aromatic. Quality rated very good.
Core and Seeds: Core rather small.
Season
December through March.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists this variety in a variety-characteristic table but provides no prose description:
Huntsman's Favorite. L ob y VG b W 4*
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1891–1921) from Illinois, Missouri, Oregon
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Huntsman's Favorite.
A seedling on the farm of John Huntsman, of Fayette, Mo. Tree vigorous, not a very early bearer, but is very productive annually when the tree has attained sufficient age; it is said to be a valuable and profitable fruit in the locality where it originated; young shoots smooth, reddish brown.
Fruit large, oblate, slightly conic, often a little oblique; skin smooth, pale yellow, sometimes a shade of pale red or deep yellow in the sun, and a few scattering grayish dots; stalk short, small; cavity broad, deep, sometimes slight russet; calyx closed, or nearly so; basin large, deep, slightly corrugated; flesh pale yellow, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild rich subacid, slightly aromatic; very good; core rather small. December, March.
Huntsman's Favorite.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Huntsman's Favorite. L ob y VG b W 4*