Indiana Favorite

Origin & History

Originated in Fayette County, Indiana. Downing specifies it is supposed to have originated on the farm of Peter Morrits. Warder notes it resembles the Pennsylvania Vandervere, from which it may have sprung, while Thomas states more definitively that it is a seedling of the Vandevere Pippin and resembles it, except in being of a deeper red and much less acid, and superior in flavor. Warder reports it was considerably cultivated in the eastern part of the state, where he procured specimens exhibited at the Richmond Horticultural Society.

Tree

Spreading in habit and a productive bearer. Warder adds that the tree is vigorous; Downing describes growth as healthy. Thomas calls it an excellent bearer.

Fruit

Size: Medium, though Downing and Elliott both note it can reach medium to large.

Form: Roundish to globular-oblate, flattened at the ends, regular. Downing notes the fruit is slightly one-sided. Elliott describes it as tapering to the calyx and angular. Thomas calls it handsome.

Stem: Sources disagree: Warder describes the stem as medium to long and red; Elliott says slender; Thomas says short.

Cavity: Warder describes the cavity as acute, regular, green or brown. Elliott says deep and regular. Thomas says wide.

Calyx: Sources disagree: Warder describes the eye as small and closed. Elliott describes the calyx as irregular with short segments. Thomas says the calyx is open.

Basin: Warder describes the basin as wide, regular, and abrupt. Thomas describes a moderate, even basin.

Skin: Yellow ground color, shaded, splashed, and striped with red. Warder describes the surface as very smooth, bright red, striped with darker red, with numerous star-shaped yellow dots. Downing says yellowish, shaded and streaked with red, and covered with russet specks. Elliott says yellow, mostly covered, splashed and striped with two shades of red, with many russet specks. Thomas says shaded and striped with red on rich yellow, with large yellow russet specks.

Flesh & Flavor: Tender, juicy, mildly sub-acid to almost sweet, and pleasant. Warder describes the flesh as pale yellow, breaking, fine-grained, juicy, with a mild sub-acid flavor, and rates it good to very good. Downing describes it as white, tender, juicy, vinous, almost sweet, and very pleasant, rated good. Elliott says white, tender, juicy, slightly sub-acid, almost sweet, pleasant, rated "very good." Thomas describes it as yellowish, crisp, a mild sub-acid, with an agreeable flavor, rated "very good."

Core & Seeds: Warder describes the core as regular, closed, clasping the eye, with numerous, angular, imperfect seeds. Elliott says the core is compact, with pointed, light brown seeds.

Season

Winter. Warder gives January to March; Downing and Elliott both give January to April. Thomas notes it keeps remarkably well.

Uses

Warder recommends it for table and market.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.