Mangum
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Mangum
Origin / History
Mangum is a Southern apple. Elliott gives it as "From Georgia." Downing calls it "a Southern variety of uncertain origin." Thomas and Budd and Hansen place its origin in Alabama.
Downing records it as extensively cultivated in the South, "where it is counted as one of the most desirable and reliable apples." C. Downing, quoted by Warder, calls it "a first rate southern fruit," "highly prized in Georgia and the South." Thomas calls it "a valuable Southern apple."
C. Downing wrote that "Carter of Alabama may prove the same." Warder describes the variety under the name Patton, which he identifies with Carter of Alabama, with Mangum, and with the Alabama Pearmain of Peters. He "preferred the name Patton because of the other Carters." He calls it "a great favorite in the South, and deservedly so, on account of its good qualities." His description was drawn from specimens sent by Dr. Jas. S. Blair, Limestone County, North Alabama. Thomas gives a second entry under Carter, referred to Mangum, and calls it "one of the best apples in the Southern States."
Lowther's station table reports Mangum from one station in the Northern Division and marks it as also reported in another division.
Tree
Thrifty and very productive. Downing calls it a good, fair grower, with young shoots of a grayish brown.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Most accounts give medium. Warder, under Patton, gives large, and Thomas, under Carter, medium to large.
Form: Oblate to roundish oblate, slightly conic; angular (C. Downing, quoted by Warder) or ribbed (Thomas). Elliott gives roundish, conical, and Warder, under Patton, roundish, somewhat flattened. Thomas, under Carter, gives roundish-ovate.
Stem: Short and small, slender (Budd and Hansen). Thomas, under Carter, calls it rather short. Warder, under Patton, gives it as long to medium, inclined, and red.
Cavity: Broad, surrounded by russet; often russeted (Elliott). Warder, under Patton, calls it deep and acute, and Thomas, under Carter, deep.
Calyx: Closed to partially closed or half open. Elliott calls it closed; Downing gives partially closed, Budd and Hansen half open. Warder, under Patton, gives the eye as medium and open. Thomas, under Carter, gives the calyx as large and open.
Basin: Medium (Elliott), slightly corrugated or lightly furrowed. Warder, under Patton, calls it deep, abrupt, and folded. Thomas, under Carter, calls it wide, deep, and somewhat furrowed.
Skin: Yellowish, striped and mostly shaded with red. Warder, under Patton, gives the surface as smooth, mixed, marbled and splashed carmine on yellow. Thomas, under Carter, gives red on orange yellow. Lowther's table records the skin color by the code "ar".
Dots: Numerous, thickly sprinkled, whitish and bronze; whitish brown (Elliott). Warder, under Patton, gives them as scattered, distinct, and yellow.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow, tender to very tender, juicy; flavor mild subacid, "excellent" (Elliott; C. Downing, quoted by Warder; Thomas). Downing rates it "very good to best," Lowther "very good." Thomas, under Carter, gives the flesh as tender, mild, pleasant. Warder, under Patton, gives the flesh as yellow, firm, breaking, juicy, the flavor "acid, agreeable," and the quality "good."
Core and seeds: Core small. Warder, under Patton, gives the core as small, regular, closed, half clasping, and the seeds as plump and imperfect.
Season
The recorded season runs from October into March. Most authors give October and November. Elliott writes that it is "valued South as keeping until March." Warder, under Patton, gives November to January, and Lowther's table gives winter.
Uses
Kitchen and market (Lowther).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Elliott gives a separate entry for a Southern apple, Carter, headed with the name Royal Pippin. Fruit above medium, roundish, yellow and red; flesh tender, mild, pleasant. He rates it almost "very good," with a season of October to January.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Mangum (Gulley)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Arkansas, Illinois
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Mangum. Seago. | Maxfield.
From Georgia. Fruit, medium, roundish, conical; yellowish, striped and shaded with red; whitish brown dots; stem, short, small; cavity, broad, often russeted; calyx, closed; basin, medium; core, small; flesh, yellow, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid, excellent. October and November. Valued South as keeping until March.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Carter", pp. 135–135]
Carter. Royal Pippin, Southern. Fruit, above medium, roundish, yellow and red ; flesh, tender, mild, pleasant ; almost " very good." October to January.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Mangum.
A first rate southern fruit. Tree thrifty, and very productive.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, angular; skin yellowish, striped and mostly shaded with red, thickly sprinkled with whitish and bronze dots; Stem short and small, inserted in a broad cavity surrounded by russet; Calyx partially closed; Basin slightly corrugated; Flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, mild sub acid, excellent, highly prized in Georgia and the South; October and November. Carter of Alabama may prove the same.”—[C. Downing.]
[Additional entry in this volume: "Patton", pp. 611–611]
Patton.
CARTER of Alabama— MANGUM— ALABAMA PEARMAIN of Peters.
This is a great favorite in the South, and deservedly so, on account of its good qualities. Specimens from Dr. Jas. S. Blair, Limestone County, North Alabama, afford me data for the following description. I have preferred the name Patton because of the other Carters:
Fruit large, roundish, somewhat flattened; Surface smooth, mixed, marbled and splashed carmine on yellow; Dots scattered, distinct, yellow.
Basin deep, abrupt, folded; Eye medium, open.
Cavity deep, acute; Stem long to medium, inclined, red.
Core small, regular, closed, half clasping; Seeds plump and imperfect; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, juicy; Flavor acid, agreeable; Quality good; Season, November to January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Mangum.
Fall Cheese of Va. Cheese. Seago. Gully. Carter of Ala. Maxfield. Carter's Winter. Patton. Johnston's Favorite. Alabama Pearmain? Sam Wingard. Blakely.
A Southern variety of uncertain origin. It is extensively cultivated in the South, where it is counted as one of the most desirable and reliable apples. Tree a good, fair grower, with young shoots of a grayish brown, very productive.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, yellowish, striped and mostly shaded with red, thickly sprinkled with whitish and bronze dots. Stalk short and small, inserted in a broad cavity surrounded by russet. Calyx partially closed. Basin slightly corrugated. Flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, mild subacid. Very good to best. October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Mangum. (Guiley.) Medium, oblate, slightly conic, ribbed; shaded and striped with red on yellow with numerous dots; stalk small, in a broad, russeted cavity; basins lightly furrowed; flesh yellow, very tender, with a mild sub-acid excellent flavor. A valuable Southern apple. Tree thrifty, productive. Alabama.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Carter", pp. 349–349]
Carter.* (Mangum.) Medium to large, roundish-ovate; red on orange yellow; stalk rather short, cavity deep, calyx large, open, in a wide, deep, somewhat furrowed basin; flesh tender, mild, pleasant. One of the best apples in the Southern States. Alabama.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Mangum (Gulley).—Origin, Alabama; extensively cultivated and highly prized in the South; tree thrifty, very productive.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic; surface yellowish, striped, and mostly shaded with red; dots numerous, whitish and bronze; cavity broad, russeted; stem slender, short; basin slightly corrugated; calyx half open; flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, mild subacid, very good to best. October to November.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Mangum is a medium-sized apple of roundish oblate form with skin color "ar". Quality is very good. Use is both kitchen and market. Season is winter. Reported by 1 station in the Northern Division; the asterisk indicates the variety is also reported in another division.