Mangum
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Mangum
Origin / History
A Southern variety of uncertain origin. Elliott (1865) gives the origin as Georgia; Thomas (1903) and Budd & Hansen (1914) give Alabama; Downing (1900) calls it "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, and is highly prized in Georgia and throughout the South. Warder (1867) notes that "Carter of Alabama may prove the same," attributing the observation to C. Downing; Warder's volume also carries a related entry under the name "Patton" (treating "Carter of Alabama — Mangum — Alabama Pearmain of Peters" as one and the same), based on specimens supplied by Dr. Jas. S. Blair of Limestone County, North Alabama. Warder preferred the name "Patton" in that entry "because of the other Carters."
Tree
A good, fair grower; thrifty and very productive. Young shoots are grayish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Elliott, Warder, Downing, Thomas, Budd & Hansen, Lowther).
Form: Sources differ slightly. Elliott (1865) describes the fruit as "roundish, conical." Warder (1867), Downing (1900), Thomas (1903), and Budd & Hansen (1914) describe it as oblate, slightly conic; Warder adds "angular" and Thomas adds "ribbed." Lowther (1914) calls the form "roundish oblate." Under Warder's "Patton" entry (treated as synonymous), the fruit is described as large, roundish, somewhat flattened.
Stem / Stalk: Short and small (Elliott, Warder, Downing); slender and short (Budd & Hansen); small, set in a broad russeted cavity (Thomas). Under Warder's Patton entry: stem long to medium, inclined, red.
Cavity: Broad, often russeted (Elliott); broad, surrounded by russet (Warder, Downing); broad, russeted (Thomas, Budd & Hansen). Under Warder's Patton entry: cavity deep, acute.
Calyx / Eye: Closed (Elliott); partially closed (Warder, Downing); half open (Budd & Hansen). Under Warder's Patton entry: eye medium, open.
Basin: Medium (Elliott); slightly corrugated (Warder, Downing, Budd & Hansen); lightly furrowed (Thomas). Under Warder's Patton entry: basin deep, abrupt, folded.
Skin / Surface: Yellowish, striped and shaded with red (Elliott); yellowish, striped and mostly shaded with red, thickly sprinkled with whitish and bronze dots (Warder, Downing); shaded and striped with red on yellow with numerous dots (Thomas); surface yellowish, striped and mostly shaded with red, dots numerous, whitish and bronze (Budd & Hansen). Elliott specifies "whitish brown dots." Lowther gives the skin color as "ar." Under Warder's Patton entry: surface smooth, mixed, marbled and splashed carmine on yellow; dots scattered, distinct, yellow.
Flesh / Flavor: Yellow, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid, excellent (Elliott); yellow, very tender, juicy, mild sub-acid, excellent (Warder); yellow, very tender, juicy, mild subacid, very good to best (Downing, Budd & Hansen); yellow, very tender, with a mild sub-acid excellent flavor (Thomas). Quality very good (Lowther). Under Warder's Patton entry: flesh yellow, firm, breaking, juicy; flavor acid, agreeable; quality good.
Core / Seeds: Elliott describes the core as small. Under Warder's Patton entry: core small, regular, closed, half clasping; seeds plump and imperfect.
Season
October and November (Elliott, Warder, Downing, Budd & Hansen). Elliott adds that it is "valued South as keeping until March." Lowther gives the season as winter. Under Warder's Patton entry: November to January.
Uses
Both kitchen and market (Lowther). Highly prized and extensively cultivated as a dessert and keeping apple in the South.
Subtypes / Variants
Warder, under his "Patton" entry, treats "Carter of Alabama," "Mangum," and "Alabama Pearmain of Peters" as the same variety, with a description that differs notably from the standard Mangum account (large rather than medium; carmine on yellow rather than yellow striped/shaded red; firm and breaking flesh with acid flavor rather than very tender mild subacid). Warder's entry presents these as one variety; whether they represent a distinct strain or a regional variant under the same name is not resolved in the sources.
Other
Lowther (1914) reports the variety from 1 station in the Northern Division, with an asterisk indicating it is also reported in another division.
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.
— 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.
— 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.