Marston's Red Winter
AppleOrigin/History
Origin, Greenland, New Hampshire. According to Warder (1867), quoting Downing, the original tree was more than a hundred years old and still standing at the time of description, and the fruit was received from Nathan Norton of Greenland, New Hampshire. Downing (1900) and Elliott (1865) confirm the New Hampshire origin. Warder notes he had never seen the fruit himself and quotes Downing's description. The variety was described as popular in its neighborhood, and by many preferred to Baldwin.
Tree
Tree hardy, of moderate growth. Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing). Great bearer. Elliott describes the tree as vigorous and productive. Keeps as well as Baldwin.
Fruit
Size: Above medium to large. Warder and Downing describe it as above medium size; Elliott and Thomas describe it as large.
Form: Sources differ somewhat. Warder describes it as oblong, oval, inclining to ovate. Downing describes it as roundish conic. Elliott describes it as roundish oval. Thomas describes it as roundish-oval, regular, slightly narrowed to each end, smooth.
Stem: Warder gives the stem as three-quarters of an inch long, rather slender. Downing says rather slender. Elliott says short, slender. Thomas says half an inch long, slender.
Cavity: Narrow, deep, compressed, slightly russeted, sometimes with a lip (Warder, Downing). Elliott simply says deep. Thomas says russeted.
Calyx: Partially closed (Warder, Downing). Elliott says partly open.
Basin: Deep, corrugated (Warder, Downing). Elliott says abrupt. Thomas says abrupt, round, smooth — conflicting with the corrugated description given by Warder and Downing.
Skin: Color whitish yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and crimson, thickly sprinkled with minute dots (Warder). Downing agrees but specifies russet dots rather than Warder's minute dots. Elliott describes yellow in shade, red in sun, russet at stem. Thomas describes striped with bright red and crimson on yellow ground.
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish yellow, very juicy, tender, sprightly, sub-acid flavor (Warder). Downing says whitish yellow, very juicy, pleasantly subacid. Elliott says yellowish, tender, juicy, rated "very good." Thomas says yellowish, fine-grained, tender, juicy, high flavored. Thomas is the only source to note fine-grained texture, and his "high flavored" characterization is more emphatic than the subacid descriptions in the other sources.
Core/Seeds: Core compact; seeds dark brown (Elliott). Not described in other sources.
Season
December to March (Warder, Downing). January to April (Elliott). Thomas says ripens through winter.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Marston's Red Winter.
As I have never seen this fruit, I again quote from Downing:
"I received this beautiful apple from Nathan Norton, of Greenland, New Hampshire, who said the original tree was more than a hundred years old, and still standing.
"Tree hardy, of moderate growth, great bearer, and keeps as well as Baldwin, and by many preferred to that variety, and is a popular fruit in the neighborhood.
"Fruit above medium size, oblong, oval, inclining to ovate; Stem three-quarters of an inch long, rather slender, in a narrow, deep, compressed, slightly russeted cavity, sometimes with a lip; Calyx partially closed; Segments long, in a deep, corrugated basin; Color whitish yellow, shaded and striped with bright green and crimson, thickly sprinkled with minute dots; Flesh whitish yellow, very juicy, tender, sprightly, sub-acid flavor; December to March.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Marston's Red Winter.
Origin, Greenland, N. H. Tree hardy, of moderate growth. Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy. Great bearer, and keeps as well as Baldwin.
Fruit above medium size, roundish conic. Stalk rather slender, in a narrow, deep, compressed, slightly russeted cavity, sometimes with a lip. Calyx partially closed. Segments long, in a deep corrugated basin. Color whitish yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and crimson, thickly sprinkled with [russet dots]. Flesh whitish yellow, very juicy. Pleasantly subacid. December to March.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Marston's Red Winter. From New Hampshire. Tree, vigorous, productive. Fruit, large, roundish oval; yellow in shade, red in sun, russet at stem; stem, short, slender; cavity, deep; calyx, partly open; basin, abrupt; core, compact; seeds, dark brown; flesh, yellowish, tender, juicy; "very good." January to April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Marston's Red Winter. Large, roundish-oval, regular, slightly narrowed to each end, smooth; striped with bright red and crimson on yellow ground; stalk half an inch long, slender; cavity russeted; basin abrupt, round, smooth; flesh yellowish, fine-grained, tender, juicy, high flavored. Ripens through winter. Origin, New Hampshire.