Martha
Crab Apple
Martha
Origin/History
Originated with Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minnesota. As of 1905, had been grown but little in New York State, though Beach considered it should be more generally grown there. Listed in the American Pomological Society Catalog, 1897.
Tree
Medium in size, moderately vigorous. Form spreading, open, and somewhat inclined to droop. Very hardy. Comes into bearing young and is a reliable cropper, yielding good to heavy crops annually or nearly annually.
Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark reddish-brown tinged with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, not pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small, oblong, not raised. Buds very prominent, large, long, acute, free, not pubescent. Leaves rather long, somewhat twisted and drooping.
Fruit
Size and Form: Beach describes the fruit as usually rather large, uniform in size and shape; Thomas gives it as medium. Form roundish or oblate, regular or very faintly ribbed, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal.
Stem: Long, slender.
Cavity: Acute to somewhat obtuse, medium in depth to rather shallow, rather broad, sometimes furrowed, often thinly russeted.
Calyx: Medium to small, closed or partly open, occasionally deciduous.
Basin: Shallow, wide, obtuse, smooth.
Skin: Moderately thin, tough, smooth. Ground color clear pale yellow almost entirely covered with an attractive bright light red overspread with bluish bloom. Thomas describes the coloring as yellow with a red cheek. Sometimes faint narrow stripes extend from the cavity to calyx.
Dots: Rather numerous, light-colored, small to medium size.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, juicy, rather brisk subacid (Thomas gives simply "acid"), good to very good in flavor and quality. Beach rates it excellent in flavor and quality and one of the very best of its class for all culinary purposes.
Core and Seeds: Calyx tube short, rather narrow, very small, conical or somewhat funnelform. Stamens median to marginal. Core medium size, axile; cells closed or nearly so. Carpels roundish or somewhat obovate, slightly tufted. Seeds medium size, rather narrow, acute to acuminate.
Season
Beach gives September to November (season September to late fall); Thomas gives the season as early. The fruit hangs well to the tree.
Uses
One of the very best of its class for all culinary purposes. Very handsome in appearance; uniform, reliable, and satisfactory in appearance and quality.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 23 catalogs (1891–1912) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Cotta Nursery (J.V. Cotta) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1895
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- 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
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)MARTHA.
REFERENCES. 1. ? Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1879:452. 2. Ib., 1880:68. 3. Rural N. Y., 45:284. 1886. figs. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1887:134. 5. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 6. Thomas, 1897:299. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:11. 8. Budd-Hansen, 1903:222. 9. Rural N. Y., 62:235. 1903. 10. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:47. 1903.
SYNONYMS. None.
Fruit large, very handsome clear yellow more or less overspread with bright red; excellent in flavor and quality; one of the very best of its class for all culinary purposes. The tree is of medium size, moderately vigorous, roundish or spreading, very hardy, comes into bearing young, and is a reliable cropper, yielding good to heavy crops annually or nearly annually. The fruit hangs well to the tree, is uniform, reliable, and satisfactory in appearance and quality. Season, September to late fall. It should be more generally grown in New York.
Historical. Originated with Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minn. It has as yet been grown but little in this state.
TREE.
Tree medium in size, moderately vigorous. Form spreading, open and somewhat inclined to droop. Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes long. Bark reddish-brown tinged with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, not pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small, oblong, not raised. Buds very prominent, large, long, acute, free, not pubescent. Leaves rather long, somewhat twisted and drooping.
FRUIT.
Fruit usually rather large, uniform in size and shape. Form roundish or oblate, regular or very faintly ribbed, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal. Stem long, slender. Cavity acute to somewhat obtuse, medium in depth to rather shallow, rather broad, sometimes furrowed, often thinly russeted. Calyx medium to small, closed or partly open, occasionally deciduous. Basin shallow, wide, obtuse, smooth. Skin moderately thin, tough, smooth, clear pale yellow almost entirely covered with an attractive bright light red overspread with bluish bloom; sometimes faint narrow stripes extend from the cavity to calyx. Dots rather numerous, light-colored, small to medium size. Calyx tube short, rather narrow, very small, conical or somewhat funnelform. Stamens median to marginal. Core medium size, axile; cells closed or nearly so. Carpels roundish or somewhat obovate, slightly tufted. Seeds medium size, rather narrow, acute to acuminate. Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, juicy, rather brisk subacid, good to very good in flavor and quality. Season September to November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Martha.* Medium, oblate; yellow with a red cheek; acid, good. Season early. Minnesota.