Maverack's Sweet
Apple
Maverack's Sweet
Origin / History
Raised by Dr. Maverack of Pendleton District, South Carolina (Downing 1900; Budd & Hansen 1914). Warder (1867) and Thomas (1903) likewise give the origin as South Carolina; Elliott (1865) describes it as of Southern origin.
Tree
Vigorous, upright, spreading, sometimes irregular; an early and good bearer (Downing 1900). Budd & Hansen (1914) likewise describe the tree as vigorous and productive. Young shoots reddish grayish brown, lightly downy (Downing 1900).
Fruit
Size
Large (Warder 1867; Downing 1900; Thomas 1903; Budd & Hansen 1914); very large (Elliott 1865); medium (Lowther 1914).
Form
Roundish-oblate (Warder 1867; Downing 1900; Thomas 1903; Lowther 1914); angular (Warder 1867); roundish, irregular, slightly conical (Elliott 1865); approaching conical (Thomas 1903); obscurely conical (Budd & Hansen 1914).
Stem / Stalk
Short (Warder 1867; Downing 1900; Elliott 1865; Thomas 1903; Budd & Hansen 1914).
Cavity
Large, surrounded by russet (Warder 1867); open (Downing 1900); regular (Elliott 1865); rather large (Thomas 1903; Budd & Hansen 1914).
Calyx
Open (Warder 1867; Downing 1900; Elliott 1865; Thomas 1903; Budd & Hansen 1914).
Basin
Deep, irregular (Warder 1867); deep, corrugated (Downing 1900; Budd & Hansen 1914); medium (Elliott 1865).
Skin
Yellow, mostly shaded with crimson, sprinkled with gray or greenish dots (Warder 1867). Yellow, mostly shaded with rich deep red, and sprinkled with gray dots (Downing 1900). Striped with bright red, and a few greenish dots; skin thick (Elliott 1865). Striped and shaded with bright red on yellow skin (Thomas 1903). Surface yellow, mostly shaded and striped with bright red; dots few, gray (Budd & Hansen 1914). Color red (Lowther 1914).
Flesh / Flavor
Rich, pleasant, vinous, almost saccharine (Warder 1867). Yellowish, rather coarse-grained, breaking, tender, rich, sweet; good to very good (Downing 1900). Fine-grained, tender, sweet, excellent (Elliott 1865). Fine-grained, tender, of sweet, very good flavor (Thomas 1903). Yellowish, tender, rich, sweet, very good (Budd & Hansen 1914). Quality very good (Lowther 1914).
Core / Seeds
Core small (Downing 1900; Budd & Hansen 1914).
Season
November to February (Downing 1900; Budd & Hansen 1914). November and December at the South; December to March at the North (Elliott 1865). Early winter (Thomas 1903). Winter (Lowther 1914).
Uses
A valuable sweet apple for market or cooking (Downing 1900; Budd & Hansen 1914). Market (Lowther 1914).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867) — listed as Maverack Sweet
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Maverack
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Maverack Sweet
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1886–1913) from Alabama, Illinois
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886 — listed as Maverick's Sweet
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Maverack Sweet.
Origin South Carolina. "Fruit large, roundish-oblate, angular; Skin yellow, mostly shaded with crimson, sprinkled with gray or greenish dots; Stalk short, inserted into a large cavity surrounded by russet; Calyx open, set in a deep, irregular basin; Flesh rich, pleasant, vinous, almost saccharine." —[Downing.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Maverack's Sweet.
Raised by Dr. Maverack, Pendleton District, S. C. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, sometimes irregular, an early and good bearer. Young shoots reddish grayish brown, lightly downy.
Fruit large, roundish oblate, yellow, mostly shaded with rich deep red, and sprinkled with gray dots. Stalk short, inserted in an open cavity. Calyx open, set in a deep corrugated basin. Flesh yellowish, rather coarse-grained, breaking, tender, rich, sweet. Good to very good. Core small. November to February. A valuable sweet apple for market or cooking.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Maverack Sweet. Size: medium. Form: roundish (oblate). Color: red. Quality: very good. Use: market. Season: winter.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Maverack's Sweet.
Southern origin. Fruit, very large; roundish, irregular, slightly conical; striped with bright red, and a few greenish dots; stem, short; cavity, regular; calyx, open; basin, medium; skin, thick; flesh, fine-grained, tender, sweet, excellent. November and December at the South; December to March at the North.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Maverack's Sweet. Large, roundish-oblate, approaching conical; striped and shaded with bright red on yellow skin; stalk short, cavity rather large; calyx open; flesh fine-grained, tender, of sweet, very good flavor. Early winter. South Carolina.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Maverack. — Originated by Dr. Maverack, South Carolina; tree vigorous, productive, fruit valuable for market and cooking.
Fruit large, roundish oblate, obscurely conical; surface yellow, mostly shaded and striped with bright red; dots few, gray; cavity rather large; stem short; basin deep, corrugated; calyx open.
Maverack.
Core small; flesh yellowish, tender, rich, sweet, very good. November to February.