May
Apple
May
Origin / History
An old apple of unknown origin, widely disseminated throughout the West (Warder; Downing). Warder notes it has been exhibited at all winter meetings and finds favor on account of its productiveness and its long-keeping properties, adding that its reputed foreign origin is discredited. Downing describes it as "considerably grown at the West."
Tree
Warder: healthy, vigorous, and productive — believed to be hardy.
Downing: a poor grower, but a good bearer. Young shoots dark reddish brown, downy somewhat towards the end.
Central Experimental Farm (Agassiz, BC, planted Spring 1896): a medium grower.
Sources conflict on vigor — Warder calls the tree vigorous while Downing calls it a poor grower; the Central Experimental Farm's assessment of "medium" falls between them.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Elliott; Warder; Downing). Central Experimental Farm reports small.
Form: Roundish conical (Elliott; Downing); Elliott adds "flattened." Warder: round, inclined to conical, regular. Central Experimental Farm: conical.
Stem: Long, rather slender (Warder). Not otherwise described.
Cavity: Deep, narrow, regular, brown (Warder).
Calyx / Eye: Small, closed (Warder).
Basin: Shallow, generally regular (Warder).
Skin / Surface: Greenish yellow with dull red streaks (Elliott). Warder: surface smooth, often shining, pale greenish-yellow, often faintly blushed, or bronzed. Downing: pale greenish yellow, slight brownish in sun. Central Experimental Farm: greenish yellow, with a dull red cheek.
Flesh / Flavor: Sources vary on juiciness and texture. Elliott: tender, juicy, sub-acid. Warder: yellow, compact, fine, sufficiently juicy; quality fair. Downing: whitish, fine-grained, compact, not very juicy, mild subacid; rated "Good." Central Experimental Farm: white, solid, not juicy, but mildly acid.
Core / Seeds: Warder: core large, regular, heart-shaped, reaching the eye; seeds numerous, pointed, plump, brown. Downing: core rather large, and open.
Season
Elliott: valued only for its earliness, which, in the South, is the latter end of May.
Warder: long-keeping; season spring and into summer.
Downing: February to June.
Central Experimental Farm: February.
Sources conflict sharply — Elliott treats it as an early apple ripening at the end of May in the South, while Warder, Downing, and the Central Experimental Farm all describe it as a long-keeping winter/spring apple.
Uses
Market and kitchen (Warder). Elliott notes it is "valued only for its earliness." Downing and the Central Experimental Farm do not specify uses beyond the implied dessert/kitchen use of the flesh description.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1894–1913) from Alabama, Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894 — listed as Winter May
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894 — listed as Winter May
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as May of Myers
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900 — listed as Winter May
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as May of Myers
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as May of Myers
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as May of Myers
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)May.
Medium sized, roundish conical, flattened ; greenish yellow, with dull red streaks; flesh, tender, juicy, sub-acid; valued only for its earliness, which, in the South, is the latter end of May.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)May. MAY (of Myers)—RHENISH MAY (of Illinois.)
This long-keeping apple has been widely disseminated throughout the West, and yet I do not find its history nor origin. It has been exhibited at all our winter meetings, and finds favor on account of its productiveness and its long-keeping properties. Tree healthy, vigorous and productive—believed to be hardy. Its reputed foreign origin is discredited.
Fruit medium, round, inclined to conical, regular; Surface smooth, often shining, pale greenish-yellow, often faintly blushed, or bronzed.
Basin shallow, generally regular; Eye small, closed. Cavity deep, narrow, regular, brown; Stem long, rather slender. Core large, regular, heart-shaped, reaching the eye; Seeds numerous, pointed, plump, brown; Flesh yellow, compact, fine, sufficiently juicy; Quality fair; Use market and kitchen; Season spring and into summer.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)May. May Apple. Pilliken. Plymouth Greening. Rhenish May. Winter May. May of Myers. May Seek-no-further of some.
An old Apple, considerably grown at the West. Origin unknown. Its only value is because of its long keeping quality. Tree a poor grower, but a good bearer. Young shoots dark reddish brown, downy somewhat towards the end.
Fruit medium, roundish conical, pale greenish yellow, slight brownish in sun. Flesh whitish, fine-grained, compact, not very juicy, mild subacid. Core rather large, and open. Good. February to June.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1896. Tree a medium grower. Fruit small, conical. Skin greenish yellow, with a dull red cheek. Flesh white, solid, not juicy, but mildly acid. Season February.