McAfee's Nonsuch
AppleMcAfee's Nonsuch
Origin/History
Originated at McAfee's old Fort in Kentucky. Valued in many localities (Thomas). Somewhat grown in the Southwest (Elliott).
Tree
Good grower, very productive. Young shoots smooth, reddish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Downing and Thomas describe the fruit as large; Elliott describes it as medium.
Form: Roundish oblate (Thomas; Downing: "globular, inclining to oblate"). Elliott further characterizes the form as roundish flattened and oblique angular.
Stem: Short (Downing); short and slender (Elliott).
Cavity: Large (Downing). Elliott describes it as open, slightly russeted, broad, and deep.
Calyx: Downing describes it as closed. Elliott describes it as medium in size, with segments short, stiff, half-open, erect, and reflexed — a conflict with Downing's closed calyx.
Basin: Small (Downing). Elliott describes it as deep — a conflict with Downing's small basin.
Skin: Downing: yellowish green, shaded and striped with crimson, covered with a thin bloom. Elliott: yellowish ground, mostly overspread with two shades of red, with a bluish tinge, and grayish dots apparently raised on the surface.
Flesh/Flavor: Crisp and subacid, rated very good (all sources agree). Downing describes the flesh as whitish and solid. Elliott describes it as yellowish, firm, juicy, and aromatic — noting juiciness and aroma not mentioned by Downing, and giving yellowish rather than whitish for the flesh color. Thomas characterizes the flavor as a pleasant subacid.
Core/Seeds: Core medium, compact; seeds short, ovate (Elliott).
Season
December to March (Downing); December to February (Elliott); early winter (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Also known in the sources as McAfee's Red.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1912) from Washington
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)McAfee's Nonsuch.
McAfee's Red.
Originated at McAfee's old Fort in Kentucky. Good grower, very productive. Young shoots smooth reddish brown.
Fruit large, globular, inclining to oblate. Skin yellowish green, shaded and striped with crimson and covered with a thin bloom. Stalk short, inserted in a large cavity. Calyx closed, set in a small basin. Flesh whitish, solid, crisp, subacid. Good to very good. December to March.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)McAfee's Nonsuch. From Kentucky ; somewhat grown Southwest. Fruit medium, roundish flattened, oblique angular; yellowish, mostly overspread with two shades red, bluish tinge, and grayish dots apparently raised on surface ; stem, short, slender; cavity, open, little russeted, broad, deep; calyx, medium; segments, short, stiff, half open, erect, reflexed ; basin, deep ; flesh, yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, aromatic ; core, medium, compact ; seeds, short, ovate; "very good." December to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)McAfee's Nonsuch. Large, roundish-oblate, striped; pleasant sub-acid. Early winter. Ky. Valued in many localities.