McKINLEY
Apple
Origin/History
Originated in Indiana (Beach, citing Ragan). Highly esteemed by Reuben Ragan of Indiana, who finds it profitable (Warder). Propagated to a limited extent in portions of the Middle West (Beach, citing Bailey). Practically unknown in New York (Beach). Thomas attributes it to Missouri ("Mo.").
Tree
As grown at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, the tree has come into bearing rather young, but it had not been tested there long enough to determine its productiveness (Beach). Not recommended for planting in New York State (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Warder, Downing); medium to large (Beach); large (Thomas). A dessert apple of pretty good size (Beach).
Form: Roundish, flattened, slightly conic, regular (Warder); roundish flattened, slightly conic (Downing); roundish oblate (Beach).
Stem: Slender, medium to short (Warder); short to medium, slender (Beach).
Cavity: Deep, acute, regular, brown (Warder); rather narrow, deep, thickly russeted (Beach).
Calyx/Eye: Eye large, closed (Warder). Calyx large, closed or varying to wide open; lobes small (Beach).
Basin: Regular, shallow (Warder); broad, rather abrupt, shallow to moderately deep, slightly furrowed (Beach).
Skin: Surface smooth, dull red on greenish-yellow, stripes indistinct (Warder); dull red on greenish yellow, stripes indistinct (Downing); dull yellow indistinctly blushed and striped with dull red, sprinkled with large areolar dots (Beach); dull red, showy (Thomas). Beach notes the color is not very good. Dots scattered, large, gray (Warder).
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh breaking, very fine-grained, very juicy (Warder); breaking, fine-grained, juicy (Downing); yellowish, rather fine-grained, moderately juicy (Beach). Flavor sub-acid, good (Warder, Thomas); subacid, good (Downing, Beach). Quality good to very good (Warder).
Core/Seeds: Core medium, ovate, regular, closed, meeting the eye (Warder); core medium, closed, core lines meeting (Beach). Seeds numerous, plump, brown (Warder).
Season
December and January (Warder, Downing, Beach); early winter (Thomas). The fruit does not keep late (Beach).
Uses
Table / dessert apple (Warder, Beach).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1891–1901) from Illinois, Missouri
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- 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
View original book sources (4)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)McKinley.
Highly esteemed by Reuben Ragan, of Indiana, who finds it profitable.
Fruit medium, roundish, flattened, slightly conic, regular; Surface smooth, dull red on greenish-yellow, stripes indistinct; Dots scattered, large, gray.
Basin regular, shallow; Eye large, closed.
Cavity deep, acute, regular, brown; Stem slender, medium to short.
Core medium, ovate, regular, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, plump, brown; Flesh breaking, very fine-grained, very juicy; Flavor sub-acid, good; Quality good to very good; Use, table; Season, December and January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)McKinley.
Fruit medium, roundish flattened, slightly conic, dull red on greenish yellow. Stripes indistinct. Flesh breaking, fine-grained, juicy, subacid. Good. December, January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)McKINLEY.
REFERENCES. 1. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 2. Warder, 1867:606. fig. 3. Downing, 1872:261. 4. Thomas, 1885:517. 5. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 6. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:188. 1905.
SYNONYM. MACKINLAY (1). MacKinlay (6).
A dessert apple of pretty good size but the color is not very good and the fruit does not keep late. As grown at this Station the tree has come into bearing rather young but it has not been tested here long enough to determine its productiveness. It is not recommended for planting in this state. It originated in Indiana (6) and is propagated to a limited extent in portions of the Middle West (5). It is practically unknown in New York.
FRUIT. Fruit medium to large, roundish oblate. Stem short to medium, slender. Cavity rather narrow, deep, thickly russeted. Calyx large, closed or varying to wide open; lobes small. Basin broad, rather abrupt, shallow to moderately deep, slightly furrowed. Skin dull yellow indistinctly blushed and striped with dull red, sprinkled with large areolar dots. Core medium, closed; core lines meeting. Flesh yellowish, rather fine-grained, moderately juicy, subacid, good. Season December and January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)McKinley. Large, dull red, showy; good, sub-acid. Early winter. Mo.