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McMahon

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of McMahon

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

McMahon

Origin / History

Originated about 1860 in Richland County, Wisconsin. Hansen records the claim that it came from seed of Alexander, and Hedrick calls it "possibly a seedling" of that variety. Beach places it in the Aport group. Hansen reports it doing well in Wisconsin and in parts of southern South Dakota and Minnesota. Hedrick says its culture is confined to its native and nearby states. The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, British Columbia, planted it in spring 1890 and placed it under test.

Tree

A very strong grower, vigorous and spreading. Hedrick calls it medium in size. Stark calls it a handsome, healthy grower that comes into bearing young. It is a good bearer (Hansen); the Agassiz farm calls it productive, and Stark an abundant bearer.

Lowther records the yield of eight trees planted in 1888, in gallons per tree, for 1898 through 1905; the totals are as Lowther prints them. Tree 1 gave 62.0, then a blank in 1899, then 83.0, 2.0, 147.0, 1.5, 141.0 and 40.0, with a total given as 476.5 for "1899–1905." Tree 2 gave 42.0, 1.0, 6.0, 12.5, 98.0, 23.0, 116.0 and 30.0, total 328.5. Tree 3 gave 32.0, 29.0, 49.0, 18.0, 55.0, 63.5, 56.0 and 108.0, total 410.5. Tree 4 gave 85.0, then a blank in 1899, then 34.5, 4.0, 63.0, 34.0, 67.0 and 69.0, total 306.5. Tree 5 was blank in 1898, then gave 37.5, 55.0 and 49.0, was blank in 1902, gave 61.0, was blank in 1904, and gave 98.0 in 1905, total 300.5. Tree 6 gave 29.0, 4.5, 46.0, 0.5, 69.5, 43.0, 72.0 and 96.0, total 360.5. Tree 7 gave 0.5, 9.5, 19.5, 4.0, 19.0, 39.5, 14.0 and 87.0, total 143.0. Tree 8 gave 7.0, 9.0, 27.0, 9.0, 53.0, 15.5, 54.0 and 35.5, total 210.0.

Fruit

Size: Large to very large.

Form: Roundish to round-conic, somewhat conical, obscurely angular and irregular (Hansen), faintly ribbed (Hedrick). The Agassiz farm alone calls it oblate, conical.

Stem: Short to medium, stout or thick.

Cavity: Deep to very deep, acute, russeted. Hedrick calls it remarkably acuminate, broad and compressed, with outspreading rays.

Calyx: Open, segments divergent; small, with the lobes short and separated at the base (Hedrick). Hansen gives the calyx tube as obtusely conical with stamens basal; Hedrick gives it as long, wide, broadly conical or cylindrical, with stamens median.

Basin: Medium deep to deep, narrow, wavy (Hansen); abrupt, compressed, furrowed and wrinkled (Hedrick).

Skin: Tender, showing bruises readily (Hansen). Light or pale yellow, becoming almost clear white when fully ripe, often with a delicate pink blush; white with a handsome blush (Agassiz farm). Hedrick adds irregular stripes and patches of white scarf-skin extending from the cavity over the base, with the cheek often overspread with a thin blush, faintly splashed and striped with carmine.

Dots: White or whitish, large and suffused (Hansen), or few and inconspicuous, green or russet (Hedrick); the Agassiz farm notes a few whitish dots.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, juicy, sprightly or brisk subacid; "mildly acid" (Agassiz farm). Hansen calls it coarse-grained and crisp, while Hedrick calls it fine and tender, and the Agassiz farm "very tender." Quality "fair to good" (Beach, Hedrick); Hansen gives "good for table," and Stark "of good quality."

Core and seeds: Core small, closed or open, irregular, sessile, abaxile to axile; cells symmetrical; core-lines meeting; carpels round or elliptical, emarginate; seeds dark brown, plump, obtuse. Hansen gives the core as closed; the cells, core-lines, carpels and seeds are Hedrick's.

Season

The recorded season runs from October into February. Hansen and the Agassiz farm give an autumn season, October to November or December. Beach and Hedrick carry it to January or February. Beach reports that as grown at the New York Station it ripens unevenly and does not appear well adapted for storage.

Uses

Chiefly a culinary apple, praised for cooking by every author who gives a use: "excellent for culinary use" (Beach), "a first-class cooking apple" (Agassiz farm), "very good for cooking" (Hansen), "a good cooker" (Stark). Hansen says it is not a first-class shipper, as the skin is tender and shows bruises readily. Hedrick judges McMahon similar to Alexander in quality "but does not equal it in any characters which contribute to making a commercial variety," and says "the apple is not good enough in quality for home-growing."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Stark's entry closes with the notation "NNCS."

Book Sources

Described in 5 period pomological works

USDA Nomenclature (1905)

From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56

Origin, Richland Co., Wis., in about 1860.

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 8 catalogs (1891–1912) from Illinois, Missouri, Washington

View original book sources (7)

McMahon (McMahon White)—Origin, Richland County, Wisconsin, about 1860, it is claimed from seed of Alexander; it is doing well in Wisconsin and parts of southern South Dakota and Minnesota, but is not a first-class shipper, as the skin is tender, and shows bruises readily; tree a very strong grower and a good bearer—Fruit large to very large, roundish, somewhat conical, obscurely angular and irregular; surface light yellow, becoming almost clear white when fully ripe, often with delicate blush; dots white, large, suffused; cavity deep, acute, russeted; stem short to medium, stout; basin medium deep, wavy, narrow; calyx open, segments divergent. Core closed, irregular, sessile; tube obtusely conical; stamens basal; flesh white, coarse grained, crisp, juicy, sprightly subacid, good for table, very good for cooking. October to December.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

McMAHON.

REFERENCES. 1. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:27. 2. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886:221. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1887:93. 4. Rural N. Y., 46:751. 1887. 5. Can. Hort., 11:220. 1888. fig. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1889:10. 7. Am. Gard., 11:243. 1890. 8. Can. Hort., 13:174, 216. 1890. 9. Van Deman, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1890:413. 10. Can. Hort., 14:339. 1891. 11. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:57, 59. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 13. Can. Hort., 15:393. 1892. 14. Ib., 16:77, 134. 1893. col. pl. 15. Craig, Ib., 16:137. 1893. fig. 16. Ib., Ont. Fr. Gr. Assn. An. Rpt., 26:16. 1894. 17. Ib., Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1894:125. 18. Ib., 1895:93. fig. 19. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 15:273. 1896. figs. 20. Thomas, 1897:675. 21. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:300. 1901. 22. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:72. 1902. fig. 23. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:48. 1903. 24. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:42. 1903. 25. Budd-Hansen, 1903:121. fig. 26. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:130. 1904. 27. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:188. 1905.

SYNONYMS. MCMAHAN (14, 20). McMahan (27). MCMAHAN WHITE (6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18). MCMAHON (11, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27). MCMAHON WHITE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 24). McMahon White (19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27).

A large apple of the Aport group, pale yellow or almost white, often with a delicate pink blush. The flesh is juicy, brisk subacid, fair to good in quality, excellent for culinary use. As grown at this Station it ripens unevenly and does not appear well adapted for storage (26). Season October to January or February. The

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

McMahon (McMahon White).—Origin, Wisconsin, from seed planted about 1860, it is claimed, from seed of Alexander; it is doing well in Wisconsin and parts of southern South Dakota and Minnesota, but is not a first-class shipper as the skin is tender, and shows bruises readily; tree a very strong grower and a good bearer.

Fruit large to very large, roundish, somewhat conical, obscurely angular and irregular; surface light yellow, becoming almost clear white when fully ripe, often with delicate blush; dots white, large, suffused; cavity deep, acute, russeted; stem short to medium, stout; basin medium deep, wavy, narrow; calyx open; segments divergent. Core closed, irregular, sessile; tube obtusely conical; stamens basal; flesh white, coarse-grained, crisp, juicy, sprightly subacid, good, very good for cooking. October to December.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

McMahan apple, planted 1888; yield recorded in gallons per tree, 1898–1905. Tree 1: 1898, 62.0; 1899, blank; 1900, 83.0; 1901, 2.0; 1902, 147.0; 1903, 1.5; 1904, 141.0; 1905, 40.0; total yield 1899–1905, 476.5. Tree 2: 1898, 42.0; 1899, 1.0; 1900, 6.0; 1901, 12.5; 1902, 98.0; 1903, 23.0; 1904, 116.0; 1905, 30.0; total, 328.5. Tree 3: 1898, 32.0; 1899, 29.0; 1900, 49.0; 1901, 18.0; 1902, 55.0; 1903, 63.5; 1904, 56.0; 1905, 108.0; total, 410.5. Tree 4: 1898, 85.0; 1899, blank; 1900, 34.5; 1901, 4.0; 1902, 63.0; 1903, 34.0; 1904, 67.0; 1905, 69.0; total, 306.5. Tree 5: 1898, blank; 1899, 37.5; 1900, 55.0; 1901, 49.0; 1902, blank; 1903, 61.0; 1904, blank; 1905, 98.0; total, 300.5. Tree 6: 1898, 29.0; 1899, 4.5; 1900, 46.0; 1901, 0.5; 1902, 69.5; 1903, 43.0; 1904, 72.0; 1905, 96.0; total, 360.5. Tree 7: 1898, 0.5; 1899, 9.5; 1900, 19.5; 1901, 4.0; 1902, 19.0; 1903, 39.5; 1904, 14.0; 1905, 87.0; total, 143.0. Tree 8: 1898, 7.0; 1899, 9.0; 1900, 27.0; 1901, 9.0; 1902, 53.0; 1903, 15.5; 1904, 54.0; 1905, 35.5; total, 210.0.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

McMAHON. McMahon White. McMahon in quality is similar to Alexander, of which it is possibly a seedling, but does not equal it in any characters which contribute to making a commercial variety. The apple is not good enough in quality for home-growing. The variety originated about 1860 in Richland County, Wisconsin, and its culture is confined to its native and nearby states. Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading. Fruit large or very large, round-conic, faintly ribbed; stem medium in length, thick; cavity remarkably acuminate, very deep, broad, compressed, russeted and with outspreading rays; calyx small, open; lobes separated at base, short; basin deep, narrow, abrupt, compressed, furrowed and wrinkled; skin pale yellow or nearly white with irregular stripes and patches of white scarf-skin extending from the cavity over the base, often having the cheek overspread with a thin blush, faintly splashed and striped with carmine; dots few, inconspicuous, green or russet; calyx-tube long, wide, broadly conical or cylindrical; stamens median; core small, abaxile to axile; cells symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels round or elliptical, emarginate; seeds dark brown, plump, obtuse; flesh white, fine, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid; fair to good; October to February.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong and spreading grower and productive. Fruit large, oblate, conical, skin white, with a handsome blush and a few whitish dots. Flesh white, very tender, juicy, mildly acid. A first-class cooking apple. Season October and November.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

Almost white, often carrying a delicate pink blush; juicy, brisk sub-acid, of good quality and a good cooker. Tree is a handsome, strong, healthy grower, an abundant bearer, and comes into bearing young. NNCS

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)
McMahan McMahan White McMahon White McMahon's White