McMAHON
Apple
McMAHON
Origin / History
McMAHON originated in Wisconsin, in Richland County, from seed planted about 1860 (Hedrick; Budd-Hansen). It is claimed to have been grown from seed of Alexander (Budd-Hansen), and Hedrick notes it is possibly a seedling of Alexander, being similar to it in quality but not equaling it in any characters which contribute to making a commercial variety. Its culture is confined to its native and nearby states — it does well in Wisconsin and parts of southern South Dakota and Minnesota (Budd-Hansen; Hedrick). Beach places it in the Aport group. It was historically circulated under several names, including "McMahon White" and "McMahan White" in late nineteenth-century pomological literature.
Tree
Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading (Hedrick); a very strong grower and a good bearer (Budd-Hansen); described in the Agassiz, BC trial planting (set spring 1890) as a strong and spreading grower and productive (Central Experimental Farm). Detailed yield records from eight trees planted 1888 (Lowther) showed wide tree-to-tree variation and a strongly alternate-bearing tendency, with annual yields per tree (in gallons) ranging across 1898–1905 from 0.5 to 147.0 gallons; seven-year totals (1899–1905) for the eight trees were 476.5, 328.5, 410.5, 306.5, 300.5, 360.5, 143.0, and 210.0 gallons respectively.
Fruit
Size and Form
Large to very large (Budd-Hansen; Hedrick; Central Experimental Farm; Beach). Form variously described as oblate, conical (Central Experimental Farm); roundish, somewhat conical, obscurely angular and irregular (Budd-Hansen); round-conic, faintly ribbed (Hedrick).
Stem and Cavity
Stem short to medium, stout (Budd-Hansen); stem medium in length, thick (Hedrick). Cavity deep, acute, russeted (Budd-Hansen); cavity remarkably acuminate, very deep, broad, compressed, russeted and with outspreading rays (Hedrick).
Calyx and Basin
Calyx open (Budd-Hansen); calyx small, open, with lobes separated at base, short (Hedrick); segments divergent (Budd-Hansen). Basin medium deep, wavy, narrow (Budd-Hansen); basin deep, narrow, abrupt, compressed, furrowed and wrinkled (Hedrick).
Skin
Pale yellow or almost white, often with a delicate pink blush (Beach); skin white, with a handsome blush and a few whitish dots (Central Experimental Farm); surface light yellow, becoming almost clear white when fully ripe, often with delicate blush, with white, large, suffused dots (Budd-Hansen); 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 (Hedrick). The skin is tender and shows bruises readily, making it not a first-class shipper (Budd-Hansen).
Flesh and Flavor
Flesh white (Central Experimental Farm; Budd-Hansen; Hedrick), very tender, juicy, mildly acid (Central Experimental Farm); coarse-grained, crisp, juicy, sprightly subacid, good, very good for cooking (Budd-Hansen); fine, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, fair to good (Hedrick); juicy, brisk subacid, fair to good in quality, excellent for culinary use (Beach). Hedrick judges the apple "not good enough in quality for home-growing."
Core and Seeds
Core closed, irregular, sessile; tube obtusely conical; stamens basal (Budd-Hansen). Hedrick describes the core as small, abaxile to axile, with cells symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels round or elliptical, emarginate; calyx-tube long, wide, broadly conical or cylindrical; stamens median; seeds dark brown, plump, obtuse.
Season
October to November (Central Experimental Farm); October to December (Budd-Hansen); October to February (Hedrick); October to January or February (Beach). As grown at the New York State Station, it ripens unevenly and does not appear well adapted for storage (Beach).
Uses
A first-class cooking apple (Central Experimental Farm); excellent for culinary use (Beach); very good for cooking (Budd-Hansen). Not considered first-class for shipping (Budd-Hansen) and judged by Hedrick as not good enough in quality for home-growing.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 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 9 catalogs (1891–1912) from Illinois, Missouri, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891 — listed as McMahon White
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898 — listed as McMahon White
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as McMahan White
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as McMahon White
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906 — listed as McMahon White
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910 — listed as McMahon White
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911 — listed as McMahon White
- Ballygreen Nurseries , Hanford , Washington — 1912 — listed as McMahon White
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912 — listed as McMahon White
View original book sources (5)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)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
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (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.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)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.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)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.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)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.