Middle
AppleMiddle Apple
Origin/History
The Middle apple originated in Herkimer County, New York, as a chance seedling. According to a letter from Will E. Kay (1901), the original tree grew on the land of Peter Bellinger in the village of Herkimer — specifically on the line fence dividing two of the original tracts of land granted by the Crown in 1725. Being a tree that neither party could claim, it was called the Middle apple tree. Charles Downing included a description of it in his first revision of Fruits and Fruit Trees of America in 1857. The variety was introduced into Ohio by John Ludlow of Springfield in 1854, and propagated at the Oakland Nurseries nearby. It was considerably cultivated in the neighborhood of its origin and highly esteemed there; in New York it remains practically unknown to fruit growers outside the vicinity of its origin. Beach (1905) places it in the same group as the Green Newtown and White Pippin, though less attractive than either. It is valued locally as an excellent dessert apple and a good keeper.
Tree
Sources conflict on vigor and productivity. Warder (1867) describes the tree as thrifty and productive. Downing (1900) characterizes it as a moderate grower, not very productive. Beach (1905) describes it as an upright grower that sometimes bears heavy crops.
Fruit
Size and Form: Warder gives the fruit as medium to large; Downing as medium or below; Beach as medium to nearly large and rather uniform. Form varies from elongated ovate or oblong conic to roundish conic (Beach), or conical to oblate-conic and regular (Warder), or roundish oblong inclining to conic (Downing); often elliptical or somewhat angular. The axis is often somewhat oblique (Beach).
Stem: Warder describes the stem as long and slender. Beach gives it as medium in length, rather slender.
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, usually moderately deep, narrow to moderately broad, often compressed or lipped, and often with outspreading russet (Beach). Warder adds that it is sometimes lipped and wavy.
Calyx: Warder describes the eye as small and closed. Beach gives the calyx as medium to rather large and open.
Basin: Shallow and nearly regular, russeted like Rhode Island Greening (Warder). Beach describes it as often oblique, usually obtuse, shallow to medium in depth, medium in width to narrow, slightly furrowed or wrinkled, sometimes compressed.
Skin: At first green, later becoming more or less marbled or shaded with yellow, sometimes lightly mottled with red or having red dots; often roughened at the base with broken russet (Beach). Warder describes the surface as rather smooth, green to pale greenish-yellow; Beach describes it as somewhat rough. Dots are numerous and russet (Beach); Warder gives them as small, irregular, rather abundant, gray, and somewhat prominent.
Calyx Tube: Small, conical or somewhat funnel-form with truncate cylinder. Stamens median (Beach).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh color is described as greenish-yellow by Warder, white by Downing, and yellowish by Beach. All sources agree the flesh is tender and juicy. Beach describes it as breaking, rather fine, crisp, and juicy, becoming crisp and rather tender later in the season (at first green and hard). Flavor is sub-acid, rich, and aromatic (Warder); brisk and mild subacid (Downing); rather sprightly subacid and somewhat aromatic (Beach). Quality: nearly first rate (Warder); Good (Downing); very good (Beach).
Core and Seeds: Warder describes the core as small, oval, regular, closed, and just meeting the eye; seeds small and very light colored. Beach gives the core as medium to rather large, axile, with symmetrical cells that are closed or sometimes partly open; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels thin, tender, deeply emarginate, roundish or varying to elongated ovate, much tufted. Seeds numerous, small to medium, rather narrow, acute (Beach).
Season
December and January, kept until May in New York (Warder). December to February (Downing). December to February or March; often some portion of the fruit may be kept till late spring (Beach).
Uses
Dessert. An excellent keeper.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Middle.
A comparatively new fruit, from Herkimer County, New York, found in a division fence between two neighbors; hence its name. Considerably cultivated in the neighborhood, where it is highly esteemed. Introduced into Ohio by Mr. John Ludlow, of Springfield, in 1854, and propagated at the Oakland Nurseries near by.
Tree thrifty and productive.
Fruit medium to large, conical or oblate-conic, regular; Surface rather smooth, green to pale greenish-yellow; Dots small, irregular, rather abundant, gray, somewhat prominent.
Basin shallow, nearly regular, russeted, like Rhode Island Greening; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, sometimes lipped, wavy; Stem long, slender.
Core small, oval, regular, closed, just meeting the eye; Seeds small, very light colored; Flesh greenish-yellow, breaking, fine grained, tender, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic; Quality nearly first rate; Use dessert; Season December and January, but is said to keep until May in New York.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Middle. Mittel.
Origin, Herkimer, N. Y. A moderate grower, not very productive.
Fruit medium or below, roundish oblong, inclining to conic, greenish yellow. Flesh white, tender, juicy, brisk, mild subacid. Good. December, February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)MIDDLE.
References. 1. Downing, 1857:172. 2. Warder, 1867:507. fig. Synonym. Mittle (1).
This fruit belongs in the same group as the Green Newtown and White Pippin but is less attractive than either. It is at first green and hard, but later in the season becomes crisp and rather tender. It is valued locally because it is an excellent dessert apple and a good keeper. The tree is an upright grower and sometimes bears heavy crops.
Historical. The original tree was a chance seedling that grew on the land of Peter Bellinger in the village of Herkimer or rather on the line fence dividing two of the original tracts of land granted by the Crown in 1725, and being a tree that neither party could claim it was called the Middle apple tree.¹ Charles Downing included a description of it in his first revision of Fruits and Fruit Trees of America in 1857 (1). Warder (2) reports that it was introduced into Ohio by John Ludlow of Springfield in 1854 and propagated at the Oakland nurseries. In New York it remains practically unknown to fruit growers outside the vicinity of its origin.
Fruit.
Fruit medium to nearly large, rather uniform. Form varies from elongated ovate or oblong conic to roundish conic, often elliptical or somewhat angular; axis often somewhat oblique. Stem medium in length, rather slender. Cavity acute to acuminate, usually moderately deep, narrow to moderately broad often compressed or lipped and often with outspreading russet. Calyx medium to rather large, open. Basin often oblique, usually obtuse, shallow to medium in depth, medium in width to narrow, slightly furrowed or wrinkled, sometimes compressed. Skin rather thin, moderately tender, somewhat rough, at first green but later becoming more or less marbled or shaded with yellow, sometimes lightly mottled with red or having red dots; often roughened at the base with broken russet. Dots numerous, russet. Calyx tube small, conical or somewhat funnel-form with truncate cylinder. Stamens median. Core medium to rather large, axile; cells symmetrical, closed or sometimes partly open; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels thin, tender, deeply emarginate, roundish or varying to elongated ovate, much tufted. Seeds numerous, small to medium, rather narrow, acute. Flesh yellowish, breaking, rather fine, crisp, juicy, rather sprightly subacid, somewhat aromatic, very good. Season December to February or March; often some portion of the fruit may be kept till late spring.
¹Letter, Will E. Kay, 1901.