Milam
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin and History
Origin uncertain. Warder (1867) describes it as "another little southern favorite, to be found by almost every cabin in parts of the West," noting that whole orchards had been planted with sprouts from the mother trees among people to whom the art of grafting was an unheard-of mystery, and that it was by then distributed by nurserymen all over the country. The variety was formerly quite popular in some portions of the Middle West, widely cultivated at the West and Southwest on account of its hardiness, productiveness, and good keeping qualities. Thousands of trees were propagated from sprouts, for it sprouts readily from the roots (Beach). Thomas (1903) notes it does not succeed well farther North. Beach (1905) observes it was still propagated by nurserymen in the Middle West although not planted as much as formerly, and that it had never been grown much in New York state, remaining practically unknown among New York fruit growers.
Tree
Moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading or roundish (Beach) or round-headed (Warder), rather dense, twiggy. Long, slender, curved branches (Beach). Shoots reddish (Warder). Foliage rather dark (Warder). Twigs above medium to long, slightly curved, rather slender; internodes long to medium (Beach). Bark dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green and streaked with grayish scarf-skin; heavily pubescent toward the tips (Beach). Lenticels quite numerous, small to rather large, roundish or elongated, slightly raised (Beach). Buds small to medium, broad, plump, obtuse to somewhat acute, free, pubescent (Beach). Annually productive and an early bearer (Warder). Hardy and productive (Thomas).
Fruit
Size. Small to medium.
Form. Roundish conic or short ovate (Beach), conical (Warder), regular, not ribbed. Beach notes it has something of the appearance of a highly colored Rails.
Stem. Pubescent, medium to long, moderately slender (Beach). Long (Warder).
Cavity. Acute, moderately deep, moderately wide, smooth and green or partly covered with thin brownish russet (Beach). Regular, acute, brown (Warder).
Calyx. Pubescent, medium in size, closed (Beach). Eye medium, closed (Warder).
Basin. Below medium in size, somewhat abrupt, moderately shallow, rather narrow to medium in width, gently furrowed (Beach). Narrow, wavy, leather-cracked (Warder).
Skin. Moderately thin, rather tender, smooth. Surface dull yellow or greenish, marbled and striped with dull red; in highly colored specimens deepening to crimson in the sun (Beach). Warder describes the surface as smooth, yellow, covered with marbled red, indistinct stripes. Downing and Thomas describe it as greenish, shaded and striped with red. Elliott describes it as greenish yellow, striped dull red.
Dots. Numerous, conspicuous, gray, often areolar with russet point (Beach). Small, gray, scattered, prominent (Warder).
Calyx Tube. Conical to somewhat funnel-form with short truncate cylinder. Stamens basal (Beach).
Flesh and Flavor. Slightly tinged with yellow (Beach), or white (Warder), or greenish (Elliott). A little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy (Beach). Warder describes it as tender, crisp, juicy. Rather firm (Downing, Thomas). Flavor mild pleasant subacid (Beach, Downing, Thomas) or mild subacid or sweet, agreeable and refreshing, but without any decided character (Warder). Thomas specifies "a pleasant, sub-acid, moderate flavor." Not rich (Downing). Elliott dissents, calling the flesh "insipid" and the variety "unworthy," stating "it should be superseded." Warder notes that in cooking it lacks flavor. Quality rated good by Warder, Downing, and Beach.
Core and Seeds. Core rather small, axile or nearly so; cells symmetrical, closed (Beach). Core ovate, covering the eye, closed (Warder). Carpels elongated, obovate, mucronate, but slightly emarginate if at all, slightly tufted (Beach). Seeds medium or above, plump, acute, slightly tufted (Beach). Seeds numerous, some imperfect (Warder).
Season
November to January or later (Beach). December to January (Warder). December to March (Downing, Elliott). A good keeper (Downing, Thomas).
Uses
Dessert apple (Warder, Beach). Warder notes that in cooking it lacks flavor.
Subtypes and Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Lowther, Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914):
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Milam.... M r rs G b W 1*
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Perhaps is Milam.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1912–1913) from Washington
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- J. B. Pilkington , Nurseryman, Portland, OR (nurseries near Newberg, forty miles from Portland) — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Milam. BLAIR.—(Rarely.) This is another little southern favorite, to be found by almost every cabin in parts of the West. Whole orchards have been planted with sprouts from the mother trees, among the people to whom the art of grafting was an un-
Fig. 146.—MILAM.
heard of mystery. Now distributed by nurserymen all over the country. Tree moderately vigorous, round-headed, twiggy; shoots reddish; foliage rather dark. Annually productive and an early bearer. Fruit small to medium, conical, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, covered with marbled red, indistinct stripes; Dots small, gray, scattered, prominent. Basin narrow, wavy, leather-cracked; Eye medium, closed. Cavity regular, acute, brown; Stem long. Core ovate, covering the eye, closed; Seeds numerous, some imperfect; Flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy; Flavor mild sub-acid or sweet, agreeable and refreshing, but without any decided character; Quality good; Use, dessert, in cooking it lacks flavor; Season, December, January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Milam. Harrigan. Winter Pearmain of some. Blair. Thomas. Rusty Coat Milam ? Origin uncertain, much grown in some sections at the West, very productive, and keeps well. Fruit medium or below, roundish, greenish, shaded and striped with red. Flesh rather firm, pleasant, subacid, not rich. Good. December, March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)MILAM.
REFERENCES. 1. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:470. 1850. 2. Kennicott, Ib., 7:431. 1852. 3. Elliott, 1854:174. 4. Robey, Horticulturist, 11:89. 1856. 5. Downing, 1857:217. 6. Hooper, 1857:60. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 8. Warder, 1867:503. fig. 9. Downing, 1869:275. 10. Fitz, 1872:158. 11. Barry, 1883:349. 12. Thomas, 1885:236. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 14. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:127.
SYNONYMS. Blair (6, 8, 9). Harrigan (1, 3, 5, 9). Thomas (9). Winter Pearmain of some (1, 3, 5, 9).
A medium sized dessert apple which has something of the appearance of a highly colored Rails. In season from November to March. The tree is thrifty and in favorable localities becomes productive when it is mature. Thousands of trees of this variety have been propagated from sprouts for it sprouts readily from the roots (1, 8).
Historical. Origin uncertain. Warder refers to it as "a little Southern favorite" (8). It was formerly quite popular in some portions of the Middle West where it is still propagated by nurserymen although it is not now planted as much as it was formerly (14). It has never been grown much in New York state and remains practically unknown among New York fruit growers.
TREE. Tree moderately vigorous, with long, slender, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs above medium to long, slightly curved, rather slender; internodes long to medium. Bark dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green and streaked with grayish scarf-skin; heavily pubescent toward the tips. Lenticels quite numerous, small to rather large, roundish or elongated, slightly raised. Buds small to medium, broad, plump, obtuse to somewhat acute, free, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit small to medium. Form roundish conic or short ovate, regular, not ribbed. Stem pubescent, medium to long, moderately slender. Cavity acute, moderately deep, moderately wide, smooth and green or partly covered with thin brownish russet. Calyx pubescent, medium in size, closed. Basin below medium in size, somewhat abrupt, moderately shallow, rather narrow to medium in width, gently furrowed. Skin moderately thin, rather tender, smooth, dull yellow or greenish marbled and striped with dull red, in highly colored specimens deepening to crimson in the sun. Dots numerous, conspicuous, gray, often areolar with russet point. Calyx tube conical to somewhat funnel-form with short truncate cylinder. Stamens basal. Core rather small, axile or nearly so; cells symmetrical, closed. Carpels elongated, obovate, mucronate, but slightly emarginate if at all, slightly tufted. Seeds medium or above, plump, acute, slightly tufted. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid, good. Season November to January or later.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Milam.... M r rs G b W 1*
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Milam.
Harrigan, | Winter Pearmain, of some.
American. Small to medium, roundish, greenish yellow, striped dull red ; flesh, greenish, insipid, December and March. This variety continues to have its friends South and West. It should be superseded, for it is unworthy.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Milam. Rather small, roundish; greenish, shaded and striped with red; flesh rather firm, with a pleasant, sub-acid, moderate flavor. A good keeper. Although not of high flavor, it is widely cultivated at the West and Southwest on account of its hardiness, productiveness, and good keeping qualities. Does not succeed well farther North. Fig. 425.