Molasses
AppleMolasses
Origin / History
American (Elliott). Downing gives the origin of the first-described apple as unknown, and says there are, besides it, three or four distinct apples under this name, one claimed to have originated in Pennsylvania. Elliott describes a small, red, dry, sweet Molasses. Downing: "None of this class are valued, except for the purpose of cooking and feeding stock."
Tree
Upright, vigorous, and hardy (Downing, of the first-described apple). A slow grower in the medium, roundish, pale yellow apple (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Small in Elliott's apple; medium in the first-described and pale yellow apples (Downing). Not given for the roundish conical apple.
Form: Roundish in Elliott's and the pale yellow apples; medium, oblate in the first-described apple; roundish conical in another apple Downing has met.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Red in Elliott's apple. First-described apple: thick, rough, greenish yellow, shaded with dull red, thickly covered with large crimson or lilac dots, and dull lilac bloom. Pale yellow apple: pale yellow, with a tinge of crimson in the sun. Roundish conical apple: yellow, mostly shaded, splashed, and marbled with dark red.
Dots: Large, thickly covering the skin, crimson or lilac (Downing, first-described apple).
Flesh and flavor: Elliott's apple: dry, sweet. First-described apple: yellow and "exceedingly sweet". Pale yellow apple: yellow, compact, not very juicy, sweet. Roundish conical apple: rich, sweet.
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October for Elliott's apple; January to April for the first-described apple; October, November for the pale yellow apple (Downing).
Uses
Roundish conical apple fine for cooking (Downing).
Subtypes / Variants
Downing records three or four distinct apples under the name, besides Elliott's: the medium, oblate, greenish yellow apple of January to April; the medium, roundish, pale yellow apple of October, November; and the roundish conical, yellow, dark red marbled apple.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Molasses. Priest's Sweet, | Butter, | Blue Sweet. American. Small, roundish, red, dry, sweet. October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Molasses.
Origin unknown. Tree upright, vigorous, and hardy.
Fruit medium, oblate. Skin thick, rough, greenish yellow, shaded with dull red, thickly covered with large crimson or lilac dots, and dull lilac bloom. Flesh yellow and exceedingly sweet. January to April.
There are, besides the above, three or four distinct apples under this name. One is claimed to have originated in Pennsylvania.
Fruit medium, roundish, pale yellow, tinge of crimson in the sun. Flesh yellow, compact, not very juicy, sweet. Tree a slow grower. October, November.
Elliott describes a Molasses, giving as synonyms, Priest's Sweet, Sutter, Slue Sweet.
Fruit small, roundish, red. Flesh dry, sweet. October.
Another we have met is roundish conical, yellow, mostly shaded, splashed, and marbled with dark red. Flesh rich, sweet. Fine for cooking. None of this class are valued, except for the purpose of cooking and feeding stock.