Mother.

Queen Anne, of some, incorrectly.

From Massachusetts. Tree, hardy, moderate growth, annual bearer. Fruit, large, roundish ovate ; yellow, mostly overspread, marbled and striped with shades of dark red, few russet dots ; stem, slender ; calyx, small, nearly closed ; basin, plaited ; flesh, yellowish, tender, spicy, sub-acid, "best." October to January.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Mother.

Origin Bolton, Massachusetts. Tree rather slender, but productive.

Fruit medium to full medium, oblong, regular; Surface smooth, shaded red on yellow, with close, fine stripes of red; Dots minute.

Basin medium, regular or plaited; Eye long, small, closed.

Cavity acute, regular or wavy; Stem long, slender.

Core medium, turbinate, regular, closed, clasping; Seeds numerous; Flesh yellow, crisp, very fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sweet, very rich, vinous, aromatic; Quality best; Use, dessert; Season, October to January.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Mother.

Queen Anne. Gardener's Apple.

Origin, Bolton, Mass. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, and productive. Young shoots grayish brown, downy. One of the best of Apples for the dessert, rather too tender for shipment.

Mother.

Fruit medium. Form roundish, slightly conical. Color yellow, almost entirely overspread with light, clear, rich red, splashed and marbled with many deeper shades, many minute light dots. Stalk short, small. Cavity acute, often a little russeted. Calyx closed. Basin small, corrugated. Flesh yellow, tender, juicy, rich, aromatic subacid. Best. November, February.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Mother.* Rather large, oblong-ovate, approaching conical; slightly and obtusely ribbed; color a high warm rich red on yellow ground; deep red to the sun—in obscure broken stripes and spots; stalk three-fourths of an inch long, cavity moderate; basin small, plaited; flesh yellow, more so toward the outside, moderately juicy, rich, very spicy, very mild sub-acid, with an admixture of sweet. Somewhat resembles the Esopus Spitzenburgh in external appearance, and in its rich yellow flesh and spiciness. Growth slow. Fig. 426. Late autumn and early winter. Worcester County, Mass.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

MOTHER.

REFERENCES. 1. Mag. Hort., 10:210. 1844. 2. Thomas, Cultivator, 5:306. 1848. fig. 3. Horticulturist, 3:581. 1848. 4. Cole, 1849:115. fig. 5. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 15:65. 1849. fig. 6. Thomas, 1849:169. fig. 7. Waring, 1851:27. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:58. 1851. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 10. Mag. Hort., 20:241. 1854. 11. Elliott, 1854:147. 12. Downing, 1857:87. 13. Hooper, 1857:62. 14. Gregg, 1857:55. 15. Mag. Hort., 28:281. 1862. 16. Lothrop, Mag. Hort., 32:363. 1866. 17. Warder, 1867:663. fig. 18. Fitz, 1872:141. 19. Barry, 1883:350. 20. Hogg, 1884:7. 21. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 22. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:245. 23. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:356. 24. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:124. 1901. 25. Dickens and Greene, Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:54. 1902. 26. Rural N. Y., 61:829. 1902. figs. 27. Budd-Hansen, 1903:132. figs. 28. Rural N. Y., 62:7, 380. 1903. 29. Bruner, N. C. Sta. Bul., 182:21. 1903. 30. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:50. 1903. 31. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:133. 1904.

SYNONYMS. AMERICAN MOTHER (20). Gardener's Apple (20). Mother Apple (20). MOTHER (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31). MOTHER OF AMERICA (23). Queene Anne (12, 20).

A beautiful red apple of good size, with tender, rich, aromatic flesh of best dessert quality. It is less desirable for culinary uses, being somewhat lacking in acidity. It resembles Esopus Spitzenburg to a marked degree but ripens earlier and is not so good a keeper. In ordinary storage it does not keep well and November is its safe commercial limit, but in cold storage it may be held till March or later (31). The tree is below medium size and but a moderate grower. In many localities it is rather tender and liable to scald or canker on the trunk and larger branches. On this account it is desirable to topwork it upon Northern Spy or some other hardy, vigorous stock. It does not come into bearing very young and commonly is a biennial cropper yielding moderate to good crops. It cannot be recommended for general commercial planting but it is desirable for the home orchard.

Historical. Thomas described it in 1848 as "a new, handsome late autumn and early winter apple, of the highest quality," and stated that it originated at Bolton, Worcester county, Mass. (2). It is still listed by some nurserymen (22) but it is nowhere being extensively planted. It is but seldom found in cultivation in New York.

TREE. Tree below medium size, moderately vigorous or a rather slow grower. Form upright spreading to roundish, rather open. Twigs long, curved, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark brown, mingled with olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels numerous, rather conspicuous, medium size, oval, raised. Buds rather prominent, medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.

FRUIT. Fruit below medium to above, sometimes large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish or roundish conic to oblong ovate, obscurely and broadly ribbed. Stem long to medium, moderately slender to rather thick. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, rather narrow to moderately broad, often russeted, sometimes furrowed or compressed or lipped. Calyx small, closed or nearly so; lobes medium, narrow, acute. Basin shallow, narrow, a little abrupt, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thin, smooth, golden yellow nearly covered with bright deep red, marbled and striped with carmine. Dots rather small, inconspicuous, yellowish or pale and submerged. Calyx tube rather long, funnel-form with wide limb and narrow cylinder. Stamens marginal. Core medium to rather small, abaxile; cells nearly symmetrical, open or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly ovate to roundish, emarginate, mucronate. Seeds rather dark, medium or below, plump, acute to acuminate. Flesh fine, tender, juicy, very mild subacid, aromatic, very good to best in flavor and quality. Season late September to January; it is in its prime in November.

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

Mother. — Origin, Bolton, Massachusetts; tree of moderate vigor, rather slender, productive. Fruit medium or above; form roundish oblong, slightly conical, obscurely ribbed; surface golden yellow, almost wholly covered with clear, warm, rich red, splashed, marbled, striped with several shades of dark red and crimson; dots minute, light russet, numerous; cavity acute, deep, often a little russeted; stem slender, medium to long; basin narrow, small, corrugated; calyx closed. Core medium, closed, clasping; cells elliptical, abaxile; calyx-tube conical, inclining to funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds numerous; flesh yellow especially toward the surface, juicy, very rich, spicy aromatic subacid, best. November to February.

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

Mother. Size: medium. Form: round. Color: yellow-red. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter.

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

MOTHER. Fl. and Pom., 1883, 121. G., Mutter Apfel. (So many apples have the name "Mother" that Hogg distinguished this one by prefixing the country of its origin :—American Mother.) Dessert. October to November, medium, 2½ by 2¼, oval conical, slightly ribbed. Colour, golden-yellow with dull brownish-red flush and faint stripes. Flesh, soft and, juicy, very sweet, yellow or slightly green of distinct flavour, resembling Peardrops. Eye, very small, closed, in a small fairly deep basin. Stem, rather short, slender in a moderate cavity which is compressed on one side. Growth, moderate; fertility rather irregular. Leaf, rather large, pale, nearly flat, down-hanging, sharply serrate. Origin, rather uncertain, but recorded in America before 1848. A very choice dessert fruit, which often keeps good till mid January.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

MOTHER. Fig. 36.

Mother is one of the prized apples of old orchards, valued alike for its handsome appearance and its tender, rich, well-flavored flesh. It calls to mind the better known Esopus Spitzenburg, but it is not quite so good an apple either for dessert or for cookery, falling short in flavor and keeping qualities. The trees are seldom satisfactory and should be top-worked on a more vigorous stock to obtain vigor and thrift. Mother was described first in 1848 from Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is very generally grown in all apple regions.

Tree small, slow grower, upright-spreading, open. Fruit large, uniform in size and shape, round, round-conic or oblong-ovate, obscurely and broadly ribbed; stem long, slender; cavity acute, shallow, broad, often russeted, sometimes furrowed, compressed or lipped; calyx small, closed or nearly so; lobes narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled; skin thin, smooth, golden yellow covered with bright deep red, marbled and striped with carmine; dots inconspicuous, yellow, submerged; calyx-tube long, funnelform with wide limb and narrow cylinder; stamens marginal; core small, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open or partly so; core-lines clasping; carpels broad-ovate to round, emarginate, mucronate; seeds dark, plump, acute; flesh yellow, fine, tender, juicy, mild subacid, aromatic; very good to best; September to January.

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

Planted Spring 1894. Tree a moderate grower. Fruit above medium size, oblong and tapering to eye. Skin greenish yellow, nearly covered with clear red, there are also a few small dots. Flesh yellow, tender, rich, juicy, aromatic, quality very good. Season November and December.

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

Middle sized, medium size, rich fine flavour, juicy Oct. to Dec.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)