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Mountain Sweet

Apple

Mountain Sweet

Origin / History

Origin Pennsylvania. Warder (1867) records it as exhibited by Joel Wood before the Ohio Pomological Society, and enters it also under the name Mountaineer; Downing (1900) carries Warder's description under that name. Warder calls it "a rival of Broadwell or Ladies' Sweeting." Beach (1905) finds it but little known in New York, its cultivation in that state not being extended; not superior to other varieties of its season and not recommended for planting in New York.

Tree

Tree medium or below, not a strong grower, with short, stout, curved branches. Form spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs short, straight, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark clear brown mingled with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.

Fruit

Size: Large (Warder); of medium size, variable, usually medium or above (Beach).

Form: Oblate (Warder); roundish or roundish oblate, pretty regular, somewhat angular; sides unequal (Beach).

Stem: Short to rather long, slender or rather slender.

Cavity: Medium in depth to deep; acute, or nearly acuminate to somewhat obtuse; rather broad; wavy (Warder); russeted, with outspreading russet rays (Beach).

Calyx: Small to rather large; closed (Warder describes the eye as small, closed), or closed or open (Beach). Lobes separated at base, medium to long, rather narrow, acuminate. Calyx tube medium in length, rather wide, conical to somewhat funnelform. Stamens median to basal.

Basin: Shallow to moderately shallow; narrow to moderately wide, wide in Warder's description; wavy.

Skin: Thick, rather tough, somewhat rough (Beach); smooth (Warder). Clear pale yellow (Beach) or light yellow (Warder), overlaid with faint pinkish blush and scattering stripes of deeper red. Prevailing effect striped. Appearance beautiful (Warder), fairly good (Beach).

Dots: Minute (Warder); numerous, inconspicuous, small, russet (Beach).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, moderately fine (Beach) to fine-grained (Warder), breaking, very tender, juicy. Flavor sweet. Quality "good to very good" (Warder); "good" for the flesh, with the fruit of "moderate to good quality" (Beach).

Core and seeds: Core medium size and abaxile (Beach); wide, open, dark, clasping the eye (Warder). Cells open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels broadly ovate to elliptical, emarginate. Seeds numerous, pointed (Warder); very small, rather wide, plump, acute, rather light brown (Beach).

Season

September to December (Beach); December (Warder).

Uses

Table and baking. Too delicate for transportation (Warder).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

USDA Nomenclature (1905)

From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56

From Country Gentleman.

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 4 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois

View original book sources (3)

Mountain Sweet.

MOUNTAINEER.

From Pennsylvania; exhibited by Joel Wood, before the Ohio Pomological Society.

Fruit large, beautiful, but too delicate for transportation, oblate; Surface smooth, light, yellow; Dots minute. Basin wide, wavy; Eye small, closed. Cavity deep, acute, wavy; Stem short, slender. Core wide, open, dark, clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, pointed; Flesh white, breaking, very tender, fine grained, juicy; Flavor sweet; Quality good to very good; Use, table, baking; Season, December. A rival of Broadwell or Ladies' Sweeting.

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

Mountain Sweet.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Mountaineer", pp. 307–307]

Mountaineer.

From Pennsylvania.

Fruit large, oblate, light yellow. Dots minute. Calyx small, closed. Stalk short, slender. Flesh white, breaking, very tender, fine-grained, juicy, sweet. Good to very good. December. (Warder.)

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

MOUNTAIN SWEET.

REFERENCES. 1. Warder, 1867:388. 2. Downing, 1869:282. SYNONYMS. MOUNTAIN SWEET (1, 2). Mountaineer (1, 2).

Fruit of medium size, fairly good appearance and moderate to good quality, not superior to other varieties of its season and not recommended for planting in this state.

Historical. Origin Pennsylvania (1). It is but little known in New York and its cultivation in this state is not being extended.

TREE.

Tree medium or below, not a strong grower, with short, stout, curved branches. Form spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs short, straight, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark clear brown mingled with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit variable, usually medium or above. Form roundish or roundish oblate, pretty regular, somewhat angular; sides unequal. Stem short to rather long, rather slender. Cavity nearly acuminate to somewhat obtuse, medium in depth, rather broad, russeted and with outspreading russet rays. Calyx small to rather large, closed or open; lobes separated at base, medium to long, rather narrow, acuminate. Basin moderately shallow to shallow, narrow to moderately wide, wavy.

Skin thick, rather tough, somewhat rough, clear pale yellow overlaid with faint pinkish blush and scattering stripes of deeper red. Dots numerous, inconspicuous, small, russet. Prevailing effect striped.

Calyx tube medium in length, rather wide, conical to somewhat funnelform. Stamens median to basal.

Core medium size, abaxile; cells open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels broadly ovate to elliptical, emarginate. Seeds very small, rather wide, plump, acute, rather light brown.

Flesh white, moderately fine, very tender, juicy, sweet, good.

Season September to December.

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