Mountain Sweet

Origin/History

Origin Pennsylvania. Exhibited by Joel Wood before the Ohio Pomological Society (Warder). It is but little known in New York, and its cultivation in that state is not being extended (Beach). Warder (1867) describes it as a rival of Broadwell or Ladies' Sweeting.

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 (Beach).

Fruit

Size: The sources conflict. Warder describes the fruit as large and beautiful. Beach describes it as variable, usually medium or above, of fairly good appearance and moderate to good quality, and not superior to other varieties of its season.

Form: Warder describes the form as oblate. Beach gives it as roundish or roundish oblate, pretty regular, somewhat angular, with sides unequal.

Stem: Warder describes the stem as short and slender. Beach gives it as short to rather long, rather slender.

Cavity: Warder describes the cavity as deep, acute, and wavy. Beach gives it as nearly acuminate to somewhat obtuse, medium in depth, rather broad, russeted and with outspreading russet rays. The sources conflict on depth: Warder says deep, Beach says medium.

Calyx: Warder describes the calyx as small and closed. Beach gives it as small to rather large, closed or open; 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 (Beach).

Basin: The sources conflict. Warder describes the basin as wide and wavy. Beach gives it as moderately shallow to shallow, narrow to moderately wide, wavy.

Skin: Warder describes the surface as smooth and light yellow. Beach describes the skin as thick, rather tough, and somewhat rough — conflicting with Warder's smooth — clear pale yellow overlaid with a faint pinkish blush and scattering stripes of deeper red; prevailing effect striped. Dots: Warder says minute; Beach says numerous, inconspicuous, small, russet.

Flesh/Flavor: White, very tender, juicy, sweet. Warder adds: breaking, fine grained; quality good to very good. Beach adds: moderately fine; quality good.

Core/Seeds: Warder describes the core as wide, open, dark, and clasping the eye; seeds numerous and pointed. Beach describes the core as 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. The sources agree that seeds are acute/pointed and that cells are open. Warder's description of the core as clasping the eye and Beach's "core lines meeting or slightly clasping" are broadly consistent.

Season

Warder gives the season as December alone. Beach gives September to December.

Uses

Table and baking (Warder). Warder notes the fruit is too delicate for transportation.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Downing (1869:282) is cited as a secondary reference by Beach but his text is not included among the provided sources.