Munson Sweet.

ORANGE SWEET.

This New England variety is considered quite promising in its new western homes, where, however, it is not yet widely known or tested. Tree vigorous, spreading, and productive when established; said to be a regular bearer.

Fruit medium, flat; Surface smooth, green, becoming yellow; Dots minute. Basin small, abrupt, often folded or plaited; Eye medium, closed. Cavity wide, wavy, green; Stem medium or short. Core small, closed; Seeds plump; Flesh yellowish-white, fine grained, tender, juicy; Flavor very sweet; Quality nearly first rate; Valuable for baking; Season early winter.

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

Munson Sweet. Orange Sweet. Ray Apple. Meachem Sweet. Origin uncertain, probably Massachusetts. Tree vigorous, spreading, an annual and abundant bearer. Fruit medium, oblate, pale yellow, sometimes with a blush. Stem short. Cavity large. Calyx closed. Basin small. Flesh yellowish, juicy, sweet. Good. September to February.

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

MUNSON.

REFERENCES. 1. Genesee Farmer, 10:288. 1849. 2. Barry, 1851:285. 3. Humrickhouse, Mag. Hort., 19:163. 1853. 4. Elliott, 1854:148. 5. Downing, 1857:174. 6. Gregg, 1857:44. 7. Horticulturist, 17:104, 150. 1862. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 9. Warder, 1867:388. fig. 10. Thomas, 1875:198. 11. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:245. 13. Hoskins, Rural N. Y., 53:278. 1894. 14. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:333. 1896. 15. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:71. 16. Ib., 18:89. 1902. 17. Budd-Hansen, 1903:133. fig. 18. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:145. 1903. 19. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:50. 1903. 20. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:133. 1904.

SYNONYMS. Meachem Sweet (5). MUNSON (17, 18, 19, 20). MUNSON SWEET (2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16). Munson Sweet (17, 19, 20). MUNSON SWEETING (4, 6). Munson Sweeting (1). NORTHERN SWEETING (1). Orange Sweet (5, 9). Rag Apple (5).

In some parts of New York this variety is better known under either the names Meachem Sweet or Rag Apple than it is under the correct name of Munson.

The fruit commonly averages about medium size. It is attractive in appearance for a yellow apple, being pale yellow often somewhat blushed; skin characteristically tough separating readily from the tender flesh; season late September to December. It is a desirable variety for home use but is not very satisfactory for growing commercially because there is little demand for a sweet apple of its season except in certain local markets. The tree is a good grower, comes into bearing rather early and is a pretty reliable cropper commonly yielding good crops biennially.

Historical. Origin uncertain. Supposed to have originated in Massachusetts. It is still propagated by nurserymen (12) but it is not being planted in New York now as much as it was a generation ago.

TREE.

Tree large, moderately vigorous to vigorous. Form spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs short to rather long, curved, stout to moderately slender with large terminal buds; internodes short. Bark dark brown, heavily streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, rather conspicuous, medium size, roundish, raised. Buds large, prominent, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit below medium to rather large, averaging about medium size. Form roundish oblate, often somewhat elliptical, ribbed. Stem rather short, moderately thick. Cavity medium to rather large, acuminate, narrow to medium width, rather unsymmetrical, lightly russeted. Calyx medium to small, closed; lobes rather narrow, acute. Basin shallow to very shallow, narrow, obtuse or a little abrupt, furrowed, often unsymmetrical.

Skin rather thick and tough separating readily from the flesh, smooth, greenish-yellow often somewhat blushed.

Calyx tube funnel-shape with long cylinder. Stamens marginal to median. Core medium to large, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical, closed or somewhat open; core lines clasping the cylinder. Carpels roundish to elliptical, emarginate, tufted. Seeds medium size, rather short, flat, obtuse, dark brown.

Flesh tinged with yellow, moderately fine-grained, tender, moderately juicy, sweet, good to very good.

Season late September to December.

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

Munson Sweet (13) is medium in size, form: fi, yellow-red in color, very good in quality, suited for family use, and ripens in winter. It was reported by 3 stations in the Northern Division (asterisk indicates the variety is reported in more than one division) and 2 stations in the Central Division (asterisk indicates cross-division reporting). No stations were recorded for the Southern Division.

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

Munson Sweeting. Orange Sweet. | Bay Apple. | Meachum's Sweet. From Massachusetts. Tree, strong, upright grower, dark-colored ; short-jointed shoots, good bearer. Fruit, medium or above, roundish flattened ; pale yellow, blush in sun ; flesh, yellowish white, tender, rather dry, sweet ; "very good." October to December.

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

Munson Sweet.* Size medium, oblate, smooth, and regular; pale yellow, with a brown blush; stalk short, in a broad cavity; calyx in small basin; flesh yellowish white, tender, with a very good, sweet flavor. Tree a strong grower and uniform bearer. Last half of autumn. A valuable sweet apple. Mass. Fig. 370.

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

Munson (Munson Sweet).—Origin probably Massachusetts; tree vigorous, spreading, an abundant annual bearer. Fruit below medium; form very regular, oblate; surface yellow, with blush on sunny side; dots obscure, numerous, whitish; cavity deep, wide, regular, obtuse; stem short; basin smooth, regular, leather-cracked; calyx open; segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells round, slit; tube funnel-shaped, wide, open to core; stamens marginal; seeds short, plump; flesh yellow, with yellow veinings, excellent. September to February.

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

MUNSON SWEET. Meachem Sweet. Orange Sweet.

Munson is a sweet apple prominent in New York and New England a generation ago but now disappearing. It is supposed to have originated in Massachusetts early in the eighteenth century and was first described in 1849. Tree large, vigorous, spreading, dense. Fruit large, round-oblate, often elliptical, ribbed; stem short, thick; cavity large, acuminate, narrow, unsymmetrical, russeted; calyx closed; lobes narrow, acute; basin shallow or very shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed, often unsymmetrical; skin thick, tough, separating readily from the flesh, smooth, greenish-yellow often blushed; calyx-tube funnel-shape with long cylinder; stamens marginal; calyx closed or open; core-lines clasping the cylinder; carpels round to elliptical, emarginate, tufted; seeds short, flat, obtuse, dark brown; flesh yellow, fine-grained, tender, juicy, sweet; good to very good; September to December.

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