Northern Sweet
AppleOrigin & History
Originated on the farm of the late Nathan Lockwood, of St. George, Chittenden County, Vermont (Downing). Brought to notice by Jonathan Battey of Keeseville, Clinton County, New York, about 1849, who stated that it had then been cultivated in the vicinity of its origin for about fifty years (Beach). It has probably been grown more in the Champlain valley than in any other section of the state. It was still occasionally listed by nurserymen but was by 1905 seldom planted (Beach). Warder notes it was "not generally nor extensively cultivated."
Tree
Healthy, spreading, and productive (Downing), but needs high culture for the perfect development of the whole crop (Downing). Young wood reddish, smooth (Downing). Elliott describes the tree as a moderate grower, hardy, and an early abundant bearer. Warder characterizes the tree as "sufficiently healthy and productive."
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Warder alone describes the fruit as large.
Form: Roundish oblate (Downing), globular, somewhat flattened, angular or regular (Warder), roundish flattened, occasionally ribbed and angular (Elliott). Thomas describes the form as roundish-conic.
Stem: Medium (Warder). Rather long, set in a moderate cavity (Downing). Elliott describes the stem as rather stout, swollen at base.
Cavity: Rather wide, regular, green (Warder). Moderate (Downing). Shallow (Elliott).
Calyx: Small and closed (Downing). Eye long, closed (Warder). Nearly closed (Elliott). Set in a narrow, abrupt, corrugated basin (Downing).
Basin: Deep, abrupt, regular (Warder). Narrow, abrupt, corrugated (Downing). Slightly furrowed (Elliott).
Skin: Smooth, yellow — described as "very pale yellow" by Warder, "rich yellow" by Elliott. Sometimes with a blush (Downing), rarely blushed (Warder), or with a crimson cheek (Beach) described as often carmine red by Elliott. Dots minute, with white bases (Warder).
Flesh & Flavor: White to whitish, tender, juicy, and sweet. Beach describes the flesh as "whitish, fine, tender, juicy, sweet, very good." Downing writes "white, tender, juicy, sweet, rich, and excellent." Elliott gives "white, tender, sweet" and rates it nearly "best." Thomas says "sweet, rich, very good." Warder describes the flesh as "whitish, breaking, juicy" with flavor "very sweet" and quality "pretty good," noting that Downing calls it "rich and excellent."
Core & Seeds: Core very small, closed, almost clasping, with seeds numerous and short (Warder). Downing describes the core as medium.
Season
September and October (Downing), or midautumn (Beach). Warder gives September in Northern Indiana and Illinois. Elliott places it in November. Thomas says autumn.
Uses
Recommended for baking (Warder). A good apple for the home orchard but not desirable for commercial purposes (Beach). Downing states "not profitable."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach provides an extensive bibliography: Cultivator, 6:353 (1849); Battey, Horticulturist, 4:316 (1850, with figure); Jeffreys, Horticulturist, 4:413 (1850); Barry (1851:285); Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:42 (1851, colored plate No. 50 and figure); Mag. Hort., 20:241 (1854); Elliott (1854:149); Downing (1857:177); Gregg (1857:45); Hoffy, N. A. Pom. (1860, colored plate); Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. (1862); Warder (1867:632); Leroy (1873:502, with figure); Thomas (1875:508); Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. (1881:316); Bailey, An. Hort. (1892:245); Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:302 (1901); Budd-Hansen (1903:138).
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Northern Sweet.
Origin unknown; supposed to be Vermont. Tree sufficiently healthy and productive. Not generally nor extensively cultivated.
Fruit large, globular, somewhat flattened, angular or regular; Surface smooth, very pale yellow, rarely blushed; Dots minute, with white bases.
Basin deep, abrupt, regular; Eye long, closed.
Cavity rather wide, regular, green; Stem medium.
Core very small, closed, almost clasping; Seeds numerous, short; Flesh whitish, breaking, juicy; Flavor very sweet; Quality pretty good; Use, baking; Season, September, in Northern Indiana and Illinois. Downing says "rich and excellent; September and October."
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Northern Sweet.
Northern Golden Sweet. Golden Sweet.
Origin, on the farm of the late Nathan Lockwood, of St. George, Chittenden Co., Vt. Tree healthy, spreading, and productive, but needs high culture for the perfect development of the whole crop. Young wood reddish, smooth.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow, sometimes with a blush. Stalk rather long, in a moderate cavity. Calyx small and closed, in a narrow, abrupt, corrugated basin. Flesh white, tender, juicy, sweet, rich, and excellent. Core medium. September, October. Not profitable.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)NORTHERN SWEET.
REFERENCES. 1. Cultivator, 6:353. 1849. 2. Battey, Horticulturist, 4:316. 1850. fig. 3. Jeffreys, Ib., 4:413. 1850. 4. Barry, 1851:285. 5. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:42. 1851. col. pl. No. 50 and fig. 6. Mag. Hort., 20:241. 1854. 7. Elliott, 1854:149. 8. Downing, 1857:177. 9. Gregg, 1857:45. 10. Hoffy, N. A. Pom., 1860. col. pl. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 12. Warder, 1867:632. 13. Leroy, 1873:502. fig. 14. Thomas, 1875:508. 15. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1881:316. 16. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:245. 17. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:302. 1901. 18. Budd-Hansen, 1903:138.
SYNONYMS. Golden Sweet (8, 10, 13). NORTHERN GOLDEN SWEET (5). Northern Golden Sweet (2, 7, 8, 13). Northern Golden Sweeting (10). NORTHERN SWEET (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). NORTHERN SWEETING (9).
Fruit yellow or sometimes with a crimson cheek. Flesh whitish, fine, tender, juicy, sweet, very good; season midautumn. It is a good apple for the home orchard but not desirable for commercial purposes.
Historical. Supposed to be a native of Chittenden county, Vermont. Brought to notice by Jonathan Battey, Keeseville, Clinton county, N. Y., about 1849, who stated that it had then been cultivated in the vicinity of its origin for about fifty years (2). It has probably been grown more in the Champlain valley than in any other section of the state. It is still occasionally listed by nurserymen (16) but is now seldom planted.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Northern Sweet. Northern Golden Sweet. From Vermont. Tree, moderate grower, hardy, early abundant bearer. Fruit, medium, roundish flattened, occasionally ribbed and angular ; rich yellow, often carmine red cheek ; calyx, nearly closed ; basin, slightly furrowed ; stem, rather stout, swollen at base ; cavity, shallow ; flesh, white, tender, sweet ; nearly "best." November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Northern Sweet. Medium, roundish-conic, yellow; sweet, rich, very good. Autumn. Vermont.