People's Choice
ApplePeople's Choice
Origin/History
A Pennsylvania variety. Known to some as the Melt-in-the-Mouth.
Tree
Both sources confirm Pennsylvania origin and describe a hardy tree. Downing describes the tree as moderately vigorous and upright, with young shoots that are grayish reddish brown. Elliott describes the tree as hardy, with slender, diverging shoots — somewhat at variance with Downing's "upright" characterization — and notes that fruit is borne mostly on the ends of limbs. Elliott adds that the variety requires rich soil abounding in lime. On young trees the fruit is quite small; it improves and increases in size as trees advance in years and under good culture.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium. The two sources describe the form somewhat differently: Downing gives oblate, inclining to conic; Elliott gives roundish, slightly flattened.
Stem: Short (Elliott).
Cavity: Deep, regular (Elliott).
Calyx: Short, erect segments (Elliott).
Basin: Shallow, broad, open (Elliott).
Skin: The two sources differ substantially in color description. Downing describes the fruit as red, sometimes obscurely striped, and thickly sprinkled with large whitish dots of peculiar appearance. Elliott describes the ground color as yellow, overspread with warm yellow-red, dotted and marbled with yellow russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish (both sources). The texture descriptions differ slightly: Downing gives firm and juicy; Elliott gives crisp, juicy, and tender. Both sources agree on a subacid flavor; Downing adds brisk and rich. Quality rated Good (Downing).
Core/Seeds: Core small, compact; seeds long, oval-pointed, abundant (Elliott).
Season
Downing gives December to March; Elliott gives January to April. Both place this firmly as a mid-to-late winter keeper.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)People's Choice.
Melt-in-the-Mouth of some.
A Pennsylvania fruit. Tree moderately vigorous, upright. Young shoots grayish reddish brown.
Fruit medium, oblate, inclining to conic. Color red, sometimes obscurely striped, thickly sprinkled with large whitish dots of peculiar appearance. Flesh yellowish, firm, juicy, brisk, rich subacid. Good. December to March.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)People's Choice.
Origin, Pennsylvania. Tree, hardy; shoots, slender, diverging; fruit borne mostly on ends of limbs; requires rich soil, abounding in lime; on young trees, fruit quite small; improves and increases as they advance in years and size, and under good culture.
Fruit, medium; form, roundish, slightly flattened; color, yellow ground overspread with warm yellow red, dotted and marbled with yellow russet; stem, short; cavity, deep, regular; calyx, with short, erect segments; basin, shallow, broad, open; flesh, yellowish crisp, juicy, tender, sub-acid; core, small, compact; seeds, long; oval-pointed, abundant. January to April.