Red And Green Sweet
AppleRed And Green Sweet
Origin/History
Origin unknown. Elliott identifies it as American. It is an old variety, described as early as 1817 by Coxe. It was formerly grown to a comparatively limited extent in some portions of New York and in adjoining states. By Beach's time (1905), it was occasionally still found in some of the oldest orchards of the state but was fast going out of cultivation. Although some found it a profitable apple to grow for local market, Beach did not consider it worthy of being recommended for general planting.
Tree
Tree medium to large (Beach), described by Downing as a good grower. Form upright spreading to roundish and open (Beach); Downing concurs with upright spreading habit. Moderately vigorous to vigorous, long-lived (Beach).
Twigs short, straight, stout with large terminal buds; internodes short. Bark brown mingled with olive-green, heavily coated with gray scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oval, not raised. Buds large, rather prominent, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
Bearing: Downing describes the tree as a moderate annual bearer; Beach describes it as a reliable cropper yielding heavy crops annually. Both agree it bears annually.
Fruit
Size and Form: Fruit large to very large. Form oblong conic, rather strongly ribbed; sides unequal. (Beach; confirmed by Downing and Elliott.)
Stem: Short to medium, moderately slender.
Cavity: Nearly acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes lipped, sometimes thinly russeted.
Calyx: Closed or partly open; lobes moderately long, narrow, acute. Calyx tube long, funnel-shape.
Basin: Medium in depth to rather deep, medium in width to rather narrow, wrinkled.
Skin: Thin, tender, smooth, green changing to yellow, more or less blushed and partly overspread with pinkish-red irregularly striped and splashed with rather bright carmine. Downing describes the ground color as greenish white with stripes of red; Beach and Elliott describe it as green and red striped. When well colored it is described as rather attractive (Beach).
Dots: Conspicuous, numerous, large and scattering toward the cavity, small and very numerous toward the calyx.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white, fine, very tender, moderately juicy, of pleasant sweet flavor. Quality rated as fair to good by Beach in the physical description; Beach elsewhere states the variety does not rank very high in flavor or quality; Downing calls the flesh tender and sweet and considers it a good fruit for baking; Elliott rates the flesh sweet but poor in quality overall. All sources agree on the sweet character; assessments of overall eating quality range from poor (Elliott) to fair to good (Beach).
Core and Seeds: Core rather large; cells open; core lines clasping. Carpels nearly roundish, tufted. Seeds rather small, plump, acute.
Season
Middle of August to middle of September (Downing). Beach gives August and September and notes the fruit does not last long after it becomes ripe. Elliott concurs with August–September.
Uses
Suitable for baking (Beach, Downing). Downing also notes its value for stock feeding. Beach notes some growers found it profitable for local market sale.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red and Green Sweet. Red Pound Sweet. Bedford Sweet. Wheellock Sweet. Largo Early Red. Prince's Large Red and Green Sweet. Origin unknown. Tree a good grower, upright spreading, a moderate annual bearer. Fruit very large, oblong conic, ribbed, greenish white, with stripes of red. Flesh white, tender, sweet; a good fruit for baking and stock feeding. Middle of August to middle of September.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)RED AND GREEN SWEET.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:162. 2. Thacher, 1822:129. 3. Kenrick, 1832:38. 4. Thomas, 1849:135. 5. Elliott, 1854:176. 6. Downing, 1857:221. 7. Hooper, 1857:78. 8. Warder, 1867:729. 9. Downing, 1872:10 index, app.
SYNONYMS. Large Red Sweeting (5). Large Red and Green Sweeting (2). Prince's Large Red and Green Sweeting (1). Prince's Large Red and Green Sweeting (3). Prince's Red and Green Sweet (5). Red Bough (5). Red and Green Sweet (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Red and Green Sweeting (3). Saille Sweet (9). Virginia Sweet (9).
This is a very large green apple, striped with red, rather attractive when well colored. It does not rank very high in flavor or quality but is suitable for baking. Season August and September. The fruit does not last long after it becomes ripe. The tree is medium to large, moderately vigorous to vigorous, long-lived and a reliable cropper yielding heavy crops annually. Although some find it a profitable apple to grow for local market it is not worthy of being recommended for general planting.
Historical. This is an old variety which was described by Coxe (1). It was formerly grown to a comparatively limited extent in some portions of New York and in adjoining states. Occasionally a tree of it is still found in some of the oldest orchards of the state but it is fast going out of cultivation.
TREE.
Tree large. Form upright spreading to roundish, open. Twigs short, straight, stout with large terminal buds; internodes short. Bark brown mingled with olive-green, heavily coated with gray scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oval, not raised. Buds large, rather prominent, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit large to very large. Form oblong conic, rather strongly ribbed; sides unequal. Stem short to medium, moderately slender. Cavity nearly acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes lipped, sometimes thinly russeted. Calyx closed or partly open; lobes moderately long, narrow, acute. Basin medium in depth to rather deep, medium in width to rather narrow, wrinkled. Skin thin, tender, smooth, green changing to yellow, more or less blushed and partly overspread with pinkish-red irregularly striped and splashed with rather bright carmine. Dots conspicuous, numerous, large and scattering toward the cavity, small and very numerous toward the calyx. Calyx tube long, funnel-shape.
Core rather large; cells open; core lines clasping. Carpels nearly roundish, tufted. Seeds rather small, plump, acute. Flesh white, fine, very tender, moderately juicy, of pleasant sweet flavor and fair to good quality. Season August and September.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Red and Green Sweet.
Prince's Red and Green Sweet, | Large Red Sweeting, | Red Bough.
American. Very large, oblong conical, green and red striped; flesh, sweet, poor. August, September.