Macomber.

Origin, Guilford, Maine. Tree a good annual bearer.

Fruit full medium, oblate, angular, yellowish, shaded and striped with red. Stalk short. Cavity large. Calyx closed. Basin large and regular. Flesh white, fine-grained, tender, subacid. Good. Core small. December, January.

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

ROLFE.

REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1857:167. 2. Warder, 1867:725. 3. Thomas, 1875:505. 4. Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1876:149. 5. Ib., 1885:135, 138. 6. Ib., 1888:120. fig. 7. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 8. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:248. 9. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:133. 10. Ib., 1896:71, 81. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:14. 12. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1902:90, 92. 13. Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1902:49, 50. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:166.

SYNONYMS. MACOMBER (1, 2, 3, 7). Macomber (4, 9, 14). ROLFE (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14).

Fruit medium to large, of good quality and rather attractive for a yellowish apple. It is in season from late September to December or January. The tree is very hardy, vigorous and a reliable cropper. At the present time it is probably grown more extensively in Maine than in any other section of the country. It is there regarded highly wherever it is known and is gaining in popularity among fruit growers (1, 6, 10, 12). It is worthy of testing in those portions of the state where superior hardiness in a variety is a matter of prime importance.

Historical. Originated in the town of Guilford, Maine, about 1820. Said to be a seedling of the Blue Pearmain. It has, as yet, been disseminated but sparingly in this state and is but little known among New York fruit growers.

TREE.

Tree rather large, vigorous. Form roundish to spreading and drooping, rather dense; laterals slender, willowy. Twigs rather long, irregularly crooked, slender to moderately stout; internodes long to below medium. Bark brown to reddish-brown with an occasional tinge of olive-green, overlaid with scarf-skin, pubescent near tips. Lenticels moderately numerous, of a dull color but rather conspicuous, medium or above, roundish, not raised. Buds very deeply set in bark, medium in size, broad, flat, obtuse, appressed, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to sometimes large, pretty uniform in shape and size. Form roundish to roundish oblate, regular or somewhat angular, symmetrical. Stem short to medium and rather slender. Cavity acute to slightly acuminate, moderately deep, rather wide, sometimes slightly furrowed or compressed. Calyx small to above medium, closed; lobes short to moderately long, rather wide, acute. Basin below medium to rather large, pretty regular, shallow to moderately deep, narrow to rather wide, a little abrupt, slightly wrinkled. Skin moderately thin, rather tough, glossy, clear pale yellow, sometimes faintly blushed or in well colored specimens distinctly shaded and striped with lively red. Dots numerous, inconspicuous, small. Prevailing effect yellow or yellow and red.

Calyx tube rather narrow, short, funnel-shape. Stamens median. Core variable, below medium to large, abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, wide open; core lines clasping. Carpels often markedly concave, broadly ovate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds above medium, rather long and narrow, plump, acute or approaching acuminate, light brown.

Flesh whitish with slight tinge of yellow, moderately fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy, briskly subacid, good.

Season late September to December or January.

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

Rolfe (also known as MacComber) is large. Form: jr. Skin color is yellow-red and striped. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: autumn.

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

Macomber.

Origin, Guilford, Maine. Fruit, full medium, oblate angular ; skin, yellowish, shaded and striped with red ; stalk, short ; cavity, large ; calyx, closed; basin, large and regular; flesh, white, fine-grained, tender; flavor sub-acid, December to January. (Downing.)

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

Rolfe (Macomber). — Origin, Gilford, Maine; tree vigorous, a good annual bearer. Fruit medium to large, oblate, angular; surface yellowish, shaded, striped and splashed with red; cavity large; calyx closed. Flesh white, fine-grained, subacid, good. Early winter.

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

ROLFE. Macomber. Rolfe is a somewhat popular variety in cold regions because of superior hardiness, though it is above the average in both fruit- and tree-characters. The variety originated in the town of Guilford, Maine, about 1820, and is said to be a seedling of Blue Pearmain.

Tree large, vigorous, spreading and drooping, dense; laterals slender, willowy. Fruit sometimes large, uniform in shape and size, round or round-oblate, regular or angular, symmetrical; stem short to medium, slender; cavity acute, deep, wide, sometimes furrowed or compressed; calyx small, medium, closed; lobes short, wide, acute; basin large, regular, shallow, narrow, abrupt, wrinkled; skin thin, tough, glossy, pale yellow, sometimes blushed or in well-colored specimens shaded and striped with red; dots numerous, inconspicuous, small; prevailing effect yellow; calyx-tube narrow, short, funnel-shape; stamens median; core variable, medium to large, abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, wide open; core-lines clasping; carpels markedly concave, broadly ovate, emarginate, tufted; seeds large, long and narrow, plump, acute, light brown; flesh yellow, fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid; good; late September to January.

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