Rolfe
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Rolfe
Origin/History
Originated in the town of Guilford, Maine, about 1820. Said to be a seedling of the Blue Pearmain. At the time of Beach's writing (1905), it was probably grown more extensively in Maine than in any other section of the country, where it was regarded highly wherever known and was gaining in popularity among fruit growers. It had been disseminated but sparingly in New York state and was little known among New York fruit growers. It is worthy of testing in those portions of the state where superior hardiness in a variety is a matter of prime importance.
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 in size, roundish, not raised. Buds very deeply set in bark, medium in size, broad, flat, obtuse, appressed, pubescent. The tree is very hardy, vigorous, and a reliable cropper.
Fruit
Size and Form: 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.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh whitish with a slight tinge of yellow, moderately fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy, briskly subacid, good.
Core/Seeds: 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.
Season
Late September to December or January.
Uses
Of good quality and rather attractive for a yellowish apple. Regarded highly in Maine wherever known.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914): Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Rolfe (MacComber) L jr yr s VG b A
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1890–1921) from Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)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.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Rolfe (MacComber) L jr yr s VG b A