Sweet Vandervere
Apple
Sweet Vandervere
Origin / History
Origin unknown (Elliott; Downing). Warder describes it as "another western favorite with the admirers of sweet apples."
Tree
Tree of crooked growth and a profuse bearer (Elliott; Downing; Thomas). Warder gives a somewhat different characterization: "sufficiently vigorous, healthy, and productive; twigs slender, like those of the true Vanderveres."
Fruit
Size and Form
Sources differ on the form:
- Elliott: medium size, oblong, slightly conic, obscurely angular, sometimes nearly cylindric.
- Warder: of good size, from full medium to large, regular, oblate, and resembling the Pennsylvania Vandervere.
- Downing: medium, roundish oblate.
- Thomas: size medium, oblong, slightly conical.
Stem / Stalk
Elliott and Downing describe the stalk as short and rather slender. Thomas calls the stalk small. Warder describes the stem as long and slender.
Cavity
Large and irregular (Elliott; Downing; Thomas). Warder: "sometimes wide and regular, or acute."
Calyx / Eye
Calyx partially closed, set in a broad, open basin (Elliott; Downing). Warder: eye small, closed.
Basin
Broad and open (Elliott; Downing); wide (Thomas). Warder: abrupt, wide, deep, regular.
Skin
Greenish yellow, shaded and striped with dull red (Elliott; Thomas). Downing: yellow, shaded and striped with dull red. Warder: surface very smooth, yellow, shaded with mixed red, and striped with dull or dark red; dots yellow, scattered, indented.
Flesh and Flavor
Flesh tender and juicy (Elliott; Downing; Thomas). Elliott: "almost melting, with an exceedingly saccharine, aromatic flavor." Downing: "mild, sweet, aromatic. Good." Thomas: "a rich aromatic flavor." Warder gives a notably different account: "Flesh firm, breaking, yellow; Flavor sweet, pleasant; Quality not first rate, valued for baking and for stock."
Core and Seeds
Per Warder: core regular, heart-shaped, closed; seeds medium to long, angular. The other sources do not describe the core or seeds.
Season
Elliott and Downing: November through March. Thomas: through winter. Warder: December and January.
Uses
Warder notes the quality is "not first rate, valued for baking and for stock." The other sources do not specify uses.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1901) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Sweet Vandervere.
Sweet Redstreak, | Sweet Harvey.
Origin, unknown. Tree, of crooked growth ; a profuse bearer. Fruit, medium size, oblong, slightly conic, obscurely angular, sometimes nearly cylindric ; skin, greenish yellow, shaded and striped with dull red ; stalk, short, rather slender, inserted in a large, irregular cavity ; calyx, partially closed, set in a broad, open basin ; flesh, tender, juicy, almost melting, with an exceedingly saccharine, aromatic flavor. November, March. (Downing.)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Sweet Vandervere.
This is another western favorite with the admirers of sweet apples. Tree sufficiently vigorous, healthy, and productive; twigs slender, like those of the true Vanderveres.
Fruit of good size, from full medium to large, regular, oblate, and resembling the Pennsylvania Vandervere; surface very smooth, yellow, shaded with mixed red, and striped with dull or dark red; Dots yellow, scattered, indented.
Basin abrupt, wide, deep, regular; Eye small, closed. Cavity sometimes wide and regular, or acute; Stem long, slender.
Core regular, heart-shaped, closed; Seeds medium to long, angular; Flesh firm, breaking, yellow; Flavor sweet, pleasant; Quality not first rate, valued for baking and for stock; Season December and January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Sweet Vandervere. Sweet Redstreak. Sweet Harvey. Origin unknown. Tree of crooked growth, a profuse bearer. Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow, shaded and striped with dull red. Stalk short, rather slender, inserted in a large, irregular cavity. Calyx partially closed, set in a broad, open basin. Flesh tender, juicy, mild, sweet, aromatic. Good. November, March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Sweet Vandevere. (Sweet Redstreak, Sweet Harvey.) Size medium, oblong, slightly conical; shaded and striped dull red on greenish yellow; stalk small, cavity large, irregular; basin wide; flesh tender, juicy, with a rich aromatic flavor. Growth crooked, a profuse bearer. Through winter.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Sweet Vandervere", pp. 345–345]
Sweet Vandevere. (Sweet Redstreak, Sweet Harvey.) Size medium, oblong, slightly conical; shaded and striped dull red on greenish yellow; stalk small, cavity large, irregular; basin wide; flesh tender, juicy, with a rich aromatic flavor. Growth crooked, a profuse bearer. Through winter.