Sweet Winesap
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Sweet Winesap
Origin / History
Downing gives Sweet Winesap as a variety from Pennsylvania. Hedrick writes that it is not known where the variety originated, but that it seems to have been described first in 1854. Beach dates Downing's description to 1869, as a variety from Pennsylvania with Henrick Sweet as a synonym.
In 1879, fruit of the apple commonly known in Western New York as Henrick Sweet was identified by Charles Downing for William J. Edmunds, of Brockport, N. Y., as undoubtedly Sweet Winesap. Beach received Sweet Winesap fruit from Mr. Edmunds. He found it identical with the apple grown at Geneva and in other parts of New York as Henrick Sweet or Hendrick Sweet. Edmunds also gave Beach Downing's letter, which reads: "In looking over the apples you sent me a month or more since, I am now certain it is the Sweet Winesap which is described in Downing's second revised edition, page 378. Many years since the late Isaac Hildreth, a nurseryman at Geneva, sent me a barrel of this kind which he said went by the name of Henricks Sweet and as you say, they kept through the winter into March with very little waste. Ladies Sweet keeps still later and is one of the best of its season."
According to Beach, Sweet Winesap has long been cultivated in Western New York under the names Henrick Sweet and Hendrick Sweet. In some localities, particularly Wayne county, it is known as Rose Sweet. It is occasionally miscalled Ladies Sweet, Lady Sweet or Lady Sweeting. Since it bears some resemblance to the true Lady Sweet, Beach finds the confusion not strange.
Warder listed it under the separate names Sweet Winesap and Henrick Sweet. Thomas in 1875 followed Downing in giving Sweet Winesap as a Pennsylvania variety and noticed Henrick Sweet separately. Beach judged that Thomas was evidently not familiar with the variety under the name Sweet Winesap, though he must have recognized it as the apple commonly known in his own section as Henrick Sweet. The 1897 edition of Thomas made Henrick Sweet a synonym of Sweet Pearmain, and Lyon doubted the correctness of this decision. Beach had not seen Sweet Pearmain, but found that the descriptions of that variety given by Downing and by Elliott do not apply closely to Sweet Winesap.
Hedrick writes that under one or another of its several names, Sweet Winesap is cultivated as widely as any other sweet apple, excepting Tolman and Pound Sweet. Though widely distributed, it is most commonly grown in New York and Pennsylvania. An attractive, handsome red winter apple.
Tree
Tree medium in size, vigorous or moderately vigorous (Beach). Downing gives it as of moderate, upright growth. Hedrick calls the trees a little lacking in vigor and hardiness.
Form upright spreading to roundish, rather dense. The head tends to grow dense, particularly where thorough tillage is practiced. Beach advises that the top be made sufficiently open that the foliage may be kept in good working condition throughout the tree.
Twigs medium to long, rather slender to moderately stout; internodes medium. Bark brownish tinged with dark red, mottled with inconspicuous grayish scarf-skin, scarcely pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, often elongated. Buds medium in size, broadly roundish, obtuse or sometimes acute, somewhat pubescent, generally appressed (Beach).
Some growers find it satisfactorily hardy, but others find it a little lacking in hardiness (Beach). For that reason they prefer to top-work it upon some vigorous, hardy stock such as Northern Spy, Roxbury or Golden Russet. Usually healthy. Beach calls it moderately long-lived; Hedrick calls it long-lived.
Productive. Not an early bearer, somewhat tardy in coming into bearing, but a reliable cropper once in bearing. In many cases inclined to overbear and produce a considerable amount of undersized fruit (Beach). A few growers hold that two pickings should be made, because the fruit tends to drop. Others report that it hangs to the tree well enough for one picking, if gathered before it is too far advanced in maturity.
Lowther's station table reports it from 1 station in the Northern Division and 3 stations in the Central Division, each also reported in another division. No stations report it in the Southern Division.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large, pretty uniform in size and shape under fairly similar conditions. Most authors give medium. Beach calls it of good medium size, or under favorable conditions rather large, and Hedrick's introduction calls it large.
Form: Roundish conic, wide and flattened at the base, varying to roundish ovate or to oblate conic. Regular or slightly elliptical, pretty symmetrical, well-turned. Downing describes it as oblate, slightly approaching conic; Lowther calls it flat.
Stem: Moderately slender to slender. Downing calls it long; Beach gives short to moderately long.
Cavity: Above medium size, acuminate to acute, moderately shallow to deep, moderately wide to wide, symmetrical or gently furrowed. Beach finds it sometimes partly russeted; Downing gives it as surrounded with russet.
Calyx: Medium to large, usually somewhat open. The Downing description reproduced by Elliott calls it large and open; Downing's later text calls it partially open. Lobes often long and acuminate. Calyx tube funnel-shape, with broad, yellowish limb and narrow cylinder, sometimes nearly or quite cone-shape. Stamens median to marginal (Beach).
Basin: Medium to rather large, rather deep to deep, open, roundish, often oblique, moderately narrow to rather wide, decidedly abrupt, sometimes slightly furrowed.
Skin: Tough and smooth. Ground clear pale yellow or greenish, nearly overspread with bright light red, plainly marked with long, narrow carmine stripes. Downing gives the color as red, splashed with deep crimson. Covered with a thin bloom and often, to a considerable extent, with thin, light gray scarf-skin producing a slightly dull effect. Prevailing effect red or striped red; handsome and attractive.
Dots: Small to medium, scattering, whitish or russet (Beach).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh nearly white, firm, rather fine, moderately crisp, tender, juicy. The Downing description reproduced by Elliott calls it "almost melting, with a very sweet, rich, peculiar flavor." Flavor very sweet and rich (Downing), distinctly sweet (Beach). Remains sprightly and crisp till late in the season (Beach). Quality "good to very good" (Downing, Beach); "very good" (Lowther). Beach calls it "excellent in quality for dessert or for baking or other culinary uses."
Core and seeds: Core small to medium, axile or sometimes abaxile. Cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels flat, roundish to broadly elliptical, emarginate. Seeds medium or below, plump, obtuse (Beach).
Season
The recorded season runs from November into April, or to mid-May in cold storage. Downing and Hedrick give November to March, and the Downing description reproduced by Elliott gives November, December. Beach reports that in Western New York it ordinarily comes into season in November and may be held in common storage till April first, or in cold storage till May fifteenth. The fruit has a tough skin and stands heat well before going into storage (Beach). Charles Downing's letter records fruit keeping through the winter into March with very little waste.
Uses
Dessert, baking and other culinary uses. Hedrick calls it sufficiently firm of flesh and tough of skin to stand marketing and storage. Lowther gives its primary use as market. Beach says it sells well in markets where there is any considerable demand for a red winter apple of sweet flavor, and that it is often shipped to Baltimore, Washington and other southern markets.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Elliott's 1865 Western Fruit Book carries two entries under the name Sweet Winesap. The first, from Clark County, Ohio, describes a different, green-skinned apple. The second is signed "(Downing.)" and reproduces Downing's description, which is incorporated above. Beach's references list Elliott's 1854 Sweet Winesap as "not the Sweet Winesap of Downing."] Elliott's Ohio apple of the same name: "Fruit, large, roundish flattened, rough skin, greenish yellow, with blotches of dark green : calyx, medium ; basin, open ; stem, short ; core and seeds, small : flesh, yellowish white, tender, mild sub-acid, almost sweet. November, December."
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Sweet Winesap.
From Clark County, Ohio. Fruit, large, roundish flattened, rough skin, greenish yellow, with blotches of dark green : calyx, medium ; basin, open ; stem, short ; core and seeds, small : flesh, yellowish white, tender, mild sub-acid, almost sweet. November, December.
Sweet Winesap.
From Pennsylvania. Tree of moderate, upright growth, productive. Fruit, medium, oblate, slightly approaching conic ; color, red, splashed with deep crimson : stalk, long and slender, inserted in a deep cavity, surrounded with russet ; calyx, large, open, set in a rather deep, open basin ; flesh, tender, juicy, almost melting, with a very sweet, rich, peculiar flavor. November, December. (Downing.)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Sweet Winesap. Henrick Sweet ? Henry Sweet. Ladies Sweet, of some. Sweet Pearmain, of some. Red Sweet Winesap. From Pennsylvania. Tree of moderate, upright growth, productive. Fruit medium, oblate, slightly approaching conic. Color red, splashed with deep crimson. Stalk long and slender, inserted in a deep cavity, surrounded with russet. Calyx partially open, set in a rather deep, open basin. Flesh tender, juicy, very sweet, rich. Good to very good. November to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)SWEET WINESAP.
REFERENCES. 1. Elliott, 1854:160—not the Sweet Winesap of Downing. 2. Warder, 1867:721, 734. 3. Downing, 1869:378. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:10. 5. Thomas, 1875:501. 6. Ib., 1875:514. 7. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:298. 8. Thomas, 1897:270. 9. Budd-Hansen, 1903:186. 10. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:124. 1904. 11. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:141. 1905. 12. Ib., 56:170. 1905. 13. Ib., 56:304, 305. 1905.
SYNONYMS. Bailey Sweet (10) incorrectly. HENDRICK (10). Hendrick Sweet (10). HENRICK (11). HENRICK SWEET (2, 5). Henrick Sweet (7, 8, 11, 13, ?3). Henry Sweet (3, 13). Ladies' Sweet of some (3, 12, 13), but erroneously. Lady Sweet of some, but erroneously. Lady Sweeting of some, but erroneously. Red Sweet Winesap (3, 13). Rose Sweet. SWEET PEARMAIN (8). Sweet Pearmain of some (3, 13). SWEET WINE SAP (6).
An attractive red winter apple, symmetrical, uniform, of good medium size, or, under favorable conditions, rather large. It is excellent in quality for dessert or for baking or other culinary uses. Some fruit growers report that the tree is satisfactorily hardy, but others find that it is a little lacking in hardiness and for that reason prefer to top-work it upon some vigorous, hardy stock such as Northern Spy, Roxbury or Golden Russet. It is usually healthy and moderately long-lived. It tends to form a rather dense head, particularly where thorough tillage is practiced, and for this reason the top should be made sufficiently open so that the foliage may be kept in good working condition throughout the tree. The tree is not an early bearer, but when it comes into bearing it is a reliable cropper. In many cases it is inclined to overbear and produce a considerable amount of undersized fruit. Some few hold that two pickings should be made on account of the tendency of the fruit to drop, but others report that it hangs to the tree well enough so that but one picking is needed if the fruit is gathered before it is too far advanced in maturity. The fruit has a tough skin, stands heat well before going into storage and remains sprightly and crisp till late in the season. As grown in Western New York it ordinarily comes into season in November and may be held in common storage till April first or in cold storage till May fifteenth (10). It sells well in markets where there is any considerable demand for a red winter apple of sweet flavor. It is often shipped to Baltimore, Washington and other southern markets.
Historical. Downing described Sweet Winesap in 1869 as a variety from Pennsylvania (3), with Henrick Sweet as a synonym. In 1879 fruit of the variety commonly known in Western New York as Henrick Sweet was identified by Charles Downing for William J. Edmunds, of Brockport, N. Y., as undoubtedly Sweet Winesap. Mr. Edmunds has very kindly supplied us with some of his Sweet Winesap fruit which certainly is identical with the apple grown at Geneva and in other parts of the state as Henrick Sweet or Hendrick Sweet. He has also presented us with Downing's letter, the text of which is here given in full. " In looking over the apples you sent me a month or more since, I am now certain it is the Sweet Winesap which is described in Downing's second revised edition, page 378. Many years since the late Isaac Hildreth, a nurseryman at Geneva, sent me a barrel of this kind which he said went by the name of Henricks Sweet and as you say, they kept through the winter into March with very little waste. Ladies Sweet keeps still later and is one of the best of its season."
Sweet Winesap has long been cultivated in Western New York under the names Henrick Sweet and Hendrick Sweet. In some localities, particularly in Wayne county, it is known as Rose Sweet. Occasionally it is erroneously called Ladies Sweet, Lady Sweet or Lady Sweeting. Since it bears some resemblance to the true Lady Sweet it is not strange that it is sometimes thus confused with that variety. Warder listed it under the separate names of Sweet Winesap and Henrick Sweet. Thomas in 1875 followed Downing in giving Sweet Winesap as a variety from Pennsylvania and notices Henrick Sweet as a separate variety. Evidently he was not familiar with this variety under the name Sweet Winesap, but he must have recognized that it was identical with the apple commonly known in his own section as Henrick Sweet. The 1897 edition of Thomas (8), makes Henrick Sweet a synonym of Sweet Pearmain, but Lyon doubted the correctness of this decision (11).
We have not seen Sweet Pearmain but the descriptions of that variety given by Downing (3) and Elliott (1) do not apply closely to Sweet Winesap.
TREE.
Tree medium in size, vigorous or moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading to roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium to long, rather slender to moderately stout; internodes medium. Bark brownish tinged with dark red, mottled with inconspicuous grayish scarf-skin, scarcely pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, often elongated. Buds medium in size, broadly roundish, obtuse or sometimes acute, somewhat pubescent, generally appressed.
FRUIT.
Fruit varies under different conditions from medium to large but under fairly similar conditions is pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish conic, wide and flattened at the base, varying to roundish ovate or to oblate conic, regular or slightly elliptical, pretty symmetrical. Stem short to moderately long, moderately slender. Cavity above medium size, acuminate to acute, moderately shallow to rather deep, moderately wide to wide, symmetrical or gently furrowed, sometimes partly russeted. Calyx medium or above, usually somewhat open; lobes often long and acuminate. Basin medium to rather large, often oblique, roundish, deep, moderately narrow to rather wide, decidedly abrupt, sometimes slightly furrowed. Skin tough, smooth, clear pale yellow or greenish nearly overspread with bright light red, plainly marked with long narrow carmine stripes, covered with a thin bloom and often to a considerable extent with thin, light gray scarf-skin producing a slightly dull effect. Dots small to medium, scattering, whitish or russet. Prevailing effect red or striped red. Calyx tube funnel-shape, with broad, yellowish limb and narrow cylinder, sometimes nearly or quite cone-shape. Stamens median to marginal. Core small to medium, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels flat, roundish to broadly elliptical, emarginate. Seeds medium or below, plump, obtuse. Flesh nearly white, firm, rather fine, moderately crisp, tender, juicy, distinctly sweet, good to very good.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Sweet Winesap. — Origin, Pennsylvania; tree of moderate, upright growth, productive.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly approaching conic; surface red, splashed with deep crimson; cavity deep, russeted; stem long, slender; basin rather deep, open; calyx partially open. Flesh tender, juicy, very sweet, rich, good to very good. November to March.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Sweet Winesap is a medium-sized apple of flat form, with striped or splashed (red) skin color. Quality is very good. Primary use is market. Season is winter. It is reported by 1 station in the Northern Division (also reported in another division) and 3 stations in the Central Division (also reported in another division). No stations are reported in the Southern Division.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)SWEET WINESAP. Fig. 54. Hendrick. Hendrick Sweet. Sweet Pearmain. Under one or another of its several names, Sweet Winesap is cultivated as widely as any other sweet apple, excepting Tolman and Pound Sweet. The fruits are a handsome red, large, well-turned, symmetrical, and uniform; excellent for dessert or culinary uses; and sufficiently firm of flesh and tough of skin to stand marketing and storage. The trees are a little lacking in vigor and hardiness, but are usually healthy, long-lived, and productive, though they are somewhat tardy in coming in bearing. It is not known where the variety originated, but it seems to have been described first in 1854. Though widely distributed, Sweet Winesap is most commonly grown in New York and Pennsylvania. Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense. Fruit medium to large, uniform in size and shape, round-conic, wide and flattened at the base, round-ovate or oblate-conic, regular or elliptical, symmetrical; stem short, slender; cavity acuminate, shallow, wide, symmetrical or gently furrowed, sometimes partly russeted; calyx open; lobes long, acuminate; basin large, often oblique, round, deep, wide, abrupt, sometimes furrowed; skin tough, smooth, pale yellow overspread with bright red, plainly marked with long, narrow carmine stripes, covered with a thin bloom and often with thin, light gray scarf-skin producing a dull effect; dots small, scattering, white or russet; prevailing effect red or striped-red; calyx-tube funnel-shape with broad, yellow limb and narrow cylinder; stamens median; core small, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or partly open; core-lines clasping; carpels flat, round to broadly elliptical, emarginate; seeds small, plump, obtuse; flesh white, firm, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, sweet; good to very good; November to March.