Utter (Utter's Red)
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Utter (Utter's Red)
Origin / History
Originated in Wisconsin, where Beach records it as early as 1855, citing the Horticulturist, in which it appeared under the name "Utter's." Hedrick likewise says it has been known in Wisconsin since 1855.
Downing calls it "a popular Apple in Wisconsin and some other Western sections," and Thomas "a hardy, popular, Wisconsin apple." Hansen says it is much grown in Wisconsin and other parts of the West. Beach says it is much grown in that state and in other parts of the Middle West, "but it is little known in New York." Beach adds that it is very hardy, and on this account has been grown to some extent in regions where standard varieties do not succeed.
Hedrick says it "has value in Wisconsin, where it has been known since 1855, because of its hardiness," but that the description "contains but little to indicate that it is of general value in apple-culture."
Planted under test at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C., in spring 1894. Lowther's station table reports it from 2 stations in the Northern Division and from at least one other division.
Tree
Hardy to very hardy; healthy, productive, and a regular bearer. A rather upright, regular grower forming a full, rounded head (Beach, citing Burrill and McCluer). Vigorous (Agassiz; Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium to large; of good size. Hansen and Beach give above medium to large, and Thomas rather large. The Agassiz catalogue and Lowther's station table give medium.
Form: Oblate. The typical form is roundish oblate, varying to roundish. Sometimes somewhat elongated, angular, and flattened at the end (Hansen). Sometimes a little inclined to oblong, often somewhat broadly ribbed, pretty regular (Beach).
Stem: Short to medium. Downing calls it short and slender; Beach calls it moderately stout.
Cavity: Deep, regular, acute to acuminate, medium in width to wide, furrowed gently if at all (Beach). Usually with a trace of russet (Hansen), sometimes partly russeted (Beach).
Calyx: Small, closed, or closed or partly open (Beach). Segments very small, divergent (Hansen); lobes small, short, obtuse (Beach). Calyx tube funnel-shaped, elongated funnel-form in Beach's description. Stamens median, or median or below (Beach).
Basin: Rather shallow to moderately deep, open (Downing), medium in width, abrupt (Beach). Wavy or ribbed, furrowed, or slightly furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Moderately thick, tough, clear (Beach). Ground lemon yellow, rather pale yellow, or whitish yellow. Mottled, shaded, splashed, and striped with light red, and much dotted with red. Hansen gives the red as bright red; the 1914 Budd-Hansen reprint of his text reads light red. Beach describes the skin as usually washed with orange-red and narrowly streaked with bright carmine. The Agassiz specimens showed only a few streaks of light red.
The fruit is remarkable for the decided variation in specimens from different parts of the tree (Hansen). Fruit from the interior of the tree is sometimes only a clear, waxen pale yellow. Some fruits show little or no red, but on highly colored specimens red is the prevailing color (Beach). Yellow and red, rather attractive in appearance (Beach).
Dots: Numerous and not conspicuous. Hansen gives them as minute and white, with a few small russet dots. Beach gives them as often submerged, or whitish, or occasionally with a russet point. Downing gives small russet dots, and the Agassiz catalogue grayish dots.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, or whitish tinged with yellow (Beach); tender, juicy. Hansen calls it fine-grained; Beach calls it somewhat coarse and crisp. Mild, pleasant subacid, pleasantly flavored. Every source rates it good; Thomas puts it as "good in quality."
Core and seeds: Core open or closed, clasping. Beach gives the core as sessile, of medium size, and abaxile, with cells symmetrical, open or closed, and core lines clasping. Cells obovate, slit (Hansen). Carpels broadly roundish or approaching elliptical, but slightly emarginate if at all, smooth or slightly tufted (Beach).
Hansen gives the seeds as not many, very large, and plump. Beach gives them as moderately numerous, medium to rather large, somewhat narrow to rather wide, obtuse or approaching acute, and moderately light reddish-brown.
Season
Autumn and early winter, October to December or later. Downing and Hansen give November and December, and Thomas early winter. Beach alone begins the season in October and carries it to December or later; Lowther's station table calls it autumn, and the Agassiz catalogue gives November.
Uses
Family and kitchen use (Lowther's station table).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hansen says that, because of the variation among specimens from different parts of the tree, "some exhibitors at fruit displays sometimes take advantage of this fact to increase their number of 'varieties.'"
Book Sources
Described in 7 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905) — listed as Utter
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Utter
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Utter
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Utter
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922) — listed as UTTER
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Utter
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1893–1913) from Illinois, Nebraska
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893 — listed as Utter's Large Red
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894 — listed as Utter's Red
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Utter's Large Red
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Utter's Red
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911 — listed as Utter's Red
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Utter's Red
View original book sources (8)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Utter.
A popular Apple in Wisconsin and some other Western sections. Tree a regular bearer, and hardy. Fruit medium to large, oblate, lemon yellow ground, mottled, shaded, and striped with light red, small russet dots. Stalk short and slender. Calyx small, closed. Basin open, furrowed. Flesh white, tender, juicy mild, pleasant subacid. Good. November, December.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Utter (Utter's Red)—Origin, Wisconsin; much grown in Wisconsin and other parts of the West; the fruit is remarkable for the decided variation shown in specimens from different parts of the tree. Some exhibitors at fruit displays sometimes take advantage of this fact to increase their number of "varieties."—Fruit above medium to large, the typical form is roundish oblate (sometimes roundish, somewhat elongated, angular and flattened at end); surface yellow, splashed, mottled, striped and much dotted with bright red (from interior of tree sometimes only a clear waxen pale yellow); dots white, minute, many, a few small russet dots; cavity regular, deep, usually with trace of russet; stem medium; basin rather shallow, wavy or ribbed; calyx closed, segments very small, divergent. Core open or closed, clasping; cells obovate, slit; tube funnnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds not many, very large and plump; flesh white, fine grained, tender, juicy, mild, pleasant subacid, good. November to December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Utter. Rather large, oblate, striped with red on a yellow skin; pleasant sub-acid, good in quality. Early winter. A hardy, popular, Wisconsin apple.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)UTTER
REFERENCES. 1. Horticulturist, 10:528. 1855. 2. Ib., 23:10. 1868. fig. 3. Downing, 1869:389. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 5. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 5:35. 1879. 6. Budd, Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1879:472. 7. Thomas, 1885:527. 8. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-87:97. 9. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 10. Harris, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1892:271. 11. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:311, 344. 1896. 12. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1901:98. 13. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:108. 1902. fig. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:193. fig.
SYNONYMS. English Janneting (6). Fameuse (6). Seever's Red Streak (6). UTTER'S (1). UTTER (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14). UTTER'S LARGE RED (9). UTTER'S RED (5, 12). Utter's Red (13, 14).
Fruit of good size, yellow and red, rather attractive in appearance. The tree is a rather upright regular grower, forming a full rounded head, healthy and productive (11). It is very hardy and on this account has been grown to some extent in regions where standard varieties do not succeed (13, 14).
Historical. Originated in Wisconsin where it was known as early as 1855 (1). It has been much grown in that state and in other parts of the Middle West (13, 14) but it is little known in New York.
FRUIT.
Fruit above medium to large. Form usually roundish oblate varying to roundish, sometimes a little inclined to oblong, often somewhat broadly ribbed, pretty regular. Stem short to medium, moderately stout. Cavity acute to acuminate, deep, medium in width to wide, furrowed gently if at all, sometimes partly russeted. Calyx small, closed or partly open; lobes small, short, obtuse. Basin rather shallow to moderately deep, medium in width, abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin moderately thick, tough, clear, rather pale yellow usually washed with orange-red and narrowly streaked with bright carmine. Some fruits show little or no red but on highly colored specimens the prevailing color is red. Dots not conspicuous, numerous, often submerged or whitish or occasionally with russet point. Calyx tube elongated funnel-form. Stamens median or below. Core sessile, medium size, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open or closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish or approaching elliptical, but slightly emarginate if at all, smooth or slightly tufted. Seeds moderately numerous, medium to rather large, somewhat narrow to rather wide, obtuse or approaching acute, moderately light reddish-brown. Flesh whitish tinged with yellow, somewhat coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid, pleasantly flavored, good. Season October to December or later.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Utter (Utter Red). — Origin, Wisconsin. Much grown in Wisconsin and other parts of the West. The fruit is remarkable for the decided variation shown in specimens from different parts of the tree. Some exhibitors at fruit displays sometimes take advantage of this fact to increase their number of "varieties."
Fruit above medium to large, the typical form is roundish oblate (sometimes roundish, somewhat elongated, angular, and flattened at ends); surface yellow, splashed, mottled, striped, and much dotted with light red (from interior of tree sometimes only a clear waxen pale yellow); dots white, minute, many, a few small russet dots; cavity regular, deep, usually with trace of russet; stem medium; basin rather shallow, wavy, or ribbed; calyx closed; segments very small, divergent. Core open or closed, clasping; cells obovate, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds not many, very large and plump; flesh white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, mild, pleasant subacid, good. November, December.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Utter is a medium-sized apple of roundish (oblate) form with striped or splashed (red) skin color. Quality is good. Use: family and kitchen. Season: autumn. Reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, with the asterisk indicating the variety is also reported in at least one other division.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)UTTER.
Seevers Red Streak, Utter's Red.
Utter has value in Wisconsin, where it has been known since 1855, because of its hardiness. The description which follows contains but little to indicate that it is of general value in apple-culture.
Tree upright, healthy, vigorous, productive, with a full-rounded head, very hardy. Fruit large, round-oblate or round, sometimes oblong, often broadly ribbed, regular ; stem short, stout ; cavity acute, deep, wide, furrowed, sometimes russeted ; calyx small, closed ; lobes small, short, obtuse ; basin shallow, medium in width, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled ; skin thick, tough, pale yellow usually washed with orange-red and narrowly streaked with bright carmine ; dots inconspicuous, numerous, white, occasionally with russet point ; calyxtube elongated-funnel-form ; stamens median ; core sessile, of medium size, abaxile ; cells symmetrical, open or closed ; core-lines clasping ; carpels broadly round, but slightly emarginate if at all, smooth or tufted ; seeds numerous, large, narrow, obtuse, light reddish-brown ; flesh yellow, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid, pleasant flavored ; good ; October to December or later.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit of medium size, oblate. Skin whitish yellow, with a few streaks of light red, and sprinkled with grayish dots. Flesh white, tender, juicy, mildly sub-acid, quality good. Season November.