Willow

Origin / History

The origin of Willow is uncertain and has long been a matter of conflicting report. Elliott (1865) states that the variety came from New Jersey. Warder (1867) refers to it as a Virginia fruit, though without giving the authority for the statement. Downing (1900) calls it "of unknown origin." Budd-Hansen (1914) records the "supposed origin" as Virginia. Beach (1905) notes that the first written pomological notice of the variety places it in the state of Ohio about the middle of the 19th century, and that it was said to have been brought there from New Jersey, but he regards these statements as lacking definiteness. Hedrick (1922) suggests that the origin is not known, but that it is "probably an old sort brought to new life in Ohio about 1848."

From Ohio its cultivation gradually spread throughout the Middle West. The fruit was found particularly desirable for shipping to New Orleans and other southern markets, and was valued for southern exportation. Up to about twenty years before Beach wrote (i.e., into the 1880s), Willow was esteemed very highly as a commercial variety in the apple-growing portions of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas; but during the last two decades of the 19th century it fell very much into disfavor on account of its susceptibility to scab, blight, and bitter rot, and many cultivators went so far as to cut the trees out altogether on account of the menace from the spread of these diseases to other varieties. So far as Beach had learned, it was quite free from disease when grown in New York. It has been cultivated in New York in a limited way only, and the planting of it did not appear to be increasing very much at the time of Beach's writing. Thomas (1903) notes it was cultivated as a market apple in Southern Ohio. Hedrick (1922) emphasizes that the variety is of value only in the South, though the tree is comparatively hardy, and that it is chiefly grown in the Central Mississippi Valley.

Tree

Tree habit is distinctive and immediately recognizable: Hedrick (1922) writes that "once seen, the tree of this variety can always be recognized by its slender drooping twigs." Warder (1867) describes the tree as very vigorous, healthy, productive, branching, twiggy, and thorny while young. Downing (1900) and Budd-Hansen (1914) both note that the tree is a poor grower in the nursery, but makes a good spreading, somewhat drooping orchard tree — quite hardy and very productive. The Central Experimental Farm catalogue (1900) similarly calls it "a vigorous but slender grower." Beach (1905) confirms that the tree makes a poor growth in the nursery but under favorable conditions becomes large and vigorous in the orchard, and is a strong grower and a rather early and regular bearer. Hedrick (1922) describes it as large, vigorous, upright-spreading with terminals drooping, with strong, vigorous, healthy growth, early bearing, and productiveness; the crop requires a long and warm season for full development. Budd-Hansen note it "blights in some localities" but is profitable for market in parts of the West.

Form: upright spreading with terminals drooping on bearing trees (Beach).

Shoots / twigs: Young shoots slender; Warder describes them as olive brown; Downing as reddish brown and downy. Beach: twigs short to medium, very slender, straight, limber; internodes long. Budd-Hansen: slender drooping shoots.

Bark: clear yellowish-green or light reddish with no noticeable scarf-skin; quite pubescent (Beach).

Lenticels: scattering, small, generally elongated, raised (Beach).

Buds: Downing calls them inconspicuous. Beach: small to medium, projecting a little, moderately obtuse, rather pubescent, adhering to the bark.

Foliage: Stark Bros. (1910) note "heavier foliage than Ben Davis."

Fruit

Size

Generally large to medium. Elliott: above medium to large. Warder: not specified by adjective but described as globular. Downing: medium size. Thomas (1903): large. Beach: large to medium. Budd-Hansen: large. Hedrick: large. Central Experimental Farm: above medium size. Stark Bros.: fair size. Lowther (1914): medium. Beach notes that when well grown the fruit is quite uniform in size and shape, large and nearly symmetrical.

Form

Elliott: roundish. Warder: globular, truncated, looking oblong from its cylindrical sides. Downing: roundish, slightly conic, somewhat oblate. Thomas: roundish, slightly conical, obtuse, very regular. Beach: usually roundish inclined to conic, varying sometimes to roundish oblate, regular or faintly ribbed, symmetrical. Budd-Hansen: roundish, regular, flattened at ends, somewhat cylindrical. Hedrick: round-conic, sometimes round-oblate, regular or faintly ribbed, symmetrical. Central Experimental Farm: roundish, conical.

Stem / Stalk

Elliott: generally short, slender. Warder: long, slender, inclined. Downing: rather short and slender. Thomas: short. Beach: short. Budd-Hansen: medium to rather long, slender. Hedrick: short. Sources thus conflict on stem length: most period authorities (Elliott, Downing, Thomas, Beach, Hedrick) describe it as short, while Warder describes it as long and inclined and Budd-Hansen as medium to rather long; all agree it is slender.

Cavity

Elliott: roundish acuminate. Warder: wide or acute, regular. Downing: narrow, sometimes partially closed, with a lip. Beach: acute, deep, wide, often irregular or compressed, sometimes lipped, usually smooth green or red with pale dots but sometimes thinly russeted. Budd-Hansen: narrow, acute, sometimes lipped. Hedrick: acute, deep, wide, often irregular or compressed, sometimes lipped, smooth, green or red, with pale dots sometimes thinly russeted.

Calyx / Eye

Elliott: calyx and basin, medium. Warder: eye medium, closed. Downing: calyx partially closed. Beach: calyx small, closed. Budd-Hansen: calyx closed or half open. Hedrick: calyx small, closed.

Basin

Elliott: medium. Warder: wide, abrupt, plaited. Downing: somewhat corrugated, abrupt. Thomas: very wide and deep, rim obtuse. Beach: medium size or above, moderately wide to wide, irregular or compressed, rather deep, often abrupt, sometimes ridged, wrinkled. Budd-Hansen: wide, deep, abrupt, with obtuse rim, somewhat corrugated. Hedrick: wide, irregular or compressed, deep, often abrupt, sometimes ridged, wrinkled.

Skin / Surface

Elliott: dull yellow, striped, splashed, or mottled with light and dark red. Warder: surface smooth, dull greenish-yellow, marbled and striped dull red. Downing: light yellow, shaded and marbled with dull red, and sprinkled with numerous russet dots. Thomas: greenish yellow, striped and mottled faintly with dull red. Beach: skin smooth, pale yellowish-green or dull green mottled and blushed with red and irregularly striped and splashed with deeper red. Budd-Hansen: surface smooth, somewhat polished, dull light greenish yellow, obscurely marbled, striped and mottled with dull red. Hedrick: skin smooth, pale yellow or dull green, mottled and blushed with red and irregularly striped and splashed with deeper red. Central Experimental Farm: skin greenish yellow, shaded with dark red and sprinkled with grayish dots. Lowther: color yellow-red.

Prevailing color: Beach: fairly good red but usually rather dull. Hedrick: dull red. Beach further notes that when well grown the prevailing color, though somewhat dull, is a pretty good red with contrasting green showing through the stripes; Hedrick says dull red as the prevailing color is "not at all striking in appearance." Stark Bros. (1910) value it "with deeper color and heavier foliage than Ben Davis."

Dots

Warder: dots minute, gray. Downing: numerous russet dots. Beach: dots numerous, rather large, russet-gray or yellowish. Budd-Hansen: dots many, minute, gray and russet. Hedrick: dots numerous, large, russet-gray or yellow. Central Experimental Farm: grayish dots. Sources differ on dot size — Warder and Budd-Hansen call them minute, while Beach and Hedrick describe them as numerous and rather large.

Calyx tube / Stamens

Beach: calyx tube rather long, narrow, funnel-shape. Stamens marginal to median. Hedrick: calyx-tube long, narrow, funnel-shape; stamens marginal.

Core / Carpels

Elliott: core rather small. Warder: core medium, round, regular, closed, meeting, not clasping the eye. Beach: core medium or above, axile; cells not uniformly developed, symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels thin, tender, rather flat, broadly roundish narrowing toward the base. Budd-Hansen: core medium, closed, meeting. Hedrick: core small; cells not uniformly developed, but usually symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines clasping; carpels thin, flat, broadly round, narrowing toward the base. Sources thus give the core variously as small (Elliott, Hedrick), medium (Warder, Budd-Hansen), or medium or above (Beach). Warder specifically notes the core does not clasp the eye, while Beach and Hedrick describe the core lines as clasping.

Seeds

Elliott: oblong pyriform. Warder: numerous, plump, brown. Beach: medium to large, flat, wide, plump, rather blunt. Budd-Hansen: many, plump. Hedrick: large, flat, wide, plump, blunt.

Flesh

Elliott: yellowish, rather dry, breaking, mild sub-acid. Warder: greenish-yellow, breaking, juicy; flavor acid. Downing: yellowish green, not very tender, pleasant subacid. Thomas: flavor sub-acid, or rather acid, not rich. Beach: yellowish or greenish, very firm, coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, sprightly, slightly aromatic, fair to good. Budd-Hansen: yellowish green, firm, juicy, pleasant subacid, good only. Hedrick: yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic; fair to good. Central Experimental Farm: greenish yellow, of a mild pleasant acid character, quality good. Hedrick further notes the flesh being coarse and the flavor but fairly good.

Quality: Elliott: not quite "very good." Warder: only good, but valuable for market and culinary uses. Downing: Good. Thomas: not rich. Beach: fair to good. Budd-Hansen: good only. Hedrick: fair to good. Lowther: quality "C." Central Experimental Farm: good. Beach observes that like many other southern winter apples its quality is not the best; it is less attractive than Ben Davis, both in size and in color, but after coming into season it does not become mealy and deteriorate in quality as soon as Ben Davis does in the regions where it is most popular; the fruit is not as attractive as that of the Baldwin, neither is it as good in quality, but it is valuable because it keeps late.

Season

December to May (Elliott). December to April (Warder). January to May (Beach, Hedrick). Late winter and spring (Budd-Hansen). Winter (Lowther). January and February (Central Experimental Farm). Valuable for late keeping (Downing). A long keeper (Thomas). Hedrick: the character by virtue of which Willow Twig has gained eminence in the Central Mississippi Valley, where it is chiefly grown, is length of season, as few apples keep longer.

Uses

Esteemed for orcharding on rich bottom lands or prairies, being a good bearer, great keeper, and valuable for Southern exportation (Elliott). Valuable for market and culinary uses; excellent for shipping South (Warder). A profitable market apple for rich prairie and bottom lands in the West (Downing). Cultivated as a market apple in Southern Ohio (Thomas). Profitable for market in parts of the West (Budd-Hansen). Both kitchen and market (Lowther). Excellent for the prairies of the Northwest; Minnesota for superior, more profitable, and of the best (Stark Bros.). Particularly desirable for shipping to New Orleans and other southern markets (Beach). Beach notes it is not recommended for general planting in New York state.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Reporting-station distribution (Lowther, 1914): Northern Division — 3 reporting stations (also reported in another division); Central Division — 16 reporting stations (also reported in another division); Southern Division — 1 reporting station (also reported in another division).

Planting record (Central Experimental Farm, 1900): Planted Spring 1892 at the Agassiz BC station.

Disease susceptibility: Beach notes susceptibility to scab, blight, and bitter rot in the apple-growing portions of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas, leading many cultivators to cut the trees out on account of the menace from the spread of these diseases to other varieties; he adds that so far as he had learned it has been quite free from disease when grown in New York. Budd-Hansen note it "blights in some localities."

Comparative observations: Beach compares the variety to Ben Davis (less attractive in size and color, but holds up longer in storage without becoming mealy) and to Baldwin (less attractive and not as good in quality, but valuable for late keeping). Stark Bros. value it "with deeper color and heavier foliage than Ben Davis."