Wythe
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Wythe
Origin / History
Originated on the farm of Rodolphus Chandler, Wythe, Illinois. First introduced about 1873 (Budd and Hansen). A seedling of Rails Genet, and much resembles that variety in tree and fruit (Budd and Hansen).
Tree
Said to be hardy (Downing). Vigorous; head round (Downing), top round (Budd and Hansen). Blooms rather late (Downing), late (Budd and Hansen). Bears good crops annually of fair fruit of uniform size (Downing); a good annual bearer (Budd and Hansen).
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Oblate, slightly conic, nearly regular. Lowther gives the form as flat.
Stem: Short, small.
Cavity: Rather large, deep.
Calyx: Small, closed.
Basin: Medium, slightly plaited.
Skin: White, shaded, striped and splashed with bright red over more than half the surface (Downing) or over two-thirds of it (Budd and Hansen). Lowther gives the color as striped or splashed red.
Dots: Few, light and gray.
Flesh and flavor: Whitish, fine, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, slightly aromatic. Budd and Hansen add crisp. Quality "very good" (Budd and Hansen; Lowther).
Core and seeds: Core medium.
Season
January, March; winter (Lowther). Keeps well (Downing).
Uses
Family use (Lowther).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Lowther's table: northern division none reported; central division 2 (also reported in another division); southern division none reported.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Name first published in Horticulturist
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Wythe.
Illinois Pippin.
Origin, on the farm of Rodolphus Chandler, Wythe, Illinois; tree is said to be hardy, vigorous, round head, blooms rather late, bears good crops annually of fair fruit of uniform size, and keeps well.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, nearly regular; skin white, shaded, striped and splashed over more than half the surface with bright red and a few light and gray dots; stalk short, small; cavity rather large, deep; calyx small, closed; basin medium, slightly plaited; flesh whitish, fine, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, slightly aromatic; core medium. January, March.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Wythe. — Origin, on the farm of Rodolphus Chandler, Wythe, Illinois ; tree vigorous, with round top ; a good annual bearer, blooms late. First introduced about 1873. A seedling of Rails Genet, and much resembles that variety in tree and fruit.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, nearly regular; surface white, shaded, striped and splashed over two-thirds its surface with bright red; dots few, light and gray; cavity rather large, deep; stem short, small; basin medium, slightly plaited; calyx small, closed. Core medium; flesh whitish, fine, tender, crisp, juicy, sprightly subacid, slightly aromatic, very good. January, March.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Wythe. Size: medium. Form: flat. Color: striped or splashed (red). Quality: very good. Use: family. Season: winter. N. Div.: none reported. C. Div.: 2 (also reported in another division). S. Div.: none reported.