Yates
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Yates
Origin/History
Originated in Fayette County, Georgia. (Downing; confirmed by Thomas, who notes simply "Georgia.")
Tree
Very upright grower, great bearer, and good keeper. (Downing; Thomas likewise notes "great bearer and good keeper.")
Fruit
Size: Small. (Downing, Thomas; confirmed by Lowther: "S.")
Form: Oblate or oblate conic (Downing); oblate (Thomas); Lowther records "fl" (flat/oblate). Sources are in general agreement on the oblate character.
Stem: Slender. (Downing.)
Cavity: Large, slightly russeted. (Downing.)
Calyx: Small, closed. (Downing.)
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Whitish yellow ground, overspread, shaded, splashed, and striped with shades of red, with many light dots. (Downing.) Thomas describes the ground as yellow, covered with dark red stripes and small white dots — broadly consistent with Downing but describes the ground as yellow rather than whitish yellow and the stripes as dark red. Lowther records color code "yr" (yellow-red), confirming the general yellow-and-red character.
Flesh and Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as white, sometimes stained next the skin, tender, juicy, and of pleasant subacid flavor, rating the variety Good. Thomas describes the flesh as yellow, spicy, and sub-acid — flesh color conflicts between sources: Downing gives white (occasionally stained near skin); Thomas gives yellow. Thomas adds the descriptor "spicy," not mentioned by Downing. Lowther confirms quality rating of Good ("G") and flavor class sub-acid is implicit in the "G/b" coding.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Eating season March to May (Downing), placing it as a late-keeping winter apple consumed well into spring. Lowther records season as Winter ("W"), consistent with a long-keeping variety harvested in autumn and carried through winter into spring.
Uses
Dessert/fresh eating. (Lowther: use code "b.") Downing's quality rating of Good supports table use.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Lowther's encyclopedia records regional distribution codes: Central Division 11*, Southern Division 11* (Northern Division not assigned). This indicates the variety was recognized as adapted to both central and southern growing regions at the time of publication.
The Lowther entry, being a coded table record, is reproduced here for reference:
Yates. Size: S. Form: fl. Color: yr. Quality: G. Use: b. Season: W.
N. Div.: .... C. Div.: 11*. S. Div.: 11*.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 11 catalogs (1886–1912) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Washington
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1898
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Yates.
Originated in Fayette Co., Ga. Tree very upright grower, great bearer and good keeper.
Fruit small, oblate or oblate conic, whitish yellow, overspread, shaded, splashed, and striped with shades of red, many light dots. Stalk slender. Cavity large, slightly russeted. Calyx small, closed. Flesh white, sometimes stained next the skin, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid. Good. March to May.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Yates.
Size: S. Form: fl. Color: yr. Quality: G. Use: b. Season: W. N. Div.: .... C. Div.: 11*. S. Div.: 11*.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Yates. Small, oblate; yellow, covered with dark red stripes, small white dots; flesh yellow, spicy, sub-acid. Great bearer and good keeper. Georgia.