Yates
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Yates
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Hansen's entry and Budd & Hansen's "Mitchell's Red Warrior" entry describe a different variety. That variety is an Iowa apple originated in 1869 or 1870 at Cresco by J. B. Mitchell, which Budd & Hansen call distinct from the Red Warrior described by Downing, so that material is excluded here. Downing's entry is headed "Red Warrior," a North Carolina apple. Budd & Hansen tie that name to Yates only by cross-reference ("The name was first given to a North Carolina variety; see also Yates"). Downing's large fruit does not agree with the small Yates of the other authors. Downing's details are therefore given below under his name only.]
Origin / History
Yates is a Southern apple from Georgia. Budd & Hansen place its origin in Fayette County, Georgia. Downing gives North Carolina as the origin of the apple he describes as Red Warrior. Budd & Hansen say that name "was first given to a North Carolina variety" and connect it with Yates.
Its identity is unsettled. Hedrick finds it "almost impossible properly to place this variety." He reports that some writers hold Yates identical with the old Nickajack, which in the South has many synonyms. Downing calls his Red Warrior distinct from Nickajack, which is sometimes grown under that name.
Hedrick reports that the Southern catalogs describing Yates agree only that it is a favorite in Georgia and that it probably formerly came from there. Because nearly all Southern nurserymen list it, he concludes that "it would seem that Yates is still popular in many parts of the South."
Tree
Very upright (Budd & Hansen); Downing's Red Warrior is upright, with dark reddish young shoots. Vigorous and healthy. A great bearer, very productive; the Southern catalogs, as Hedrick reports them, call the trees heavy bearers.
Lowther's station table has no reports from the Northern Division. It enters 11 for both the Central and Southern Divisions, each marked "also reported in another division."
Fruit
Size: Small. Downing's Red Warrior is large.
Form: Oblate or oblate conic, flat. Downing's Red Warrior is roundish oblate.
Stem: Slender (Budd & Hansen).
Cavity: Large, slightly russeted (Budd & Hansen).
Calyx: Small, closed (Budd & Hansen).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Ground whitish yellow to yellow, overspread, shaded, splashed, and striped with shades of red. Thomas describes it as covered with dark red stripes. The color is given as dark red in the Southern catalogs reported by Hedrick and as yellow-red in Lowther's table. Downing's Red Warrior is yellow, striped and marbled with two shades of red.
Dots: Many, small, light or white.
Flesh and flavor: White, sometimes stained next the skin, or yellow (Thomas). Downing's Red Warrior has yellowish flesh. Juicy. The flesh is tender according to Budd & Hansen but firm according to the Southern catalogs reported by Hedrick; Downing's Red Warrior is crisp. Flavor pleasant subacid, "spicy" (Thomas), "aromatic" (Southern catalogs, per Hedrick). Quality "good" (Budd & Hansen, Lowther). Downing likewise rates his Red Warrior "Good."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
A winter apple and a good keeper, in season March to May (Budd & Hansen). Downing gives his Red Warrior November to March.
Uses
Kitchen and market (Lowther).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902) — listed as Mitchell's Red Warrior
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 13 catalogs (1886–1913) 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
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- 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
- 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
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Warrior.
Origin, North Carolina. Distinct from Nickajack, which is sometimes grown under this name. Tree upright, with young shoots dark reddish.
Fruit large, roundish oblate, yellow, striped and marbled with two shades of red. Flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy. Good. November to March.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Mitchell's Red Warrior—Originated in 1869 or 1870, at Cresco, northern Iowa, by J. B. Mitchell. Tree hardy and very productive—Fruit above medium to large, roundish, slightly conical, regular; surface light yellow, nearly covered with bright mixed red and crimson, heavily and distinctly striped and splashed with carmine, a beautiful fruit; dots obscure, few, very minute, white; cavity regular, narrow, acute, slightly russeted; stem short; basin narrow, very abrupt, wavy; calyx open, segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells ovate, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, flattened, long pointed, medium; flesh white, juicy, pleasant subacid, good. Season same as Wealthy. A good apple, but the present name is too long.
— 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.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Yates. — Origin, Fayette Co., Georgia; tree very upright; very productive; fruit a good keeper.
Fruit small, oblate or oblate conic, whitish yellow, overspread, shaded, splashed and striped with shades of red; dots many, small, light; cavity large, slightly russeted; stem slender; calyx small, closed. Flesh white, sometimes stained next the skin, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid, good. March to May.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Mitchell's Red Warrior", pp. 138–138]
Mitchell's Red Warrior.— Originated in 1869 or 1870, at Cresco, northern Iowa, by J. B. Mitchell; tree hardy and very productive. Distinct from the Red Warrior described by Downing. A good apple, but the present name is too long.
Fruit above medium to large, roundish, slightly conical, regular; surface light yellow, nearly covered with bright mixed red and crimson, heavily and distinctly striped and splashed with carmine, a beautiful fruit; dots obscure, few, very minute, white; cavity regular, narrow, acute, slightly russeted; stem short; basin narrow, very abrupt, wavy; calyx open; segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells ovate, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, flattened, long-pointed, medium; flesh white, juicy, pleasant subacid, good. Season, same as Wealthy.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Red Warrior", pp. 170–170]
Red Warrior. — See Mitchell's Red Warrior; an Iowa variety. The name was first given to a North Carolina variety; see also Yates.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Yates. Size: small. Form: flat. Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter. N. Div.: no reports. C. Div.: 11 (also reported in another division). S. Div.: 11 (also reported in another division).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)YATES.
It is almost impossible properly to place this variety. Some writers maintain that it is identical with the old Nickajack, which, in the South, has many synonyms. Southern catalogs which describe Yates agree only that the variety is a favorite in Georgia; that it probably formerly came from there; and that the apples are of small size, dark red with white dots, firm, juicy, and aromatic. The trees are described as vigorous, healthy, and heavy bearers. From the fact that it is listed by nearly all southern nurserymen, it would seem that Yates is still popular in many parts of the South.