THE MANOMET APPLE. 



Manomet. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xiv. 1848. 



Horseblock, in its native locality. 



The Manomet is one of the finest of our early sweet 

 apples. It is not so large as the Bough, but far sur- 

 passes it in the beauty of its appearance ; indeed, in 

 the latter respect it may be classed with the Red Astra- 

 chan, — which ripens at the same season, — or the Fa- 

 meuse, as a comparison with the beautiful drawings of 

 these varieties, which have already appeared, will show. 

 It is only of medium size ; but it has a pale yellowish 

 skin, nearly covered with pale red, heightened by a 

 bright vermilion cheek. 

 The Manomet is a native of the Old Colony, and was first introduced 

 to notice by Mr. John Washburn, a zealous cultivator of Plymouth, 

 Mass., who first sent us fine specimens in 1847, and also subsequently, 

 from -one of which our drawing was made. We were surprised and 

 dehghted to find it such a superior apple, and immediately described 

 and figured it in the Magazine of Horticulture for 1848. Through the 

 kindness of Mr. Washburn, we were furnished with its history, which* 

 though brief, we gave at that time. It is a seedling, which sprang up 

 accidentally on the Holbrook farm, at Manomet Pond village in Plym- 

 outh, and was for a long time known as the Horseblock apple. Mr. 

 Washburn proposed to call it the Manomet, " as Manomet Point is the 

 prominent head of land of Plymouth Bay." With his suggestion we 

 readily concurred, believing that such an absurd and unmeaning title as 

 Horseblock, should never be applied to any fruit, especially to one of 

 such excellence as the present variety. The original tree has been in 

 bearing many years, and it is certainly somewhat remarkable that it 

 should not have attracted attention at an earlier period. Its history, 

 however, is the same as that of a majority of our native fruits, which 

 have accidentally fallen into the hands of amateurs who could appreciate 

 their excellence, and aid in making known their superior qualities. 



. The Manomet is a very robust grower, stronger, Mr, Washburn 

 thinks, than even the Baldwin. It has a spreading habit when full 

 grown, with wood somewhat hke the Gravenstein, and is a good beai-er 

 every other year. Mr. Washbm-n also states that it will make a tree in 

 the nursery sooner than any other apple he has ever cultivated. 



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