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THE "MARSHALL" McINTOSH 



William J. Lord and William J. Bramlage 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



In recent years, tliousands of Marsiiall Mcintosh trees have been planted in New 

 England. The demand has exceeded the supply because until recently the only source 

 of this strain was a small nursery in Maine. We have described below the origin, growth 

 habit and fruit of the Marshall Mcintosh because of inquiries about the strain from 

 other Mclntosh-growing areas. 



Marshall Mcintosh is a non-spur strain that originated on a branch mutation of 

 Mcintosh in the orchard of the Marshall Farm, Inc., 340 Marshall Road, Fitchburg, 

 Massachusetts 01420. The mutation was noticed in 1967 when the fruit developed red 

 color 2 or 3 weeks earlier than those on the rest of the tree. 



The Marshall brothers have found that the Marshall strain can be harvested earlier 

 than other Mcintosh strains, and can also be pici<ed on the "normal" harvest dates without 

 adverse consequences. They report that the fruit stores well in both air and CA storage, 

 but believe more information is needed concerning the harvest and storage of the strain. 



We at the University of Massachusetts as yet have little information about the 

 Marshall strain. However, we think it has real potential for CA storage because of 

 early coloring; that it will increase pack-out because of more red color; and that planting 

 of the strain will make the harvest season more orderly because the number of days 

 that Mcintosh can be harvested will be extended. 



Our limited data show that at the Horticultural Research Center, Belchertown, 

 Massachusetts on September 6, 1978, 72% of the Marshall Mcintosh fruit were Extra 

 Fancy for color. On this date only 40% of the Cornell strain of Mcintosh was Extra 

 Fancy. On August 30, 1979, 75% of the Marshall were Extra Fancy in comparison to 

 43% of the Cornell fruit. Lastly, on September 4, 1980, 53% of the Marshall Mcintosh 

 were Extra Fancy and only 16% of the Cornell Mcintosh fruit were of this grade for 

 color. We also believe that the red color is more intense on Marshall than on other 

 strains of Mcintosh. Our data suggested that the maturations of Cornell and Marshall 

 strains were similar as indicated by flesh firmness and sugar content of the fruit. Thus, 

 limited observations suggested that Marshall Mcintosh is an early coloring strain, not 

 both an early coloring and early maturing strain. 



In 1979 we established a planting in which Marshall Mcintosh is being compared 

 with 6 other strains of the variety. Hopefully, we shall be able to obtain more reliable 

 and complete information on the maturation of these strains and on their keepability 

 in air and CA storage. 



