Paulared 



This cultivar is one of the most attractive and best 

 tasting apples that ripens before Mcintosh. Fruit size, 

 red color, and productivity have been very good at the 

 Horticultural Research Center. It can be stored for 

 several weeks without excessive softening. Since it is 

 an attractive and early-coloring apple, the tendency is 

 to harvest this cultivar too early, before its true flavor 

 develops. Sufficient Paulareds should be planted so 

 that they can be harvested at the appropriate time and 

 sold with the fine flavor and quality that Paulared is 

 capable of developing. 



Empire 



The popularity of this apple is increasing, espe- 

 cially where it is difficult to color Mcintosh adequately. 

 It is a high-quality, firm, red apple that stores excep- 

 tionally well. In our estimation it is only rivaled by 

 Mutsu for its ability to store in CA. It has not developed 

 the popularity in New England that many thought that 

 it would. Since it ripens between Mcintosh and Deli- 

 cious, it is not always harvested at the proper time. 

 Although its storage capability is exceptional, once 

 removed from CA it appears to soften more rapidly 

 than other cultivars. There does not appear to be the 

 customer acceptance of a moderately soft Empire as 

 there is with other cultivars with similar firmness. It 

 may be difficult to obtain good fruit size in all areas, and 

 it appears to be particularly difficult to size Empire in 

 colder areas (a characteristic that it may have inherited 

 from Delicious). 



Macoun 



The popularity of this old and difficult-to-grow 

 apple appears to be increasing. The flavor and crisp- 

 ness of Macoun is exceptional and makes this fruit a 

 much sought after apple in the fall. Its many faults 

 make it unpopular to grow. It may be very biennial, and 

 hand thinning is frequently required. Red color may 

 develop slowly, and preharvest drop may occur before 

 adequate color. Fruit lose firmness rapidly in storage 

 although they will store well in CA. This apple is not for 

 everyone, but for those who can grow it, there is good 

 customer demand. 



Mutsu (Crispin) 



The quality of Mutsu is among the highest of the 

 apples that we can grow here in New England. It is a 

 firm, juicy, and very large, yellowish-green apple that 

 matures after Golden Delicious. It holds up very well in 

 regular storage, but its regular storage potential is not 

 exceptional. However, in CA storage fruit come out in 



almost identical conditions to that when they were 

 placed in storage. Mutsu has not developed the popu- 

 larity that its quality and CA potential warrant. It is 

 susceptible to Pseudomonas or blister spot, and unless 

 this problem is controlled, packout will be poor. We 

 have found that 3 weekly sprays of Polyram'r", starting 

 at bloom, control mostof the blister spot. Mutsu is also 

 very susceptible to excess nitrogen. Mutsu is a yellow 

 and not a green apple and frequently is picked too early. 

 Like Granny Smith, if it is picked too early it v^rill have 

 only mediocre flavor. For people who have roadside 

 stands, this apple should attract considerable return 

 business if grown properly and harvested at the time 

 that will assure the quality that Mutsu is capable of 

 developing. 



Melrose (and its red strains) 



This cultivar is the result of a Jonathan x Delicious 

 cross. Fruit are large, firm, crisp, juicy, and red with a 

 yellow background. It is a high quality apple that 

 ripens with Golden Delicious and keeps well in storage. 

 It is a very popular apple in Ohio. 



Idared 



Idared has been planted extensively in New York 

 where it is suitable for fresh market or processing. It is 

 a very easy tree to grow and maintain. It is a medium- 

 sized red apple with good flavor. Idared ripens after 

 Golden Delicious and it benefits from a period of stor- 

 age following harvest. Although the quality of Idared is 

 not as high as that of some of the other cultivars 

 mentioned, its regular and CA storage potential are 

 excellent. Long after other cultivars have lost firmness 

 and flavor, Idared remains a good and saleable apple. 

 People who grow this apple will have quality apples to 

 sell from regular storage, prior to opening of CA stor- 

 ages, and at the end of the apple marketing season. 



Growing of new, superior-quality apples will be 

 successful only if the apples can be grown and sold at a 

 profit high enough to stay in business. Growers who 

 sell directly to the public through roadside stands have 

 a distinct advantage since they can introduce to cus- 

 tomers specific cultivars at the appropriate time to 

 provide the customer with the best possible product. 



Growers who wholesale market their product will 

 have a more difficult time but it is not impossible. 



1. Growers must insist and ensure that their product 

 is sold at the proper stage of maturity. For example. 

 Granny Smith is a high-quality apple that at proper 

 maturity is yellowish green. Unfortunately, it is nearly 

 impossible to buy a good Granny Smith in the grocery 



Fruit Notes, Summer, 1989 



