Those readers of the CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST who are best acquainted
with this apple, will fully corroborate anything that can be said in its
praise. It derives its name from the place of its birth, Gravenstein, in
Holstein, Germany, and has the reputation of being one of the best
apples of Northern Europe. The reputation it enjoys there has been fully
maintained by it in America, and here it ranks as one of our very best
and most valuable October apples. It has been widely disseminated
throughout the Dominion, and is highly esteemed. The trees thrive well
in Nova Scotia, and certainly in a large part of Ontario, having been
reported as bearing fruit in the county of Renfrew. They are of an
upright habit, stout bodied, and form large, spreading heads; come into
bearing early, and are very productive.
The fruit is of large size, and when ripe is of a bright-yellow color,
most beautifully striped and splashed with various shades of red and
orange. The flesh is tender, crisp, and juicy, with a high aromatic
flavor; in quality ranking “best.” It is excellent as a cooking apple,
and as valuable for the dessert, pleasing to the eye by reason of its
beauty, and delighting the palate with its exquisite flavor. In the
markets it always commands the highest price of any of its season, and
on that account may be profitably grown in limited quantity for a
convenient market.
It is not desirable to multiply fall-ripening varieties of apples,
indeed we already have too many of them for profit. The wise plan will
be to select two or three of the very best, and plant enough of these to
meet the demand. A very few kinds will meet the wants of the family, and
fewer yet will be enough for market. It is a great mistake, but one that
is very often made, that of planting out a great many varieties of
apples. The experience of all who have grown fruit for profit coincides
in this, at least, that a large quantity of only one variety of saleable
apples is much more remunerative than the same quantity made up of a
great number of kinds.
—————