The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-11-14
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED BIZ ALBEIT CHAPMAN.
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The Grimes Golden-Its Origin and His

The Grimes Golden is a Western
apple, aud originated in Brooke coun-
ty, West Virginia. BY whom the
seed was sown, It Is not positively
known, but believed TO be Mr.. Craw-
ford. This Seeding was among the
first apple trees produced by an Amer.
lean In the Ohio valley. AS such,
without taking into consideration the
superior quality Of the fruit, it is
worthy to become a matter of history
The many good qualities of both tree
and fruit constitute it doubly SO. This
extraordinary apple has few equals in
the catalogue Of American fruits; ii
certainly has no superior. Taking in
to consideration the hardness and long
life of the tree, its habit of constant
bearing, the superior quality of the
fruit, together with the great length of
time it is in season, the Grimes Golden
stands pre-eminent.
The original tree, now over ninety
years old, is in the orchard of DIR.
Joshua Gist, formerly owned by Thorn
as p. Grimes, situate two miles east OF
the Ohio river. This orchard of seed
ling trees was set out by Edward Craw-
ford about the year 1890, and by him
sold to Thomas Grimes, ST., in 176S, at
which time this noted tree bore its
first crop of apples. 1t is said it has
not failed to produce fruit every year
since that time. 1t is choice apple for
the Southern market, where it is well
known. As early as 1904, Mr.. Grimes
sold the apples from this tree to traders
on the Ohio river, TO be taken to New
Orleans. In 1884, the year of the
severe frosts from the 18th to the 18th
OF May, which destroyed the fruit
throughout the entire region where
this tree was growing, it produced 8
full half crop of apples. This circum-
stance gave additional notoriety to the
tree and fruit, and scions were sought
for grating.
The writer of this, who obtained his
first trees of the Grimes Golden apple
in 1883, visited the origin al tree June
"a, 1879, and found it in q very gooo
state of preservation, with fair croI
of fruit evenly set over its branches
The tree is about thirty feet in height
and measures 6 feet around the trunk
two feet from the ground. Its branches
cover an arear of so feet in diameter
Although not very large tree, it has
frequently produced between so and
100 bushels of fine marketable apples
in season. Soon after the original
tree came into bearing, the fruit was
called the Grimes apple, and some
time later the Grimes Pippin. After
the late SamuelWood, noted nursery
man of Jefferson county, O., commence
ed propagating it, he added the word
golden, calling IL "Griines' Golden Pip
PIN" Although it is a legitimate MEM
Der of the family of pippin apples, at
the annual meeting of the Ohio Pomo-
logical Society, IN 1869, the word pip
pin was dropped; since which time it
has been known as Grimes Golden,
and this name is now well established
The tree is strong, upright, spread
ing, open, rapid grower, very hand.
some in form, and needs little pruning
wood very hard and tough; bark dark
greenish brown: foliage large, dark
green and very abundant. The tree is
an annual bearer, and sets its fruit
evenly over the branches. The fruit is
very smooth; medium sized; form OBJ
long eblate, sometimes little angling
at the crown; color light green, with
numerous minute light dots when taken
from the tree, but becoming rich gold.
en- yellow when ripe basin abrupt, tol.
erably deep, round and smooth: calyx
large and open; stem long and slender
cavity deep and regular; core small
and closed; seeds numerous, plump
and dark brown; flesh yellow, very
fine-grained, breaking juicy; flavor
slightly sub-acid, aromatic, rich and
sprightly; use, dessert and culinary ;
season, October to April; quality best.
G.F.N N. Millersboro, 0.