The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-11-28
THE GRIMES GOLDEN APPLE.
IT'S ORIGIN AND HISTORY.

The Grimes Golden is a Western apple
and originated in Brooks county, West
Virginia. BY whom the seed was sOwn
is not positively known, but believed
TO be a Mt Crawford. This Seeding
was among the first apple trees produc-
ed bv an American in the Ohio valley.
As such. without taking into considera.
tion the superior quality of the fruit, 1t
is worthy to become 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; it
certainly has no superior Taking into
consideration the hardness and long
life of the tree, its habit of constant
bearing, the superior quality of the fruit
together with the the great length of
time it is in season, the Grimes Golden
stands pTe-eminent.
The original tree. now over ninety
years old. is in the orchard OF DIR. Joshua
Gjst. formerly owned by Thomas F.
Grimes. situate two miles east of the
Ohio river. This orchard of Seeding
trees was set out by Edward Crawford
about the year 1890, and by him sold to
Thomas Grimes, 81, in 1899, at which
time this noted tree bore the first crop
of apples. 1t is said it has not failed to
1t is a choice apple for the southern
market, where it is well known. As
early as 1904, Mr.. Grimes sold the ap-
pies from the tree to traders on the Ohio
river to be taken to New Orleans. In
1884. the year of the severe frOSts from
the 18th 10 18th of May, which destroy
ed the fruit throughout the entire region
where this tree was growing, 1t produc-
ed full half crop of apples. The Cir
cumstance gave additional nOtOriety to
the tree and fruit, and sciOBS were sought
for grating.
The writer of this. who obtained his
! first tree of Grimes Golden apple in 1898
! visited the original tree, June 24th. 1879
4 and found it in very good state of pre-
servation. with fair crop of fruit even
( Iy set over its branches. The tree is
about 80 feet in height, and measures 8
! feet round the trunk 2 feet from the
/ ground It's branches cover an area of
30 feet in diameter. Although not a
very large tree. 1t has produced between
80 and 100 bushels of fine marketable
apples in a season. Soon after the orig
inal tree came into bearing, the fruit
/ was called the Grimes apple, and some
time later the Grimes Pippin. After
the late Sam. Wood Il noted nursery-man
/ of Jefferson county, O., commenced pro-
. pd0dIlIlH II. lie dtIQetl Tie NObd SOtttll
calling it Grimes Golden Pippin. .
+ Although it is legitimate member of
the pippin family of apples, at the an
: nual meeting of the Ohio pomolOgical
society in 1866 the word pipin was drop
ped; since which time it has been known
as the Grimes Golden and this name is
now well established.
The tree is a strong, upright, spread
ing, open, rapid grower, very handsome
in form, and needs little pruning wood
very hard and tough: bark dark green
ish brown; foliage, large dark green
and very abundant. The tree is an an
nual bearer and sets its fruit evenly
over the branches. The fruit is very
smooth size medium form oblOng OBJ
late, sometimes q little angling at the
crown color light green, with numeT-
OuS minute light dots when taken from
the tree, but becoming a rich golden
yellow when ripe basin abrupt, toler.
ably 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
and juicy flavor slightly sub-acid, arc
matte, rich and spughtly; use, dessert
and culinary; season from October tC
April quality best.-G. +. ", NHlerS-
burg, ohio, IN Country Gentleman.