USPP3485P - - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1974 s, COKE Plant Pat. 3,485

APPLE TREE Filed Aug. 16 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s. M. COKE Plant Pat. 3,485

Feb. 19, 1974 APPLE TREE 2 Sheets-Sheet z Filed Aug. 16 1972 United States Patent 3,485 APPLE TREE Stephen M. Coke, Yakima, Wash, assignor to H. Barry Rose, Alhambra, Calif. Filed Aug. 16, 1972, Ser. No. 281,113 Int. Cl. A01h /03 US. Cl. Plt.35 1 Claim The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree which was discovered by me as a whole tree sport of the apple variety commercially known as Starking Red Delicious (unpatented), said discovery having been made by me in my cultivated orchard on my property located at Tieton, in Yakima County, Wash.

At the time of my discovery, I was growing in my orchard aforesaid a block of trees of the Starking Red Delicious variety aforementioned. During a routine inspection of my orchard, my attention was attracted to one particular tree among the block of Starking Red Delicious which bore leaves that were different from those of the other trees in the block, and also bore post bloom fruit having a blood red color on the calyx end thereof, contrary to the usual green color of the small fruit on the trees of Starking Red delicious. I therefore continue to keep this particular tree under close observation, and in due course, I asexually reproduced the same by grafting, as performed in another of my orchards located at Yakima, Wash.

Continued observations of the original sport tree and the progeny derived therefrom by grafting as aforementioned, including controlled pollen tests conducted on my behalf by professional experts, have convinced me that I have discovered and developed a new and distinct variety of apple tree, as particularly evidenced by the following unique combination of principal characteristics which are outstanding therein and which distinguish it from the variety Starking Red Delicious and from all other apple varieties of which I am aware, including all other socalled Delicious strains:

(1) A natural semi-dwarf, self-spreading and self-thinning, spur type habit of growth, with the fruit spurs being more numerous per foot of fruiting wood than in any other Delicious variety and the fruit spurs beginning to form and set fruit at an unusually early age (usually during the second year), but requiring no thinning by reason of the fact that all but one fruit naturally drops off in all clusters to leave only one fruit per spur;

(2) Heavier leaves of darker green color than in any other Delicious apple variety, and the leaves having more prominent feeder veins on their under sides than other varieties;

(3) A regular annual fruit-bearing habit;

(4) A more perfect Delicious type fruit form, but the fruit not being as long when mature as the fruit of the variety known as Starkrimson Bisbee strain (Plant Pat. No. 1,565);

(5) An unusually early blood red blush of the post bloom fruit on the calyx end, with the little fruit being a solid red color without stripes from the time the fruit sets and remaining a distinctive, attractive and uniform solid dark red color throughout each tree and throughout the fruit growth until the fruit matures;

(6) A superior resistance to lead-arsenic toxicity, particularly in old orchard soils;

(7) Greater frost resistance than most other varieties of the Delicious type, and at least as good as Golden varieties;

(8) A self-pollinating habit which is unusual for semidwarf red varieties of the Delicious type, and also an Propagation:

fruit just after setting of the fruit, with the foliage andsmall fruit specimens being identified as C and being shown in comparison with corresponding specimens of Starking Red Delicious identified as S, all as illustrated in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character.

The following is a detailed description of my new variety, with color terminology in accordance with the Nickerson Color Fan, published by Munsell Color Company, Inc., of Baltimore, Md., except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are obvious:

Parentage: Sport of Starking Red Delicious.

Holds its distinguishing characteristics through succeeding propagations by grafting.

Locality where grown and observed: Yakima, Wash.

Dates of first and last pickings: About days, and from to days, respectively, after bloom at Yakima, Wash.

Tree: Medium size (semi-dwarf; vigorous; self-spreading (requires no spreaders or manual labor); dense; roundtopped; rapid growing; hardy; very productive; regular annual bearer.

Trunk.-Medium size; medium smoothness.

Branches.Medium thickness; medium smoothness; much-branched. Color-Moderate Olive Brown, No. 2.5 Y 4/ 4. LenticalsMedium number; small.

LeavesLarge; wide; long; ovate; abruptly-pointed; thick; smooth. LengthAbout 3 /2 inches. Width About 2% inches. ColorModerate Olive Green, No. 7.5 GY 4/4. MarginFinely serrate. Petiole Medium Length (about 1%; inches; medium thickness. Flowers: Early; medium size.

Dates of first and full blo0m.About May 7, and

May 10, respectively, at Yakima, Wash.

Colon-White.

Fruit:

Maturity when described.-Hard-ripe; about Oct. 7 or about 150 days from full bloom, at Yakima, Wash.

Size.Uniform. Axial diameter-About 2 4 inches.

Transverse diameterAbout 3% inches.

F0rm.Uniform; symmetrical; regular at base;

conical.

Cavity at stem end.Symmetrical; acute toward apex. Depth-About /2 inch. BreadthAbout /2 inch. MarkingsNone.

Basin at calyx end.Symmetrical; narrow; furrowed;

crowned.

Stem-Stout. LengthAbout 1 inch.

Calyx.Closed; segments persistent; narrowly lanceolate; about /2 inch long; imbricate at base; reflexed from base; outer surface glabrous; inner surface pubescent.

Eye-Small; partially closed.

Skin.-Thick; smooth; glossy; waxed. Dots- Obscure; many; small; depressed; circular. Color White; distribution-evenly. Ground colorDark Red, No. 5 R 3/7. Color markings-Bright, solid dark red blush. Bloom-Abundant. Scarfskin Light to Wanting. General color effect-Solid, bright, Dark Red Blush, No. 5 R 3/7 over entire surface of fruit from time it sets through maturity.

Flesh-Juicy. Colon-White. TextureHard; fine;

crisp. Flavor-Mild; sweet; rich. Aroma-Pronounced. Quality-Best.

Cre.Median. Bundle area-Medium size; symmetrical. Halves of core area-Equal. Carpellary areaStar-shaped. 'Calyx-tube-Apex shouldered. Stem of funnel--short; depth of tube to shoulderabout /2 inch inside. Styles-Distinct. Stamens- In one distinct whorl. Seed cellsClosed. Cell wallsth ic-k; tough; length-about /2 inch; Breadthabout inch.

Seeds: Usually 6 and all perfect; usually 2 per cell.

Length.-About inch.

Breadth-About inch.

C0l0r.--Moderate Reddish Brown, No. 10 R 3/4.

Use: Market; dessert.

Keeping quality: Good; at least 210 days in ordinary storage (from October through May Insect and disease resistance: Medium resistance to insects and good resistance to ordinary apple diseases, but superior resistance to lead-arsenic toxicity in soils, as determined by comparison with other apple varieties grown under the same conditions in the region of Yakima, Wash; easier to propagate and grow than Goldens, Ions, Romes or Saps.

I claim:

'1. A new and distinct variety of apple tree, substantially as herein shown and described, characterized particularly as to novelty by the unique combination of a natural semi-dwarf, self-spreading and self-thinning, spur type habit of growth, with the fruit spurs being more numerous per foot of fruiting wood than in any other Delicious variety and the fruit spurs beginning to form and set fruit at an unusually early age (usually during the second year), but requiring no thinning by reason of the fact that all but one fruit naturally drops off in all clusters to leave only one fruit per spur, heavier leaves of darker green color than in any other Delicious apple variety, and the leaves having more prominent feeder veins on their under sides than other varieties, a regular annular fruit-bearing habit, amore perfect Delicious type fruit form, butthe fruit not being as long when mature as the fruit of the variety known as Starkrimson Bisbeestrain (Plant Pat. No. 1,565), an unusually early blood red blush of the post bloom fruit on the calyx end, with the little fruit being a solid red color without stripes from the time the fruit sets and remaining a distinctive, attractive and uniform solid dark red color throughout each tree and throughout the fruit growth until the fruit matures, a superior resistance to lead-arsenic toxicity, particularly in old orchard soils, greater frost resistance than most other varieties of the ,Delicious type, and at least as good as Golden varieties, a self-pollinating habit which is unusual for semi-dwarf red varieties of the Delicious type, and also an ability to pollinate the variety Starking Red Delicious, and good "keeping qualities of the fruit in ordinary storage without the need of controlled atmosphere.

No references cited.

ROBERT H. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner

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