North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Don Yellman <dyellman@earthlink.net>]

Gord:

Agree on Freedom, which has been a bust for me in flavor and in so many 
other ways.  On a one to ten scale for flavor, I would give it about a 
three, just ahead of Ben Davis.  In fact, I think I will take my 12 year 
old Freedom out, and replace it with something that tastes good.  It may 
be resistant to scab, but not to anything else.  I don't grow Liberty, 
but have tasted them, and don't much like them either.

Have you considered Spartan?  This is a Mac x Albemarle Pippin (aka 
Yellow Newtown) cross, that has excellent scab resistance.  It looks 
like a slightly flattened Mac, and is a truly excellent table and 
culinary apple.  I know it is very popular in Vermont and upstate New 
York, where is is used as a cider apple from unthinned orchards.  But 
when thinned, this apple becomes large and handsome.  My wife, upon whom 
I rely for unvarnished opinions, ate one the other day and remarked on 
its excellent flavor and texture.  I had widespread fireblight on the 
apples this year, and Spartan was one of the few that came through 
nearly unscathed.  Spartan also shows signs of being a heavier cropper 
than Freedom, by a factor of about six, and has a fine natural shape on 
M7 rootstock.  I plan to make one or two more copies of my Spartan; 
maybe I just have an exceptionally good tree.

Empire also seems to require little in the way of spraying attention, 
but does need a lot of thinning.  It's a fine table apple, but, in my 
judgment, not as good as the Spartan I am growing here.  For sheer 
productivity, it's pretty hard to beat Empire.  It's a bit of a surprise 
that either of them do so well for me, since I can't grow McIntosh at all.

I am growing out a Novaspy from a scion sent to me by Ed Fackler in 
spring 2001, and will probably set it in the orchard late this fall. 
Don't know much about it, or how it compares for flavor, but doubt that 
Ed would have sent me a dud.  That might be another one to look into.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA