North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Sam Franc <franc@oregonfast.net>]

Richard J. Ossolinski wrote:

> Ginda, et. al.,
> To me a good Macoun is indeed a wonderful apple.  Here, however, they are
> magnets for scab, never size well despite diligent thinning, and usually drop
> half their crop prematurely.  Those that are left are small treasures but
> don't keep worth a
> damn.  My Honeycrisps, however, set full crops annually, require very little
> thinning, attain excellent size and color, and rarely drop a good fruit
> prematurely.  I just ate one that was picked in September and "stored" in
> temperatures that reached as
> high as 70 and as low as 32.  Still "explosively crisp" and cosmetically
> perfect (without any post harvest treatment) it rivaled fruit just off the
> tree.  To me it's worth sacrificing some flavor and accepting some bronzing of
> foliage for this kind of mid winter refreshment, though I anxiously await the
> Honeycrisp crosses (a la Lee Elliot et. al. [see below]) that hopefully will
> render more flavorful results while still retaining the incredible texture and
> keeping ability currently unique to Honeycrisp.
> Richard
> Gouldsboro, ME Zone 5 (where yesterday at this time it was 10 below zero: now 
> +22)
>  
Rich,
I agree.
In CA Macoun was a real good producer, but here on the Oregon coast it 
has been a dud. Very unproductive. Lots of blossoms but little set. Lots 
of scab and mishapen fruit. I may get 2 good ones on a tree. I am 
starting to top work the Macoun to other types that do better here.
I have just a couple of Honey Crisp grafts to date, but they have 
produced excellent fruit. No scab and no drops.
Gravenstein is a good early apple here.
Yellow Transparent and Lodi have been disappointing for me. They turn 
mushy very fast. If I eat them off the tree they are all right and they 
make good applesauce.
Sam