North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lon Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

End of September is too late for Gravenstein.  Bramley is more likely 
of what you mentioned, but the description is too general to be really 
sure.  Too bad you weren't at the Home Orchard Society's Fall Fruit 
Show in Oregon a couple weeks ago.  You would have had a table of 
several hundred varieties for comparison and some fellows who work at 
the identification of apples.   Not likely you could get the variety 
patented easily.  Your own testimony indicates it's an old variety.
-Lon Rombough

Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at 
http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association 
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Nov 13, 2004, at 10:04 AM, cdbfarm wrote:

Some years ago we grafted  scions from a favorite old tree that grew in 
the back yard where my husband grew up south of Seattle, WA.  We  have 
now  a mature orchard of 75 trees in Goldendale, WA. ..and the apples 
are still un-identified.  We jokingly refer to them as the "Big Bumpy 
Bassettis" (Our sir name) The mother tree was mature in the 1920's and 
was huge and splitting in two when we collected the scions.
  
We used M-111 root stock for our grafts.  The trees are vigorous 
growers.
The fruit is variously shaped and sized but generally very large.  with 
specimins sometimes over 2 lbs. and they tend towards a somewhat 
elongated shape with "bumps" at the calyx end.  It ripens quite 
late...end of September here in Eastern Washington.  The apple tends to 
be green with slight red striping but reddens in the sun.  It is tart 
and crisp..the flesh is fine and white. an excellent cooking apple 
..the best I know ...and when fully ripe also a favorite to eat in 
slices...as it is often too big to just eat to the core! It keeps 
reasonably well under refrigeration... but waxes quickly after picking 
when left in the bushels.
  
We have taken it to several Apple fairs in the Seattle area and not 
been able to get an identification.  Both Spokane Beauty and Stark 
Jumbo have been rulled out.  Recently I thought it might be a 
Bramley... but a local old time nurseryman ruled that out as well.
 
Is there a protocol for identifying varieties and /or determining if 
indeed we have a "sport"... which could possibly be patented. 
 I have just stumbled on this web site ..hoping I might find some 
ideas/advice.  Thanks,  G. Bassetti