North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

> Sam mentioned the "knobs" found on the blossom ends of RD,s. 
> I have heard
> them referred to as "sugar lumps" or something like that.  Probably
> so named
> by an enterprising marketeer.
The knobs on the bottom end I call "Sheep-nosing".  The oldest apple
with such protrusions on the bottom is "Sheepnose", I have tasted it grown
at the Lathrop Davenport Preservation Orchard at Sturbridge Village, a
historical village in Massachusetts.

The Sheepnose apple is similar to the "Red Delicious" group, mealy, low taste, origin Connecticut mid-1800's [if I recall correctly]  Scionwood should be available from Worcester County Horticultural Society scionwood distribution program.  I think it was a deep red color.  I have always assumed "Hawkeye" red delicious was a seedling of "Sheepnose".   S. Lathrop Davenport was a foremost New England apple preserver of the 1940's, also was NNGA member, I have grafted from a giant persian walnut he planted.  S. Lathrop preserved the original-real Macintosh, 20 oz. pippen, Palmer Greening, etc. etc.

Charlie Paradise Massachusetts