North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Chris Garriss <cgarriss@garriss.net>]

I have a very much "shot in the dark" question, to which there is likely
no "correct" answer.

I grew up in Maryland, between Baltimore and Frederick (Howard County). 
My grandfather had planted an apple orchard, most of the tree varieties
are known to me, between 1910 - 1915.  One of these trees was a crab,
apples were 1.5 - 2 inches in size, more ovoid than heart shaped, when
ripe were a red over green color, never completely red, white - off
white flesh.  The apples, while tart, could be eaten by those that liked
more astringent apples.  The tree itself in the mid 1950's was
approximately 25 - 30 feet tall, and the spread was somewhat more than
the height.  Shape was "umbrella" like, and the outer branches on the
periphery hung down nearly to the ground.  The tree bloomed and produced
profusely.  It made an excellent jelly, red with gold overtones.  We
also used the juice added to other fruit jellies to "help" them jell. 
The tree has been gone since the early 1970's (bulldozed along with the
rest by the new owner).  I have spent years asking other family members
about this tree, but no one ever called it anything but the "big
crabapple tree".  I have perused descriptions of every crab I have ever
seen listed, but have yet to run across something that I thought fit.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this might have been?  Or
additional places to look for information?

Thanks,
Chris
NC