Moses Wood |
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 Summer. Unknown parentage. Winthrop,
ME(Kennebec County), before 1847. Apple varieties were originally distributed around
Maine, not by Fedco or Stark Brothers, but by itinerant grafters, one of whom was
Moses Wood. The apple bearing his name is thought to have originated on his farm in
Winthrop, but perhaps he picked it up just down the road from your house. In any
event, it's a tart late-summer dessert and cooking apple, medium-sized, roundish to
conic with distinct ribbing and lobes around the calyx end. Light yellow skin with a
pink blush and red stripes. White medium- to fine-grained tender very juicy flesh,
pleasantly subacid. Prized for those who like tart fresh eating apples. It also makes a exceptional tart pie.
Vigorous upright productive tree.
I found Moses Wood and several other rare Maine apples in the New Sharon orchard of Bill Reid, philosopher, used book dealer, and Jack of all trades. Bill has given me free reign of his secluded orchard and usually entertains me on his banjo when I visit him and his three legged pit bull, Cyrus. He received his scion wood from Morris Towle of Winthrop. Towle was an orchardist, breeder, and collector of old varieties whose orchard once included many of New England's rarest apples. Two of his introductions have been saved and are listed below, Sweet Sal and Winekist. Towle was the friend and associate of the well known and renowned fruit explorer, Ira Glackens. |
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