Wanted

Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project wants your help in locating these rare fruit varieties to help reestablish them in Montezuma County:

Shackleford

Sighted at Montezuma County Fair, Cortez, CO in the years of 1903, 1905, 1906, & 1909; winner of top premiums. Grown by W. I. Myler, W. H. Blake, W. R. Honaker, Galloway Bros., Ben Porter, & C. T. Leavell. Sighted at the Colorado State Fair, 1910. Last seen in Fremont County, CO circa 1920 w/ 77 trees left standing in Lincoln Park and 15 trees in East Canon.Described as a Ben Davis type apple. Originated in Clark County Missouri, near Athens. Tree prolific, hardy, & healthy & said to flourish in poor land. Fruit medium to large, roundish to roundish oblong; dots inconspicuous, small, numerous, sometimes russeted or submerged; stem long and slender in a slightly russeted cavity; calyx closed; basin medium to large, rather wide, abrupt, wrinkled; skin thick, waxy, smooth, pale greenish yellow washed with red & mottled & striped with carmine. Flesh tinged yellow, firm, moderately course, crisp, juicy, mild subacid. Ripens late season.

Walbridge (a.k.a. Edgar Red Streak)

Last seen at the Montezuma County Fair, Cortez, CO in the years of 1903, 1905, 1906, & 1909; winner of top premiums. Grown by Harvey Benson, A.P. Edmondson, E.A. Porter, H.F. Morgan, A.W. Kermode, W.R. Honaker, Richey Bros., & W.H. Robison. Originated in 1818 in Edgar County, Illinois. Late keeping cooking apple on a productive tree; cold hardy, good for areas with late frosts. Fruit medium or below, usually roundish conical but shape varies; skin smooth, pale yellow dashed with red & striped with carmine, often with a thin bloom; stem short to medium length in an acute, deep cavity, sometimes with a fine russet; calyx usually closed; basin small, shallow to almost not depressed at all, furrowed; flesh whitish tinged yellow, firm, crisp, rather tender, juicy, mild, subacid.

Striped Sweet Pippin (a.k.a. McAfee, and others)

Last seen at the Montezuma County Fair, Cortez, CO in the year 1909; winner of top premiums. Grown by J.D. Hall, & McElmo Orchard Co. Fruit medium to large, roundish oblate, slightly conical; skin yellow, mostly covered with light & dark red, often with a thin bloom making the apple look gray, some russet; dots few, gray, some areole; stem medium in a large, open, deep, often russeted cavity; calyx closed; basin shallow; flesh yellowish, juicy, rather course, crisp, mild subacid inclining to sweet.

More

Do You Know These apples: Last seen at the Montezuma County Fair winning top premiums between the years 1903 to 1911. Several (in red) also sighted in Fremont County, CO circa 1920. Plus, several lost Colorado varieties (listed in green). Walbridge, Flora Bell, Kent's Beauty, Colorado Favorite, Wyeth, Colorado Red, Ben Maupin, Shackleford, Baskett, Dwinnie, Bovuet, Lover's or Lover's II, Sweet Pear, Tennessee, Striped Sweet Pippin, Colorado Seedling, Fall Rambo, Ned, Cooper's Early White, Sikman, Colored Hedard's Pippin syn. Harbord. Once grown in Montezuma County by: H.R. Antes, G.J. Ashbaugh, Harvey Benson, W.H.Blake, S.W. Bryant, J.M. Dobbins, A.P. Edmondson, Galloway Bros., Mr. Glenn, J.D. Hall, Norman Hall, W.R. Honaker, A.W. Kermode, R.C. Kermode, C.T. Leavell, McElmo Orchard Co., W.H. Myler, H.F. Morgan, George Osterfeld, Patterson Bros., Ben Porter, E.A. Porter, Richey Bros., W.H. Robison, John S. Wilson.

If you want to help us find these fruit varieities, please go to our Downloads page to view, download, and print our Wanted posters. Then, put them up around your town.