I plan to grow out a few seedlings from my own trees and see how they do. Theoretically, I’d think they’d possess the winter hardiness of their parents. I guess that’s just supposition on my part though.
I’m kind of excited this year, I’ve got another wild apple with it’s first fruit. I’m hoping it’s as good as Smitty’s Seedling 
It might interest you that I still have 3 alive clones of your Smitty’s Seedling, one on B9 and two on G-202. Alas, they haven’t grown much. Perhaps not high enough on my priority list with all my red fleshed and all the ones I’m planning on crossing myself.
(I was very disappointed that my seeds sprouted and ruined of my first intentional cross before I was aware or ready to plant. And this year I have no red fleshed at all on any of the 50 or more little trees, and only half dozen or so apples at all, period. Late freezes.)
That reminds me, I saw a couple golf ball sized drops under “Anoka”…didn’t know it had set any apples at all. I need to grab one or two…they may be ripe if they’re still there tomorrow.
Keep us informed. I know the Fuji I mentioned has cleaner looking foliage than any of my trees…and it’s offspring some are also clean looking. If I had any Fuji apples this year, I’d save seeds with the hope I got a red fleshed pollen donor by luck of the draw.
That should have a chance of having an offspring with pink or red flesh and good in taste.
Deer munched my Otterson and Veralma Simontornya…but they’ll recover.
It does interest me, thank you. I have no experience with either B9 or any of the G series rootstocks. I have given Smitty’s scions to a few folks who have grafted them to either b118 or a standard (antonovka or some type of crab). They report aggressive growth early on (first and second year). I am very interested in hearing if any of yours ever fruit, and if so how you find the fruit for eating. Any other items of interest would also be appreciated, e.g. disease resistance, attraction level of insect pests, heat resistance, etc. etc.
What kind of apple is a “Smitty’s?” Is it one you bred yourself by cross-pollinating?
It’s a wild apple here that I named…cuz I can 
It was about a 5’ seedling in a cattle pasture surrounded by prickly ash when I bought the place. I cleared out around it, protected it, pruned it, trained it, and watched it grow until it produced fruit. It’s a nice apple. Nothing “remarkable” but it has survived -40 temps, shows little CAR or apple scab, and produces loads of fruit every other year (I could probably even out the crops if I thinned).
Best reason ever!! Enjoy your Smitty’s!
Have you made any cider with those Smitty’s apples? The place I bought a few years ago had some 40 and 50 year old trees of varieties unknown to me. I made a single variety cider with one tree of [unremarkable] apples. The juice didn’t have a lot of sugar (1.038 SG), but it did have enough acidity and low (3.5) PH that it did not require any sulfites or additives. I also made a batch with the same apple and blended a 1 to 3 ratio of another unknown and unremarkable variety. It was my first attempt at home-brewing, but BOTH of the ciders turned-out very nice (about 5% ABV)–I think better than most store-bought ciders–even the most expensive and haughty ones. Maybe that Smitty’s apple would do the same for you, eh? Why not try and make those unremarkable apples into something remarkable?
I did throw some Smitty’s into a batch of cider I made with my buddy a couple years ago. There were probably 10 or more different varieties in there, so I have no idea what a single varietal just using the Smitty’s would be like. To be honest, they’re a good out of hand eating apple. Crunchy, sweet with a hint of tartness, juicy…pretty much what my wife and I are looking for in an eating apple. We’ll eat a bunch of them fresh this year and put a bunch in the crisper. Two years ago they were still good eating about 6 weeks after storing in the fridge. By “unremarkable” I guess I mean they don’t have an outstanding, unique, or unusual flavor. Just “appley”
Hmmm. Sounds like Smitty’s was a great discovery, and you were wise to have preserved it. And it also sounds like something I might like to try growing here in Montana, where apple growing is known to be “tough,” and where my Zone 4b location is more likely Zone 3 in reality. Perhaps you might sell me a few scions next year when you do your pruning?
I won’t sell you any, but I will happily give you some.
I don’t think there has been an obituary for Roger Way posted here. He died last year at age 100.
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/06/empire-apple-breeder-roger-way-dies-100
Actually my benchgrafts onto B9 seem to get the best jump.
But, so far, I’m OK with the B118.
M111 just takes too long. … and probably not hardy in your area.
If I find I can get out of staking B9 or B10 or G202…I’ll do more for sure.
Anyone tried Reinette Zabergau? What’s it like? I was intrigued by the description on Cummins website, which called it “intensely flavored”.
Our Zabergau tree is sporting blossoms for the first time this year, so we may find out this year.
A description that intrigued me about the apple came from dmays posted back in 2015.
Side note: I like calling it Zabergau Reinette, just so my list of the apples we grow can go from A to Z.
I think my iittle guy died last winter…so no ZZZZZZZZZZ’s in my list I guess.
But I have plenty of AAAAAA’s.
And who needs the “von” in von Zuccalmaglio’s Reinette?
But does anyone in this group grow it?
I got Zabergau scionwood from @BobVance last year. The graft took. It is flowering right now.
@BobVance may have this variety fruited by now.
The lists of apple varieties that you propose are interesting , but there are still countless varieties that we have here in Europe ( the list can be endless , especially with high - quality and disease - resistant varieties ) .
Lately I’m very busy with work and I don’t have time to participate in the forum, but I’ll try to take some time and prepare an extensive list of the varieties that we handle here in Europe (many of them available in the United States).
Best regards
Jose
Interesting to find in Tom Vorbeck’s list Ashmead’s Kernel is frost tender. That was my conclusion with its stingy bearing, (besides great lengths of blind wood and tardy bearing) which experience nudged me to try grafting. So I guess I can thank AK for making a few little homely apples with loads of taste to sample & seek a better option.
That said, Rosemary Russet will bloom any day now from its first two spurs - six blooms each - & might offer two samples from a much more amenable tree. Lovely shade of pink to its first flower, BTW, & reputed to be frost tolerant.
Living in High Desert on sandy soil and south facing slope, I find some apples produce untold riches while others just can’t hack the challenges.
And speaking of growing in the High & Dry, thank you again, Neil, for recommending Orléans Reinette. My graftling on Bud118 is slow growing - same pace as Lamb Abbey Pearmain - and I hope will prove every bit as worthy of patience here as in Reno, NV.
My experience and growing conditions make for a short list so far. What I tend without sprays & recommend:
GoldRush
Redfield
Lamb Abbey Pearmain
Hunt Russet (drier than elsewhere grown, but concentrated flavors)
Claygate Pearmain
Twenty Ounce
Grown commercially by others nearby (with sprays):
Empire
Granny Smith
Newtown Pippin
Winesap (old Virginia)
Twice I drove across WA to an orchard on the bank of the Columbia River to savor Lady. After Christmas, Lady was wonderful, with almond overtones. I do not know if it would succeed where my conditions lack even the micro-climate of higher humidity within feet of the River.
What didn’t play well here?
Ashmead’s Kernel
COP/Queen Cox/M26 (fruit looked OK but tasted BAD; tree shriveled/croaked at 90°f & 13% humidity)
D’Arcy Spice/Bud118 - fruit dropped in above conditions, every year
Liberty on too small a stock (EMLA26) to maintain tree and crop, huge favorite of codling moth
Wynoochee Early refuses to grow in summer, fruit flavors evaporate on tree
Lord Lambourne needs vigorous stock, rich soil and north facing slope to succeed out this way
Howgate Wonder needs no less than Bud118 stock to tackle extremes of winter & summer (one in a higher, slightly cooler situation might actually produce a decent crop - in another couple years)
Honeycrisp - I wouldn’t foist on my worst enemy
Sounds interesting.