Apple I.D. - Thoughts?

[MilkweedManiac]

These apples are all I was able to steal from the squirrels and deer this year. I had bagged several but the squirrels just pulled the bags off or ate through them.

Anyway, these two trees were planted in the early 60s. When looking at pictures online, it reminds me a great deal of a Jonathan apple, but obviously these apples fall earlier than a Jonathan would.

Is there another possibility that I am missing?

Has mild signs (rust spots) of CAR on leaves.

Any theories appreciated.

 

[PoorSand]

Unfortunately, I don't know what kind those are, but there are a few other things you could look at to help you figure it out. Some apple tree varieties tend to have steep crotch angles, while some others tend to have more of a spreading growth habit. Some are tip bearers, some are spur bearers, and some grow fruit on both tips and spurs. If you think an identified tree looks a lot like your tree, you can compare the leaves. There was a scanned reproduction of a helpful book on Google Books for a while. It was "Leaf Characteristics of Apple Varieties", by J. K. Shaw at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, April, 1922. I read that he used to be sent into commercial orchards to weed out mislabeled apple trees. The book explained how he could pick out differences between varieties' leaves.

 

[PoorSand]

For some of the more popular varieties, you might also consider checking the USDA GRIN database for blossom photos. It takes a bit of staring at the subtleties of color in the blossom photos and spending time afield during bloom time so you can determine the pollination group timing though.