Davey **

Davey (rhymes with "savvy," not "gravy") is medium-sized, conical, and lightly ribbed. Its attractive red blush is a little striped and streaked over a yellow peel that is much greener at the crown than the base.

Large green-yellow lenticels are prominent in the blush--many at the base thinning to none at the crown.

Davey's calyx is partly open. The apple is firm and has a pretty cidery aroma.

The grower got this tree from St. Lawrence Nurseries, which says Davey is an open-pollinated McIntosh seedling and an excellent keeper.

Davey's flesh is crisp and juicy, more coarse than fine, and light yellow. Its flavors are well balanced, pretty much exactly in the sweet-tart range I prefer. (I suspect this is not the sweet spot for many modern tastes, but neither is it super tart; indeed Davey has a nice measure of sugar.)

The flavors are also pleasing New England souvenirs: vinous, with berries and spice.

Davey is named for S. Lothrop Davenport, who discovered this variety in his orchard in North Grafton, Massachusetts in 1928.

He later founded what is today a living collection of heirloom apple trees under the auspices of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. (As usual, there is a good deal more to the story than that.)

The apple was not introduced commercially until 1950.