Antique Apple and Pear Trees

Our grafting capacity is filling up fast - if you want to place an order for bench grafted apples or pears please send us a summary of your order (with accceptable alternates please)along with a check to

Wagon Wheel Orchard
15380 Edgerton Rd
Gardner KS 66030

Please see the Jan 4th 2011 post below for details.

Fruit tree grafting time is in full swing!

How 'bout dem apples? How'd you like to grow your own fruit like the apples in this picture? These were growing on a 5 year old tree.

We've had so many people ask about specific apples and pears that we may add in the future so here's a list of varieties we are tentatively adding to the orchard for 2011.

Note – please see Jan 4th 2011 blog post for ordering bench grafts or scion wood and our current "in ground" list.

Below is a work in progress of the varieties that we are requesting from various sources to add to the preservation orchard this year. We are posting this now so collectors can begin to create their wish lists for 2012 and beyond. Please note that this is a partial list of trees or scion wood we have requested and there are some redundancies due to customer’s orders or deer damage replacement. Most likely we will be adding another 100-200 types before the season ends. As always we will not bench graft patented varieties.

If you know of any endangered trees or homestead apples with an interesting history please contact us at wagonwheelmail@aol.com so that we can preserve that variety for future generations. We will be receiving our shipment of rootstock shortly and we will be grafting over the next several weeks.


Abbandanza
Adersleber Kalville
Albion Russet
Allen's Everlasting
Alton
American Pippin, c. 1817 USA
Anoka
Atlas
Bearre Gris
Beautiful Arcade
Bedan
Bella Fille
Belle de Pontoise
Belle Fille Rouge
Belle Fleur de France
Belmac
Benton Red
Bergamotte d'Ete
Beurre Gifford
Beurre Supurfin
Beverly Hills
Binet Blanc
Binet Blanc D'Ore
Binet Rouge
Blue Pearmain
Bonne Hotture
Bramtot
Brunnerling
Butt
Canada Red
Cartigny
Celestia
Cherry Cox
Cherryville Black
Chisel Jersey
Chojuro
Christmas Pink
Chuero Ru Biern
Cinnamon Spice
Clay Pot
Cloche
Clozette
Coscica
Court Pendu Gris
Cranberry Pippin
Crimson Gold
Cripps Pink
Danver's Winter Sweet
D'Arcy Spice
Dayton
De Janne
De Kanne
Deacon Jones, c. 1892 PA
Deane
Democrat
Ditlows Hard Winter
Domaines
Domine
Double Bon Pommier
Doux Normandie
Dumelow, c. 1800 Eng
Dyer, 1700's RI
Early Genitan
Edelborsdorfer
Edward's Winter
Eierledirer
Fall Orange
Fenouillet Gris
Feuillard
Finson's Orange
Florence
Fondante Des Mouling Lilu
Fox Hill
Franc Roseau
Frequin Lecaille
Frequin Rouge
Frequin Tardive de la Sarthe
Freyburg
Fuero Rous
GDWF1
Gelbemosteler
Gloria Mundi
Gloster
Gold Rush
Golden Nugget
Golden Sweet
Goldjon
Goldrush
Gray Pearmain
Green Cheese
Green Newtown, 1759, pre NY?
Green Sweet
Greenglade
Greensleeves
Gthus Reinette
Haralred
Hardy Cumberland
Harrison
Harvey
Hauer Pippin
Hawley, c. 1750 NY
Herdre Huffcap
Hewes Crab
Holstein
Hoover
Horneburger Pfannekuchen
Horse
Hunt Russet, c. 1750 MA
Hurlbut
Idjon
Ingrid Marie
James Grieve
Jeanne d'Arc
Jewett Red, c. 1842 NH
Jim Dandy
Josephine des Malunes
Joveaux
Jujube - Lang
Jujube - Li
Kanipe Red Flesh
Karmijn de Sonneville
Katsa
Kavanaugh
KAZ 93-04-02
KAZ 93-04-05
KAZ 93-17-01
KAZ 93-31-07
King Cole
Kinsei
Kosui
Koyama
Lady Williams (newish australian, but hangs on forever. Just picked my last ones f eb 10th)
Lady's Sweeting
Langford
Laurette
Laxton's Fortune
Legace
Leo
Lobo
Louis Bonne D'Auranches
Lyscom, c. 1817 MA
Macio Carpa
Magog Redstreak
Maigold
Malinda, c. 1860, VT
Mantet
Margil
Marie Menard
Marin Onfroy
Meigetsu
Mettais
Minnesota 1734
Muscat
Muscat de Dieppe
Myers Royal Limbertwig
Netto's Late Tart
New Brunswicker
Niagara
Nonpariel (Old)
Noret
Norland
Normannischen
Northern Lights
Northern Sweet, c. 1800 VT
Nouveau Poiteau
Nutting Bumpus
Nye Russet Bartlett
October Gravenstein
Oliver, c. 1831 AR
Orleans Reinette
Ortley, c. 1817 NJ
Overleesc
Oxheart Pippin
Paducah
Palouse, c. 1879 WA
Paragon, c. 1830 TN
Parkland
Passeu Crassane
Patterson
Paw Paw (apple) 1858 MI
Peace Garden
Peck Pleasant, c. 1832 CT/RI
Pigeonnet Blanc
Pigeonnet Rouge
Pilot
Pink Princess
Pink Rose
Pomme Grise, c. 1800 ?
Pomme Raisin
Pound Sweet
Prairie Spy
President Descours
Quebec Belle
Queen Cox
Quinte
Rambour D'Hiver
Rebecca's Gold
Red Baron
Red Berlepsch
Red Burke
Red Wealthy
Redcort
Redwell
Regent
Reine de Hetines
Reine de Reinette
Reinette Clochard
Reinette d'Armorique
Reinette de Cheree
Reinette de Cuzy
Reinette des Kluttes
Reinette du Mans
Reinette Gris du Canada
Reinette Gris Parmentier
Reinette Gris Santoinge
Reinette Jaeghers
Reinette Maibres
Rets
Rodger’s Red Mac
Roman Stem, c. 1817 NJ
Rose Pippin
Ross Nonpariel
Rousette de Rirens
Royal Wilding
Royale d'Angleterre
Rudens Suitrotais
Russel's Russet
Rusty Coat
Sensacion
Shamrock
Sharon
Shawnee
Sidrunkollane Talioum
Signe Tillisch
Skyrme's Kernel
Slovianka
Steeles Red
Stone, c. 1836 VT
Stroming
Summer Sweet Paradise
Summerred
Suncrisp
Sunrise
Swiss Limbertwig
Switzer
Tardive Forestier
Teint Fraise
Thornberry
Tilsith
Tohoku 4
Transcendant Crab
Triumphe de Vienne
Trusevitch 1-48-41
Tumanga
Tydeman's Early Worcester
Uljanisceva
Uralian Butter
Vandervere
Vanilla Pippin
Viking
Vista Bella
Von Zuccalmaglios Reinette
Wade
Walden Early Red
Walden Earlysweet
Walley Polley
Whitney Crab
Wickson
Williams Favorite
Williams Pride
Worcester Pearmain
Yellow June
Yian Guang
Young American

We hope to see you this spring, summer and fall for tours, tree sales and fruit picking!

Apple of the Month - Ashmead's Kernel

Ashmead’s Kernel Apple, nostalgia for your mouth

Like many old apples, the originator of this variety is in its name – Ashmead. In 1700, Dr. Thomas Ashmead raised a tree in his Gloucester, England garden. The second half of the name “Kernel”, is a common term for a tree grown from seed (aka pip or kernel).

Ashmead’s Kernel is a great example of not judging a book by its cover. This small to medium apple is not found in the grocer’s because of our tendency to buy with our eyes and not our taste buds. Ashmead’s has a drab russeted appearance, resembling a greenish golden smooth potato but beneath this exterior is one of the most splendid tastes in the whole orchard!

The British have a candy called a “pear drop” which most North Americans have never tried. The closest thing we have with similar flavoring would be “Juicy Fruit” gum. Most people will find some taste similarities in russeted apples. They tend to have flavor descriptions that sound more like wine than fruit. Common terms used include “nutty, sharp and aromatic” even “hints of oak” have been used to describe Ashmead’s – odd for something fresh off of a tree instead of drawn from a barrel. There is an elusive indescribable character to the Ashmead’s Kernel which sets it apart and is the reason why this apple has been so popular worldwide for hundreds of years. You simply must eat one to know one.

When coming to North America many early settlers brought bench-grafted apple trees along with them. Having a healthy orchard was a priority as cider was the most popular drink. Most family favorites brought to the New World did not adapt well to the climate and were cast aside in favor of newer seedlings. There are a small number of apples from England that thrive in the states, Ashmead’s is one of them. Listed in many eastern publications by 1826, this apple was exhibited before the Cincinnati Horticultural Society in 1855 and quickly made its way west. Here in Kansas (where we once had over 20 million fruit trees and 2,500 apple varieties growing), it was held in great esteem and was listed in many growers “top 10” apples for their counties. At Wagon Wheel Orchard, our trees have grown for over a decade with little or no maintenance. Many of our trees were bearing fruit the third year we grafted them. (see Jan 4th, 2011 blog article on custom grafting)

Ashmead’s is a fantastic eating apple, especially with a good cheese. Our favorite combination is Camembert (a soft brie-like cheese), sesame crackers and Kernels. Camembert cheese is gaining popularity and can be found in most grocery stores. Historically Ashmead’s has been a favorite for making a varietal cider (hard cider) or to be used in cider blends to add complexity.