Cultivar 326: Rutherford

Rutherford is a prairie apple introduced by the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 1959. Sources record it as a cross of Elsa x Melba and attribute it to Dr. C. F. Patterson. University of Saskatchewan material lists it as introduction A59-375 from the station's cold climate apple work, and later prairie references keep the same pedigree and date. [S3] [S4] [S2] [S6]

Sources describe Rutherford as a mid season, oblate apple with pale yellow skin and white to greenish flesh. University of Saskatchewan notes describe fruit over 6 cm, up to about 2 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches under non irrigated Saskatoon conditions, while one prairie index table lists it as small. The flavor is described as sub acid and juicy, though Evans called it bland, and a Saskatchewan table says the flesh is coarse and slightly astringent. It ripens by the end of August. [S3] [S4] [S1] [S6] [S2] [S5]

Rutherford was valued mainly as a cooking apple, though several sources allow fair dessert quality. Patterson's introduction notes call it a good apple, precocious, and a heavy fruiter. Later comparison notes say it resembles Heyer No. 12 but is better in quality and better for cooking. Sources also say it does not deteriorate on the tree as quickly as Heyer 12. Keeping quality is less clear. One comparison says it keeps slightly longer than Heyer 12, while a Saskatchewan table rates storage ability as nil. [S3] [S4] [S1] [S6] [S5]

The tree is described mostly by comparison. Multiple sources say Rutherford is very similar to Heyer 12, and one note also compares it to Heyer 20, in fruit, tree, and leaf characters. It may be a little hardier than those cultivars, with Nelson reporting less injury than Heyer 12 and Heyer 20 in zones 5 and 6A. Saskatchewan tabular data also rates it moderately resistant to fireblight. Rutherford's place in prairie apple history is as a productive University of Saskatchewan selection valued for kitchen use, August ripening, and possible improvement over the Heyer types it resembled. [S3] [S4] [S5]

Sources disagree on a few details, especially fruit size and storage life. A later note that Rutherford and Heyer #12 are mutually incompatible in breeding is a breeding observation, not Rutherford's parentage. [S3] [S4] [S2]

Summary source basis

• S1: Edible Apples in Prairie Canada
• S2: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S3: Rutherford
• S4: Rutherford1
• S5: hortfacts_1976_3.pdf
• S6: University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960

This summary currently draws chiefly from Rutherford, with 5 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Similar in some respects to Heyer #12, but doesn't deteriorate quite as quickly as the latter.”
— ^[1]

“Season appears to be medium.”
— ^[3]

“Ripe by the end of August.”
— ^[1]

“Subject to water core.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Listed as Elsa x Melba.
• 'Elsa' x 'Melba'.
• Parentage: Elsa x Melba.
• Parentage given as Elsa x Melba.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• A59-375 Rutherford Elsa x Melba 1959 Mid-season, oblateUniversity of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p4
• Rutherford (Elsa x Melba) Patterson (1959) STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p63
• Rutherford (Elsa x Melba) Patterson (1959) STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p63
• Rutherford (Elsa x Melba) Patterson (1959) STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p63

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context