Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Volume 2 Number 4 April, 1961 Article 9

1-1-1961

The Granny Smith

Frank Melville

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Recommended Citation Melville, Frank (1961) "The Granny Smith," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 2 : No. 4 , Article 9. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol2/iss4/9

This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE GRANNY SMITH

By F. MELVILLE, B.Sc. (Agric), Adviser (Fruit)

OST of the commercial apples grown 15 years have been Granny Smith. The Mthroughout the world today have orig­ variety is, of course, prominant in New inated as chance seedlings and commer­ South Wales and also South Australia. In cialised by observant nurserymen or fruit Victoria it accounts for 25 per cent, of the growers. Many Tasmanian varieties were apple production and in Tasmania for established this way—the Sturma, Demo­ about 10 per cent. In this State produc­ crat and Crofton. But the seedling which tion has reached a million bushels in has had the greatest impact on apple a good year and exports have been as growing in Australia is the Granny Smith high as 700,000 bushels. and its rise to fame is an interesting story. Interest in the Granny Smith has not been confined to Australia alone. It is It is recorded that way back in 1867 now being grown commercially in New Maria Ann Smith wife of the Mayor of Zealand, in South Africa and large plant­ Parramatta in New South Wales bought ings have also been made in the some empty gin cases at the Sydney Argentine. These countries are all com­ Market and in one were some decaying peting on the United Kingdom and apples. These were tipped out at the foot European markets and Argentine in par­ of the garden at her home in the suburb ticular is likely to prove a very strong of Ryde and by chance a seedling rival. developed from one of the fruits. Little The Granny Smith has emerged as a did Mrs. Smith realise as she cared for premium variety on the United Kingdom the young tree that this apple was later market second only to Cox in market to become the famous Granny Smith, an value and is also rapidly gaining accept­ apple which has changed the pattern of ance on the Continent. It is also popular apple growing in many areas of Australia in Singapore. It is surprising that a green and particularly Western Australia. apple has been able to establish itself in It was not until the end of the last the dessert apple trade and speaks well century that the commercial possibilities for its excellent quality. of the Granny Smith were recognised by The secret of success of the Granny nurserymen. It spread to all States of the Smith lies not in any single attribute but Commonwealth soon after the turn of the in its versatility. It grows under a wide century and the first trees arrived in range of conditions from the Granite belt Western Australia about the beginning of of Queensland to the cool temperate the first world war. At first, they were climate of Tasmania and from the irri­ mistaken for Cleopatras but it was soon gated areas of the Murray Valley to the realised that here was an apple with hot non-irrigated conditions in this State. much greater potential and from the It grows well, yields well and from the twenties onwards plantings increased growers point of view is a sound variety. rapidly. A survey in 1946 showed that From the shippers angle it has a long more than a third of apple plantings in season with good continuity of supply. this State were Granny Smiths and since The first Australian shipments reach the then it has dominated all new plantings. United Kingdom in early April and con­ Something approaching 75 per cent, of tinue until the final shipments in early the apple trees planted during the last August. To the importer it provides 349 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 2 No 4, 1961 limited risk because of its good keeping Smiths picked at this time are very sub­ qualities and although not highly ject to superficial scald if stored after flavoured appeals to the consumer be­ mid August particularly if low tempera­ cause of its crisp texture and dual tures are maintained. If oiled wraps are purpose nature. not used then the scald will develop On the debit side there are some dis­ earlier and be much more severe. advantages. There is a distinct tendency Fruit to be shipped unwrapped should to biennial bearing in older trees with not be picked before the second half of the typical on and off years. This can now April. be corrected by judicious use of chemical Fruit for long storage must be selected thinning and this year has demonstrated fruit, that is, from well cropped trees, what can be achieved with a heavy crop. picked at the right stage and properly A more elusive problem is apple die- sorted. There should be a minimum of back which commences as a stoppage of delay before cool storage and storage the leaders and develops as a progressive temperature must be right. The biggest dieback. Pruning the declining leaders problem with long storage Granny Smiths only worsens the position by allow­ is superficial scald which is normally ing the entry of wood rotting fungi. prominent in market fruit by about Although dieback may be related basic­ October. But with proper attention to ally to the climate conditions no doubt storage requirements scald can be re­ anything which devitalises the tree such duced to minor proportions. These re­ as root injury by nematodes or curculio quirements are, pick during the second or overcropping under adverse conditions half of April, remove all sunburnt fruit will hasten its appearance. Soil fumiga­ at this stage and store as soon as possible tion has resulted in improved growth and at 38°-40° F. Keep the fruit at this cropping but it is too early to tell whether temperature until the end of May, then there is any direct effect on dieback. drop the temperature to 32 for the re­ As the Granny Smith apple approaches mainder of the period. Trials conducted maturity it increases in size very rapidly. over a number of years have shown that On young and light crop trees the apples if this procedure is carefully followed can easily become too large for market scald need not be a serious problem. requirements and there is a tendency to Sunburnt apples even where the injury pick immature with the result that Bitter is very slight will almost certainly Pit develops if the fruit is stored. This develop sunburn scald in store hence the large early fruit is best disposed of as soon need for eliminating all sunburnt fruit as possible after picking and should not from long storage lines. be stored. The good keeping qualities of the The Granny Smith matures quite Granny Smith are related to the slow slowly as compared with varieties such as rate of ripening and thick wax coating Jonathans and Cleos which makes it very which limits wilting. Unfortunately, the difficult to tell by appearance when the fact that the Granny Smith is easier to fruit is suitable for harvesting. There are handle than other varieties leads to some no satisfactory tests which can be applied abuse. A lot of the Granny Smiths held to guide the grower so he must rely to a for the late market are lines rejected for very large extent on experience, taking export and often quite unsuitable for into account the purpose for which the long storage. If you want a high quality fruit is required. product out of store then high quality Granny Smiths harvested before the fruit must go into store and be handled end of March are mainly for the early in the best possible way. The extra atten­ Singapore market. The fruit is usually tion given to selection of fruit, handling from light crop trees and is pit liable. and storage will be more than repaid by the results obtained. Pickings in the first fortnight of April supply fruit for the early shipments to Bruising is still a major export problem, the United Kingdom. This is better particularly with larger sizes and late storage fruit and wrapped in oiled paper picked fruit. This problem is receiving will carry successfully. However, Granny attention with the introduction of bulk 350 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 2 No 4, 1961 bins and carton packs. This season will annually or approximately 25 per cent, of see the first large scale commercial ship­ the total American production. By dili­ ments of Granny Smiths in these con­ gent searching, numbers of new sports tainers and should bring some interesting have been found with more highly results. coloured fruit and other desirable Granny Smith production can be ex­ characteristics. These sports have now pected to increase substantially in the largely displaced the original standard next few years at the expense of other Delicious. It is highly probable that export varieties. The problem of handling amongst the many thousands of Granny the crop in the normal picking season Smith trees established in this State will increase and the tendency will be to there are odd trees or single limbs which extend the season by earlier picking. At are producing more desirable fruit than the present time pit and scald are major the average. There is no reason why bars to earlier harvesting particularly if improved Granny Smith sports with unwrapped fruit is to be shipped. How­ greener colour better shape, ripening at ever, trials are in progress to work out a slightly different time or with some answers to these problems and if these other desirable characteristic are not in are successful coupled with an improve­ existence. I would like to leave this ment in the bruising position by the use thought with growers. If you know of a of new packaging methods the Granny possible sport or come across one during Smith should have a bright future. harvest let the local Horticultural Officer The growth of the Granny Smith in know. He will be interested to follow it Australia may be likened to the develop­ up and perhaps an improved Granny ment of the Delicious in the United Smith may result. States. Found originally as a chance seedling the Delicious variety now pro­ (Broadcast 7th Feb., 1961, and printed duces almost 30 million bushels of apples by permission of the A.B.C.) WANTED IDENTICAL TWIN CMS

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