Baldwin

After 1740, the Baldwin was a chance seedling on the farm of Mr. John Ball. The next owner of the farm, Mr. Butters, gave the apple the name Woodpecker because the tree was frequented by the birds. A surveyor brought the apple variety to the attention of Col. Baldwin who propagated it and introduced it to eastern Massachusetts around 1784. The original tree survived until 1817 but died before 1832. By 1850, the variety was popular in New York. It is the leading variety in commercial orchards in New York, New England, Southern Canada, southern peninsula of Michigan, and northern Ohio. It is apt to winter-kill in northern New York. It is a standard fruit in American markets and one of the leading varieties for export. One of the faults of this variety is its habit of producing an overload of fruit biennially but little or none on alternate years. Subject to "Baldwin Spot," which is a physiological defect often in overgrown fruits.