This Russian heirloom was introduced to North America in 1870. Felix began offering it in the 1870's. The transparent pale yellow skin with crisp, light-textured, very juicy flesh with very sweet and sharp flavor. Well-known early summer apple, good for drying, freezing, sauce, juice and wine. The fruit is good for cooking into a cream colored purees and perfect for the ultimate applesauce. Ripens in early July to early August. Like all summer apples, not a good keeper. Pick ‘em and eat ‘em. The tree is slightly large, a very good cropper with biannual tendencies, and winter-hardy. Partially self-fertile, plant with other varieties for increased crop. Easy to grow and begins bearing at young age. Has a good resistance to scab.

The mother tree grows at Bucks Ranch, Nevada County near Orleans Flat mining camp at 4100 feet on the San Juan Ridge overlooking the Middle Fork of the Yuba River. The Buck brothers homesteaded this property in the late 1870’s, in part to provide fruit for the thriving mining camp. Amigo’s odyssey with Felix Gillet began in 1970 when he stumbled on this abandoned homestead with more than 75 thriving ancient fruit and nut trees, planted by the Bucks’ from stock purchased from Felix Gillet, the “local” nursery guy, a days horse ride away in Nevada City. The only thing tending those trees in the 70’s were the bears! We began harvesting the fruit and nuts, and discovered their amazing quality, and the trees were healthy despite annual onslaughts from the bears and heavy snows. Now cared for once again, the trees get no irrigation, fertilization or pest management, just occasional pruning. And they still produce great crops, 140 years after they were planted!