This was taken in 1890, with Allen McIntosh, the son of John.

MCINTOSH APPLES (Tuesday, September 27 2005): If you are from New York, chances are your avorite apple…is the McIntosh. In fact, the Mac is indeed the official apple of New York State and the New York City Marathon. John McIntosh was born in 1777. McIntosh's parents emigrated from Inverness, Scotland to the Mohawk Valley, N.Y. John McIntosh was a teenager when he had an argument with his parents. John wanted to remain loyal to England, even after the Revolutionary War was won by America. So John left for Canada. McIntosh spent time on the frontier before settling in Dundas County, Ontario, Canada, in 1796. The town where he settled was later called McIntosh's Corners, and is now called Dundela. In 1811, McIntosh swapped his home for some farmland owned by his brother-in-law. While clearing some undergrowth on that land, McIntosh discovered about 20 young apple trees. Since apples were important to pioneers, he carefully transplanted the trees to a garden area near his pioneer home he had built on the property. One of those trees produced a particularly red, sweet-tasting, crisp apple. By 1830, only one of the originally 20 trees, was still alive. John originally called this apple “Granny’s Apple,” affectionately after his dear wife. These Granny’s Apples were enjoyed by friends and neighbors, but no one knew how to reproduce a tree like that one, a situation that challenged John’s son, Allen, born in 1815 as the ninth child in a family of 13. He learned that planting the seed from the core would not produce the same fruit nor could bees carrying pollen. While still young, Allen became a weekend Methodist preacher or circuit rider, preaching in and around Dundela and nearby communities. As his reputation grew, he was invited by homesteaders in more distant settlements to preach to them. Invariably he packed not only religious tracts but also homegrown apples. This led to discussions about apple trees and rumours that there were itinerant Yankees roaming the countryside who knew how to grow good trees. By chance a farmhand hired at the McIntosh homestead in 1835 was one of them, and Allen, discovering this, quickly put him to work. He carefully watched him cut small tree branches called scions and tightly tie or graft them to another apple tree. The farm hand also showed him a second method — budding — in which he could remove a bud from the host tree and insert it into another branch of an entirely separate tree. By 1836, the original “Granny’s Apple” was being propagated throughout Ontario. Stemming from that one tree, there are now several million McIntosh trees. Allen McIntosh combined his own name with the colour of the fruit, and called the tree the "McIntosh Red". From the time the tree was first transplanted it produced an abundance of tasty apples. In 1895, the McIntosh house caught fire and the tree, located just 15 feet from the house, was badly burned along one side. However, the healthy side continued to produce apples until 1908. Since McIntosh still had family in New York, the tree was grafted there as well. Today, throughout New England, the Mac is King. In fact, the Mac is the official apple of New York State, and is the official apple of the New York City Marathon. The Mac is the Big Apple. It has a white, juicy flesh with a fairly thin skin. In fact, the McIntosh bruises easier than most other apples because of that thin skin, so treat them like a newborn baby. Nothing quite compares with Mac for fresh-eating. The crispy, juicy and tangy, firm, yet tender white flesh is perfumed and spicy in a way that no other variety can match. Mac is a good kitchen apple, although it doesn't hold shape when cooked. True McIntosh fans won't consider any other variety and eat them all winter. They do get softer in storage, but the flavor holds up very well. McIntosh offspring include Cortland, Macoun, Empire, Spartan, Jonamac, possibly Paula Red, Jersey Mac, and many others. Nothing evokes Fall better than the aromatic fragrance of McIntosh apples. McIntosh is a semi-tart apple. It works well in most cooked dishes, and is an excellent accent for pies, apple tarts, and cobblers. They add zing to cider and real pucker power to apple sauce. If using it for a pie, add a thickener to the mix. The flesh will cook down very quickly. McIntosh apples must be harvested quickly and stored in a cool place. Even when these conditions are met, McIntosh do not stay firm for long. Eat them quickly, or use them in a cooked dish or dry them for a delightful winter treat. Put a Mac in your hand. Don’t squeeze it with your thumb. You’ll bruise it. It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Have a good meal