When I was a student at the UW in the late 1940s, I frequently spent many pleasant hours at Picnic Point. While there in the late fall, I had the chance to taste the small russet-colored apples which grew on the apple orchard that covered the point. I have been away from Wisconsin for over fifty years, but have never forgotten the sweet but tart, blossom flavor that came from the first juicy bite. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to ask about that apple’s name and history. It is strange how certain memories never quite leave us. Can you tell me the name of this apple, and whether anyone knows of a grove with such a variety from which I might order some for shipment?

The old apple orchard at Picnic Point has been a favorite destination for generations of Badgers. The apples there trace their roots to a well-to-do Madison lumberman and entrepreneur named Edward Young. After he purchased the property in 1924, he planted a large apple orchard at Picnic Point. Young loved to work the land, eventually renovating the farmhouse and building a network of bridle paths and the stone gateway at the entrance of Picnic Point.

Although many of the original Picnic Point apple trees were lost to time, some remain, and they still produce fruit each fall. The fragrant fruit you recall is the McCoun apple. First introduced in 1923, they are a cross between the McIntosh and Arkansas black varieties. The sweet, crisp, aromatic McCoun apples are only available during the October and November harvest, and can be purchased online through a number of vendors.