Iowa
Gardens - An Historical Vignette
While the state of Iowa is nationally renowned for its
agricultural products, it is also famous for being the
home the popular Delicious apple variety. Early Iowa pioneers
were passionate fruit growers and thus orchards were the
first gardens of Iowa.
The first documented orchard we have any record of was
planted in 1799, in southeastern Iowa, near what is now
the town of Montrose. This orchard consisted of 100 apple
tree seedlings planted by French-Canadian traveller, Louis
Honoré Tesson.
Around 1870, a Mr. Jesse Hiatt discovered a young seedling
in his orchard, which was growing outside of a row of
apples. As was the practice, he cut this young sprout
off. Nothing more came of it until he noticed another
strong stem growing in its place. Hiatt reportedly decided
that it was meant to be and let it grow. It wasn't long
before this vigorous seedling was producing fruit. Hiatt
named it Hawkeye, honoring his adopted state of Iowa and
tried in vain for many years to get local nurseries interested
in propagating this new variety.
Haitt's luck changed for the better in 1893, at the annual
fruit show at Stark Brothers Nursery at Louisiana, Missouri.
Mr. Hiatt responded with a few specimens which came to
the attention of Mr. Clarence Stark, who immediately fell
in love with the apple and secured propagation rights.
As for how the apple was named, a popular version is that
a friend of Mr. Stark, while tasting this new seedling
apple, exclaimed, "Delicious." An apt name for
one of the most popular apples in the world.
Bibliography
and Acknowledgments
Shown: Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa
pratincola)
