Mercer X Duchess of Oldenburg : selected 1918, introduced 1920. Anoka is a large apple with yellow skin striped and patched with red. A good apple for pies and sauce. Pick early for firmer piemaking. Only good fresh eating if eaten soon after picking. Has a mild subacid flavor. Flesh is white with a tinge of green, and is moderately dry. More for culinary uses. Flesh oxidizes (browns) readily. Average fruit weight is 100-150 gms. Slight bloom to the skin. Tree bears very young, being called “the old man’s apple” since he may likely see its fruit before his demise. Productive cropper, generally with two harvest periods. Somewhat small in stature, like most early bearers, managing about 15 to 20 feet tall. Claimed to have moderate resistance to fireblight, but there are conflicting reports. Ripens in summer, usually early Sept. here. cold hardy into zone 3. Moderate tree vigor. Possibly for hard cider.
Known by some as the old man’s apple, due to its precocity. It may produce fruit for before one’s demise. It does hold true, it is a tree that bears early in life. Good crops of fruit. Apples are of average quality, rather mild, but tasty. Here, they remain golden, sometimes with a bit of blush, before they need to be picked. Ready in late summer. Good cold hardiness. Tree can be kept small if needed.