What is Left of the Experimental Orchard?

Using the address, 36501 Niles Blvd, Fremont CA, you can watch the shrinking of the orchard using historicaerials. Starting in 1946, 10 years after its planting in 1936 (according to an orchard book), you can see the changes until 1970. From 1946 to 1948, the orchard is intact. In 1958, the middle section disappears and rows 1-15 can be seen. Perhaps some rows up to row 24 are left. In 1968, the higher rows are subsumed by the new Rancho Arroyo neighborhood. Between 1968 and 1979, the nursery went out of business and the trees may not have been watered. Increasingly trees disappear. The apricot orchard was planted in 2000?

The Orchard books

There are three or four orchard books that remain to tell us what was planted here from the 1930s on - apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, chestnuts, and one fig.

Of the many apple varieties were the experimental apples from Albert Etter, who also hybridized gooseberries, chestnuts, dahlias, and strawberries. About one-third of the trees were from Albert Etter.

• The Fisher peach

• The Nectar peach

• And more...

• And featuring Etter's Apples!

Hybridizing new apple varieties takes a very long time (peaches are quicker). Almost 50 year elapsed from the beginning around 1897 to the introduction by the California Nursery in 1944.

Around 1897 at the direction of E.J. Wickson, Charles Howard Shinn provided Albert Etter with 600 varieties of apples. Some came from the UC Experiment Stations where Shinn was inspector (Foothill and Paso Robles). Did some come from the California Nursery which was well-known for its thousands of fruit varieties in Rock's test orchard? [After pandemic a search in the old ledgers is in order for this time frame.]

Shinn, was raised in Niles on his parent's nursery and fruit ranch. Shinn was a historian, horticulturalist, forest ranger, and wrote all about these fields. More on this later.

Read more about the role Shinn played from the Fruit Nut Tour given for the CRFG Festival of Fruits in Santa Clara Valley.

Almost 50 years later and 15,000 new apple varieties later, in 1944 seven of Etter's varieties were introduced to the home orchard market by the California Nursery Company. The varieties were patented by Etter and assigned to George Roeding, Jr.

What's so special about the Etter varieties? Their exceptional taste and the introduction of a red-fleshed variety.

And that our local history is intertwined Etter's apples by way of Charles Howard Shinn and the Roeding family.

In 1922 Albert said "Nearly twenty years ago I got the notion into my head that all the world had in apples was far from what the material at hand justified one to expect. I felt I couldn't help but get results, and the truth of it is I have succeeded far beyond my expectations, as well as far easier. In talking the matter over years ago with Luther Burbank, he told me I couldn't help but get some wonderful things in apples under such favorable conditions as we have here at Ettersburg. As regards continued progress, I am sure seedlings grown of these seedlings will continue to give more and more highly developed forms. I could go on and describe a dozen of the best of these new apples in a way that would make the reader's mouth water, but the Editor told me to cut this article short —or rather, not make it too long."

Etter's Apples were sold from 1944 to 1970

If you look through the old catalogs, you will see that some varieties must have been more popular than others. By the end not all varieties were sold.

Using this map for counting the number of Etter trees, there were about 67 out of 315 trees that were Etter varieties. Four trees were chestnut hybrids by Etter. There were more Etter varieties, including one named after Charles H. Shinn, in the portion of the orchard that are now homes. So the count of trees will be higher! And more red-fleshed. Those that are recognizable as red-fleshed are bolded, at least nine here, so possibly 15 in the final county!

The Etter apple names were #36, Red Flesh Hoover, California, #5 Red Ruby Flesh, Red Juicy Golden Crab, Red Ruby Flesh, Pink Pearl ,#37, Dawn, Manette, #2 Earliest Asiatic, St Francis, Red Blossom, #2 Earliest Asiatic, Delilah, Manxilon, #4 Red Flesh Spitz, Fall Pink Flesh Pearmain, Red Flesh Spitz #4, #33, Epochal, Marshall, #1 Red Flesh Asiatic, #1 Red Flesh Asiatic, Eureka, Felicity, Eureka, Newton Snow, #15 Best, Rivallarist, #1 N All Gold, #15 Best Revallarist, Dr Player, Alberkay, Golden Manx, Northfield Beauty, #11 Golden Dawn, Etters Gold, Ornamental, #11 Golden Dawn, #35, All Gold, Humbolt , Psyche, Golden Hyde King, Diana, Amber, Hyde King , Red Flesh Banana, #8 Roe Asiatic, #34, Arcata, Red Manx, #1 Pear Shaped Little Crab, Etters Gold, #1 Pear Shaped Little Crab, #38, Jonwin, Reinette, #12 Big Pink Wickson, Hybrid, Red? Asiatic

Where can you still find Etter apples?

There are none in the park. (Unless that one last struggling apple tree is an Etter variety). However, Etter apples were sold from 1944 to 1970. Someone in the neighborhoods must have one. And perhaps someone has one of the experimental Etter apples that were never sold. They were sold in the Spanish language catalog as well as the English version. So there may be Etter apples in Mexico!

Today some of these apple varieties are still available from

• Scion exchanges with the local CRFG organizations (the Golden Gate chapter and the Santa Clara Valley chapter). Varieties like Wickson, Waltana, Grenadine, Katherine, Etter's Gold,

• Some varieties were available from Greenmantle Nursery. The owner, Ram Fishman, either called or visited Bruce Roeding in the 1980s. However, he passed recently (2021 or 2022). His widow said that she is arranging for others to take over the apples, but that they are not currently available. She also told me that someone is selling the "Pink Permain" under the name of "Pink Sparkle."

• Applelucious has many Etter varieties.

• Dave Wilson currently sells the Pink Pearl. Regan Nursery sold it last year without even knowing that this variety had been tested not too far away. However, they discontinued it for a reason that remains to be discovered.

• Trees of Antiquity also sells Etter varieties.

Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider has been working in the Etter orchard in Ettersburg. Some of their cider is made from Etter's varieties. There are many un-named Etter varieties in the orchard.

See Tom's presentation on Albert Etter. If you are a member of the California Garden & Landscape History Society, you have access to the recording of the cider tasting and history of Albert Etter.

Useful References:

• National Park Service's "Fruitful Legacy"

• Orchard Management Plan Fort Ross