Taliaferro, Monticello's Mystery Apple

The Taliaferro (pronounced "Toliver") is Monticello's mystery apple, and it superceded the Hewes' Crab as Jefferson's favorite cider variety. Unprecedented quantities of this apple were planted by Jefferson in a select location in the southwest quadrant of the South Orchard, beginning in 1778 when "96 Robinson apples from Major Taliaferro. grafted" were set out. Jefferson praised the Taliaferro lavishly: it was "the best cyder apple existing," produced cider "more like wine than any other liquor I have tasted which was not wine," and was "the most juicy apple I have ever known, & is very refreshing as an eating apple." Although the Taliaferro seems to have disappeared from cultivation, the enigma (and promise) of this extinct apple has established its stature as a lost treasure.

Boston pomologist William Kenrick provided the only published description of the Taliaferro in 1835: "The fruit is the size of a grape shot, or from one to two inches in diameter; of a white color, streaked with red; with a sprightly acid, not good for the table, but apparently a very valuable cider fruit. This is understood to be a Virginia fruit, and the apple from which Mr. Jefferson's favorite cider was made." Taliaferro was sold in Fredericksburg, Virginia, by the Stratchan & Maury nursery in 1799.

Recently, a resident of remote Highland County, Virginia, forwarded a box of apples to Tom Burford, a nurseryman and apple authority in nearby Amherst County. Among the varieties was a white, red-streaked apple renowned in local circles for its cider-making qualities. The Taliaferro is a mystery because the vague descriptions of its qualities make it impossible to positively identify; however, this Highland County apple may prove to be a worthy substitute and, possibly, if a better description of Jefferson's Taliaferro can be found, the clue to the puzzle of Monticello's mystery apple.

Peter J. Hatch, Director
Monticello Gardens and Grounds
January 1995