The Great American Apple Wizard: The Life and Times of Peter M. Gideon

In 1868, Peter M. Gideon gained fame and wide acclaim for...growing an apple. It was named the Wealthy, and it was the first apple ever to survive North America's cold winters, and his contribution brought millions of dollars to the farmers of the Northern states. Yet, Gideon died in poverty, his reputation destroyed by jealous University of Minnesota people and other growers. The history of the Wealthy Apple was actually rewritten, asserting that the apple was developed at the University of Minnesota Experimental Fruit Farm, when in fact Gideon and his apple were famous for a decade before the farm was even established. Now, James Curran, writes the first biography of Peter Gideon, restoring him to his proper place in horticultural history.