We used to have lots of old apple trees on my dad's property growing up. I don't think they were anything special and weren't very good eating apples I think they were more for cider. They were green and on the smaller side.

Anyway, all of those are all but firewood now (apple wood is the best for fires and cooking) but now I'm looking for some new apple trees for my dad to plant. We're installing a giant strawberry patch for him, I thought we should put in some apples, persimmons and peaches and possibly try a russian pomegranate (at least Id like him to try one) too since he wants to start canning and preserving.

He's looking for a really great multipurpose apple, one that you can eat fresh, bake/cook or use for applesauce and doesn't want to grow what you usually can get at the store or our local produce shop (which actually is well stocked with local apple varieties like empire, rome, etc) and also be relatively disease resistant to immune to cedar apple rust.

He likes Winesap apples so I was thinking at least one tree we'd get would be getting Arkansas Black which seems to have good cedar apple rust resistance. That's pretty much my biggest concern, cedar apple rust.

Any other good oldies or modern new breed/natural crosses worth looking into? I'm currently looking on orangepippin and bighorsecreek farm sites and there are so many. We're thinking of planting about 4 apple trees.

Also any good places to order whips/small trees from relatively locally as opposed to ordering from Starks or elsewhere?

Thanks!

- Max