John Martin (1832-1904), an accountant and shopkeeper in Bangor, also was a devoted gardener, proud of his landscape designs, and the fruit trees and vegetables he grew.

In a journal and scrapbooks he began writing and illustrating in 1864 to recount his life and experiences, he often drew trees, gardens, and fruit from his trees.

The "Ladies Blush apple" appears on page 107 of Scrapbook 1, which he wrote in 1885-1889. He wrote that the Belles Early was their favorite apple, then added, "Our next favorite tree was the Ladies blush a small red & green apple a prolific bearer & resembled the snow or Famouse apple this tree bore every year a loaded crop and in a few years ceased bearing and died, my children feasted on this tree all the days it bore."