IMO, MonArk is one of the top apples of any season, but among the earliest-ripening here (mid-July); good for fresh eating, cooking, drying, will keep for 6-8 wks under refrigeration without going mealy.

Yellow Transparent - classic early season tart apple mainly for applesauce... it has about a 15 minute period where it's at its peak...then it goes mealy.

Williams Pride, Pristine, Enterprise... other folks will have comment.

Clay:

I am a bit concerned how Goldrush will do in SE WI. I do not grow it, but I though it was a very late ripening apple. I grow apples in SE WI and find the latest I can grow is Northern Spy which I pick late October. Apples ripening later than October 25th may not always make it every year in our area.

Cortland does fine here along with many other varieties (Jonathan, Ginger Gold, Zestar, McIntosh, King David, Honeycrisp, Ida Red, ect).

I know of some growing winesap (ripens well about 2 years out of 5), Rome (never does well here), Granny Smith (never fully ripens before we freeze out).

For early apples, I am partial to Ginger Gold and Zestar. Paula Red is good too but seems to no longer be available anywhere. Yellow transparent makes great applesauce. Most early apples do not keep well, so use fast or process.