Allington Pippin

Origin / History

An English variety, raised in South Lincolnshire. It was introduced by Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., Ltd., in 1896 and named after the firm's Allington nurseries. Beach records that the Royal Horticultural Society awarded it a first class certificate in 1894. Veitch marks it "F.C.C." and the 1914 Bunyard catalog "F.C."

The introducers' firm in 1901 called it "this splendid apple," which "has taken a front rank, and reports from all parts testify to its value for dessert, and as a reliable cropper." In 1914 the firm wrote that it "has quickly made its way to the front," that it thrives "in the most diverse climates," and that it "is establishing itself as one of the most reliable of all dessert varieties." E. A. Bunyard in 1920 called it "a most valuable variety, which is now in the front rank."

Beach in 1905 called it a new variety. He judged that although it is of good size and of good quality, it is not attractive enough in color to be a promising commercial variety for New York. It had not been tested there sufficiently to show how well it is adapted to New York conditions.

Tree

Vigorous; the 1914 Bunyard catalog calls it very vigorous, and Veitch calls it hardy, of robust constitution. Form spreading, rather open. As a pyramid it makes rather too much lateral growth, which E. A. Bunyard names as its fault.

Twigs long to below medium, irregular, crooked, rather slender; internodes above medium to below medium in length. Bark rather dull brownish red and dull green, rather light green on older wood. Lenticels scattering, large, roundish, sometimes raised. Buds large, roundish, rather obtuse, appressed, pubescent. Leaves somewhat narrow; E. A. Bunyard describes them as narrow oval, gray green, upfolded and undulating, coarsely rounded serrate, nearly crenate.

A good bearer and reliable cropper; E. A. Bunyard calls it very fertile. At the Geneva Station it came into bearing young and gave promise of being quite productive (Beach). E. A. Bunyard says it thrives in nearly all soils.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large. Most sources give medium; Beach gives medium to large and pretty uniform in size. E. A. Bunyard gives 2¾ by 2¾.

Form: Roundish to round, conical, regular. Beach describes it as often somewhat inclined to oblong conic, varying to slightly oblate, sides unequal, sometimes slightly ribbed, rather uniform in shape. The 1901 Bunyard catalog says it shapes like Cox's Orange.

Stem: Medium to long.

Cavity: Rather obtuse to acute or slightly acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately narrow, even. Usually russeted, sometimes prominently lipped.

Calyx: Medium to large, closed or partly open to slightly open. Lobes very long, acuminate, reflexed at the tips. Beach describes the calyx tube as rather large, rather short and wide to sometimes long, funnelform, with a short truncate cylinder and a fleshy projection of the pistil point into its base.

Basin: Rather obtuse, moderately wide, medium to shallow, often slightly corrugated or plaited, nearly symmetrical.

Skin: Thick, smooth. Greenish yellow, lemon yellow, or dull yellow, flushed and streaked or faintly striped with red, the red bright in the 1914 Bunyard catalog. Beach finds it almost entirely overspread with somewhat dull red, indistinctly striped and mottled with carmine. E. A. Bunyard gives only a slight red flush and faint stripes. Beach finds it "not particularly attractive in color," while the 1901 Bunyard catalog calls it "much handsomer" than Cox's Orange.

Dots: Gray, sprinkled over the skin; occasionally rather large russet dots and flecks (Beach).

Flesh and flavor: Pale yellow or tinged with yellow; moderately coarse, rather crisp to crisp, tender, rather firm, very juicy. Brisk, subacid to briskly subacid and nearly acid, pleasantly aromatic, rich in flavor. The 1901 Bunyard catalog calls the flavor "richer and more brisk" than that of Cox's Orange. Quality "good" (Beach).

Core and seeds: Core medium or below, open or partly closed, nearly axile. Core lines meeting, or, when the tube is funnelform, clasping the cylinder of the tube. Carpels roundish ovate to pointed ovate, deeply emarginate. Seeds below medium, very numerous, dark, short, obtuse to acute, plump.

Season

The recorded season runs from October to February. The Bunyard sources give October to December and Beach November to midwinter. Veitch alone carries it to February.

Uses

Dessert, in the Bunyard sources. Beach rates it acceptable for dessert and particularly suitable for culinary use.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Described by Bunyard in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 21:356 (1898), and figured in the same journal, 27:217 (1903). Also noticed in The Garden (1906), p. 131.

In 1901 the Bunyard firm offered standards at 2/6 and 5/0, dwarfs at 1/6 and 2/6, and pyramids at 5/0 and 7/6.