Augustine
AppleAugustine
Origin and History
Augustine appears in the pomological record as early as 1848, cited in the Horticulturist of that year, and subsequently noted by Downing (1857), Warder (1867), Thomas (1885), and Ragan (1905). Beach records it as a pleasant-flavored dessert apple formerly grown to a very limited extent in some portions of New York State, but by 1905 considered practically unknown.
Fruit
Size and Form: Downing describes the fruit as large; Beach gives it as medium to rather large. Both agree on a roundish conic form; Beach adds that it is occasionally slightly inclined to oblong.
Skin: Yellow, splashed and striped with red (Beach); Downing notes simply striped with red without the "splashed" qualifier.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh is moderately juicy to rather dry (Beach), which aligns with Downing's characterization of "sweet and dry." Not crisp, tender, and sweet (Beach). Beach describes it as pleasant-flavored and suitable for dessert.
Season
August (both sources agree).
Uses
Dessert (Beach).
Note: Both sources are brief and neither describes stem, cavity, calyx, basin, core, seeds, dots, or tree characteristics. No further detail is recoverable from the available sources.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Augustine.
Large, roundish, conic, yellow, striped with red, sweet and dry. August.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)AUGUSTINE.
References. 1. Horticulturist, 1848 (cited by 5). 2. Downing, 1857:207. 3. Warder, 1867:711. 4. Thomas, 1885:502. 5. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:31. 1905.
Synonyms. None.
A pleasant flavored dessert apple formerly grown to a very limited extent in some portions of the state but now practically unknown. Fruit medium to rather large, roundish conic or slightly inclined to oblong, yellow splashed and striped with red; flesh moderately juicy to rather dry, not crisp, tender, sweet; season August.