Autumn Bough
AppleAutumn Bough
Origin / History
American, according to Elliott and Budd and Hansen; Downing gives the origin as unknown. The earliest reference Beach cites is the London Horticultural Society's catalogue of 1831, where it appears as Autumn Bough.
In 1846 Robert B. Parsons, of Flushing, N. Y., described it in the Horticulturist as "a very superior fruit, ranking indeed among our best sweet apples, and worthy of extensive cultivation." It was entered in the American Pomological Society's catalogue of 1852. Downing (1857) described it under the name Autumn Sweet Bough, and Warder (1867) under the name Autumnal Bough. Later notices include Lyon in the Michigan Horticultural Society Report of 1890 and Bailey in the Annals of Horticulture of 1892.
Downing calls it "one of the very best dessert sweet Apples of its season." Beach says it is regarded by many as one of the best sweet apples of its season for dessert use. He reports that, so far as he could learn, it was not grown commercially, but was occasionally cultivated for home use and was still listed by some nurserymen.
Tree
Vigorous, upright, round-headed. Beach, who calls the tree medium in size and upright or roundish, rates it moderately vigorous to vigorous; Parsons calls the growth "very vigorous." Healthy and long-lived; comes into bearing fairly young (Beach). Productive to very productive and reliably so, Parsons calling it "exceedingly productive." The fruit hangs well to the tree.
Fruit
Size: Medium in most accounts. Elliott gives medium or above, and Parsons "rather large."
Form: Conical, angular; obtuse conical (Elliott). Parsons describes it as "somewhat of a calville-shape, though with the ribs not quite so prominent as is usual with apples of that class; oblong, diminishing very much to the eye."
Stem: Slender to rather slender, of medium length, deep set; curved to one side (Elliott).
Cavity: Deep, narrow, regular; acute (Budd and Hansen).
Calyx: Closed, with long segments. Parsons calls the eye "of medium size, and very deeply sunken."
Basin: Deep, corrugated, ribbed or furrowed.
Skin: Smooth, pale yellow or clear light yellow, with occasionally a russet blotch (Elliott).
Dots: Few, small, scattered, brown or russet.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, crisp, tender to very tender. Flavor sweet, refreshing, vinous; "deliciously sweet" (Elliott); "rich and sweet, yet sprightly" (Parsons). Downing rates it "very good," and Thomas credits it with "a very good flavor."
Core and seeds: Core small; seed cavity hollow; seeds plump, full (Elliott).
Season
Early autumn, from the last of August to the first of October. Parsons gives "from 25th of Eighth month to the 20th of Ninth month."
Uses
A sweet apple for dessert, esteemed also for culinary purposes (Beach). Suitable for local market, but it does not ship well (Beach).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Autumn Bough (Autumn Sweet Bough)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Autumn Sweet Bough
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Autumn Sweet Bough
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Autumn Sweet Bough
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Autumn Sweet Bough
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Autumn Bough. Philadelphia Sweet, | Autumn Sweet Bough, | Autumn Swaar, Late Bough, | Summer Bellflower, | Fall Bough. American. Tree, vigorous, productive; size, medium, or above: form, obtuse conical: color, clear light yellow, with occasionally a russet blotch, and a few small russet dots; stem, slender, curved to one side; cavity, deep, regular; calyx, closed with long segments; basin, ribbed or furrowed; flesh, white, crisp, tender, deliciously sweet; core, small; seed cavity, hollow; seed, plump, full. September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Autumn Sweet Bough. Late Bough. Sweet Bellflower. Fall Bough. Philadelphia Sweet. White Sugar ? Origin unknown. Tree vigorous, upright, round-headed, very productive. One of the very best dessert sweet Apples of its season. Fruit medium, conical, angular, smooth, pale yellow, sprinkled with a few brown dots. Stalk of medium length, rather slender, inserted in a deep narrow cavity. Calyx closed. Segments long. Basin deep, corrugated. Flesh white, very tender, with a sweet, refreshing, vinous flavor. Very good. Last of August to first of October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Autumn Sweet Bough. (Autumn Bough, Fall Bough, Late Bough, Philadelphia Sweet.) Size medium, conical, angular: pale yellow; stalk slender, deep set; basin deep, furrowed; flesh white, tender, with a very good flavor. Early autumn. Tree vigorous and productive.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)AUTUMN BOUGH.
REFERENCES. 1. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 36. 2. Parsons, Horticulturist, 1:209. 1846. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 4. Mag. Hort., 19:68. 1853. 5. Elliott, 1854:66. fig. 6. Downing, 1857:71. 7. Mag. Hort., 25:154. 1859. 8. Warder, 1867:712. 9. Thomas, 1875:198. 10. Downing, 1881:11 index, app. 11. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:288. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234.
SYNONYMS. AUTUMN BOUGH (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12). Autumn Bough (9). AUTUMNAL BOUGH (8). AUTUMN SWEET BOUGH (6, 9, 10). Autumn Sweet Bough (5). Fall Bough (6, 9). Late Bough (6, 9). Montgomery Sweet (10). Philadelphia Sweet (6, 9). Summer Bellflower (6).
This is regarded by many as one of the best sweet apples of its season for dessert use and is esteemed also for culinary purposes. The tree is medium in size, upright or roundish, moderately vigorous to vigorous, healthy, long-lived, comes into bearing fairly young and is reliably productive. The fruit hangs well to the tree. It is suitable for local market but it does not ship well. So far as we can learn it is not grown commercially but it is occasionally cultivated for home use and is still listed by some nurserymen.
In 1846 Robert B. Parsons, of Flushing, N. Y., described it as "a very superior fruit, ranking indeed among our best sweet apples, and worthy of extensive cultivation. It is rather large, somewhat of a calville-shape, though with the ribs not quite so prominent as is usual with apples of that class; oblong, diminishing very much to the eye. Skin smooth, pale yellow, with a few scattered dots. Eye of medium size, and very deeply sunken. Stalk rather slender, set in a deep narrow cavity. Flesh white, very tender, and with a rich and sweet, yet sprightly flavor. Ripens from 25th of Eighth month to the 20th of Ninth month. The tree is exceedingly productive, and of very vigorous growth" (2).
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Autumn Bough (Autumn Sweet Bough).—Origin, America; tree vigorous, upright, round-headed, productive.
Fruit medium, conical, angular; surface smooth, pale yellow; dots few, brown; cavity deep, acute, narrow; stem medium, rather slender; basin deep, corrugated; calyx closed; segments long; flesh white, very tender, with a sweet, refreshing, vinous flavor, very good. Last of August to first of October.