Autumn Pearmain
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Autumn Pearmain
Origin / History
An old English variety, mentioned by Parkinson in 1629 (Bunyard). Elliott classes it as foreign and calls it popular in Kentucky and the South. Bunyard cites Ronalds, p. 22, where it appears as Royal Pearmain. He identifies Autumn Pearmain with the Summer Pearmain of Hogg, "but not of Continental Authors."
Tree
The tree is slender, irregular, and of slow growth (Elliott, Downing). Downing says it nevertheless attains a large size, with branches slender and spreading. Bunyard gives growth vigorous and upright. He calls it fertile and says it makes a fine standard tree. Leaf roundish, pale, upfolded, undulated, finely serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium; 2¾ by 2 (Bunyard).
Form: Conical, fairly regular (Bunyard), or oblong conical (Elliott). Downing describes it as roundish, narrowing gradually toward the eye.
Stem: Short, slender, obliquely planted under a fleshy lip (Downing). Bunyard says a fleshy bump on one side is always present, forcing the stem sideways.
Cavity: Moderate (Bunyard).
Calyx: Small (Downing). Eye open (Bunyard).
Basin: Broad, shallow to very shallow, sometimes scarcely at all sunk (Downing). Slightly or obscurely plaited, faintly ribbed.
Skin: Ground color brownish yellow and green, the green on the shaded side (Downing), to golden-yellow (Bunyard). Next the sun reddish or red, blended with yellow, streaked with deeper red (Downing). Bunyard gives the golden skin partly covered with netted russet and a slight flush; the George Bunyard & Co. catalog gives golden, partly covered with russet, with red stripes.
Dots: Small brown specks, numerous (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Pale yellow to yellow, crisp, firm. Downing calls it "a little dry, but rich and high flavored"; Bunyard calls it "highly flavoured." Elliott rates it nearly "best"; Downing gives quality "very good."
Core and seeds: Core rather small (Downing).
Season
The recorded season runs from September into March. Elliott and Bunyard give an autumn apple, September or September to October. Downing gives October to March.
Uses
Dessert; Bunyard adds culinary.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Autumn Pearmain. English Summer Pearmain, Summer Pearmain, Royal Pearmain, Parmain d'Ete, Sigler's Red. Foreign. Tree, slender, slow growth, irregular, popular in Kentucky and South : fruit, medium, oblong conical, brownish yellow and green, red, blended with yellow, in sun. small brown specks: stalk, short; calyx, in a broad, shallow basin, slightly plaited ; flesh, pale yellow, crisp; nearly "best." September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Autumn Pearmain. Winter Pearmain. A slow-growing tree, but attains a large size. Branches slender, spreading. Fruit of medium size, roundish, narrowing gradually toward the eye. Color brownish-yellow, mixed with green on the shaded side, but next the sun reddish, blended with yellow, streaked with deeper red, and sprinkled with numerous small brown specks. Stalk short, obliquely planted under a fleshy lip. Calyx small, set in a broad shallow basin, which is sometimes scarcely at all sunk, and obscurely plaited. Flesh pale yellow, crisp, firm, a little dry, but rich and high flavored. Core rather small. Quality very good. October to March.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)AUTUMN PEARMAIN. Ronalds, p. 22. (as Royal Pearmain). F., Pearmain d'Été. G., Sommer Parmaene. [American Pearmain, Royal Pearmain (in error).] Dessert or culinary, September to October medium, 2¾ by 2, conical, fairly regular. Colour, golden-yellow, partly covered with russet which is netted, and slight flush. Flesh, firm, yellow, highly flavoured. Eye, open in a very shallow, faintly ribbed basin. Stem, slender in a moderate cavity, always with a fleshy bump on one side, forcing the stem sideways. Growth, vigorous, upright, fertile. Leaf, roundish, pale, upfolded, undulated, finely serrate. Origin, an Old English variety mentioned by Parkinson, in 1629. It is the Summer Pearmain, of Hogg, but not of Continental Authors. It makes a fine standard tree.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Sept.-Oct. Medium; conical, golden partly-covered russet and red stripes; flesh firm, high flavour; vigorous upright growth. An old English variety mentioned by Parkinson in 1629.