Baker. Scott. Origin, Ridgefield, Ct. Tree vigorous, spreading, abundant bearer, young wood reddish brown, with prominent round buds. In its native locality this Apple is highly esteemed both for market and cooking purposes. Fruit large, roundish oblate, inclining to conic, yellowish, mostly shaded and splashed with shades of crimson. Stalk short, moderately stout. Cavity regular, medium. Calyx closed. Segments slightly recurved. Basin shallow, slightly corrugated. Flesh yellowish, rather coarse, often tinged with crimson near the skin, pleasant subacid. Very good. Core small. October to February.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

BAKER.

REFERENCES. 1. Horticulturist, 15:92. 1860. 2. Downing, 1872:84. 3. Thomas, 1885:502. 4. Not listed by Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234. 5. Taylor, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1895:193. 6. Budd-Hansen, 1903:43. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:37. 1903.

SYNONYM. Scott (2).

This is a red apple of good size, pretty uniform in size and shape and of fairly good quality. It is not so good a keeper as Baldwin and is inferior to it in quality and hardly equal to it in color. The tree is hardy, healthy, vigorous and reliably productive with a tendency to biennial bearing. There is a considerable loss from the dropping of the fruit. Although it has been known in cultivation for more than a century (1), it appears to have practically passed out of the lists offered by the nurserymen in North America (4) and evidently is nearly obsolete.

Historical. It is stated that the original tree was in full bearing in its native place, Richfield, Ct., during the Revolutionary War. Forty years ago it was but little known outside the vicinity of its origin (1).

TREE.

Tree large, vigorous, productive; branches stout, crooked. Form upright spreading, open. Twigs below medium to long, erect, slightly curved, stout, blunt at the tips; internodes medium. Bark rather clear olive-green partly covered with dark brownish-red, with light streaked scarf-skin; quite pubescent. Lenticels scattering, roundish, medium sized, raised. Buds prominent, large, broad, plump, obtuse, pubescent, free or nearly so. Leaves large, broad.

FRUIT.

Fruit above medium to sometimes large; pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish to roundish conic, sometimes slightly oblate, generally symmetrical. Stem medium to short, rather thick. Cavity acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, broad, often with radiating russet, sometimes lipped. Calyx large, usually open, sometimes closed; lobes often reflexed, acute to obtuse. Basin abrupt, moderately deep, moderately wide to wide, somewhat furrowed.

Skin yellow or greenish-yellow, largely overlaid or mottled with red and striped and splashed with carmine, but not conspicuously so. Dots numerous, russet, mingled with some broken lines or flecks of russet, yet the skin is rather smooth. Prevailing effect when highly colored is bright red, otherwise yellowish.

Calyx tube wide, conical sometimes with short funnel tube extension. Stamens median to basal. Core comparatively small, axile, closed or sometimes open; core lines slightly clasping. Carpels flat, elongated ovate approaching cordate, tufted. Seeds medium, moderately wide, moderately long, acute, tufted, medium brown.

Flesh whitish or tinged with yellow, moderately firm, moderately coarse, breaking, moderately tender, rather juicy, mild subacid becoming somewhat sweet, agreeable in flavor, good or nearly good in quality.

Season October to February.

Baker's Eastern Pippin Apple is a distinct variety of Canadian origin.¹

¹ Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 8:20. 1877.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Baker. Large, roundish, striped crimson, rather coarse; pleasant, sub-acid, very good. Productive and profitable. Conn.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Baker.—Origin, Ridgefield, Connecticut; tree vigorous, spreading, productive. Fruit large, roundish oblate, inclining to conic; surface yellowish, mostly shaded and splashed with shades of crimson; cavity regular, medium; stalk short, moderately stout; basin shallow, slightly corrugated; calyx closed; segments slightly recurved. Core small; flesh yellowish, rather coarse, often tinged with crimson near the skin, pleasant subacid, very good. October to February.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)