BEAUTY OF BATH
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
BEAUTY OF BATH
Origin/History
BEAUTY OF BATH was raised at Bailbrook, Batheaston, near Bath, and brought to notice by Messrs. Cooling about 1864. It was first noted in the Gardeners' Chronicle in 1900 (p. 145). It has since become a very attractive fruit largely grown for market purposes.
Tree
Growth habit is described as moderate by E.A. Bunyard (1920), and as vigorous by George Bunyard & Co. (1914). Fertility is characterized as very fertile (E.A. Bunyard) and as fairly free bearer (George Bunyard & Co.). The leaf is round oval, dark green, nearly flat, undulating, and curved serrate.
Fruit
Size
Small to medium (E.A. Bunyard); medium (Veitch; George Bunyard & Co.).
Form
Round, much flattened, even. Dimensions approximately 2½ inches wide by 1¾ inches deep (E.A. Bunyard).
Stem
Stout, approximately half an inch in length.
Cavity
Rather shallow and even.
Calyx
Eye closed; tips of the segments reflexed.
Basin
Round, even, rather deep.
Skin
Ground color pale yellow with a red flush and red stripes; a little rough to the touch (E.A. Bunyard). Veitch describes the color as spotted and dashed with crimson and yellow. George Bunyard & Co. similarly describe the fruit as spotted yellow and red.
Flesh and Flavor
Flesh tender and yellowish, often stained with red, sweet and pleasant (E.A. Bunyard). George Bunyard & Co. describe the flesh as soft, juicy, and tender with very good flavour. Veitch rates the flavour as fine and of remarkably good flavour.
Core and Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
Early August (E.A. Bunyard); August (Veitch). George Bunyard & Co. list the season as September, which conflicts with the other two sources.
Uses
Dessert. Largely grown for market purposes.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The chief fault of BEAUTY OF BATH is premature dropping of the fruit, which leads many growers to place straw beneath the trees to prevent injury (E.A. Bunyard). George Bunyard & Co. offered BEAUTY OF BATH in the following trained and bush forms: horizontal espalier, bush tree, and pyramid (indicated as H, B.T., P. in the catalog listing).
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 10 catalogs (1896–1917) from England, Illinois, Missouri
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1896
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- 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
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (3)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BEAUTY OF BATH. Gard. Chron., 1900, p. 145. Dessert, early August, small to medium, 2½ by 1¾, round, much flattened, even. Colour, pale yellow, red flush and stripes, a little rough to touch. Flesh, tender, yellowish, often stained with red, sweet and pleasant. Eye, closed, tips of the segments reflexed, in a round even, rather deep basin. Stem, stout, half inch in a rather shallow and even cavity. Growth, moderate ; very fertile. Leaf, round oval, dark green, nearly flat, undulating, curved serrate. Origin, raised at Bailbrook, Batheaston, near Bath, and brought to notice by Messrs. Cooling, about 1864. This is a very attractive fruit, which is now largely grown for market purposes. Its chief fault is premature dropping which leads many growers to place straw beneath the trees to prevent injury.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)medium size, good spotted and dashed with crimson and yellow, fine flavour, of remarkably good flavour August.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Sept. Round, medium-sized and spotted yellow and red; flesh soft, juicy, tender, very good flavour. Growth vigorous, fairly free bearer (H, B.T., P.)