Beauty Of Hants
AppleBeauty Of Hants
Origin/History
Beauty Of Hants was raised at Basset, Southampton, in Mrs. Eyre Crabbe's garden, and introduced to notice about 1880. It is recorded in Florist and Pomologist (1882, p. 89). E.A. Bunyard (1920) describes it as a fine form of Blenheim Orange, while firmly asserting it is perfectly distinct: the core of Blenheim is axile and the seeds long and pointed, whereas the core of Beauty Of Hants is abaxile and the seeds short and plump. Bunyard explicitly states that Barron's placement of Beauty Of Hants as a synonym of Blenheim is quite wrong.
Tree
Growth is very strong. The leaf is upcupped, round oval, dark green, and boldly curved serrate.
Fruit
Size and Form: Bunyard (1920) describes the fruit as very large, measuring 3 by 2¾ inches, roundish square, and rather irregular. The George Bunyard & Co. nursery catalogue (1901) describes it as medium sized — a conflict with the handbook description.
Stem: Short and stout, set in a rather shallow cavity that is slightly russet.
Cavity: Rather shallow, slightly russet.
Calyx: Open.
Basin: Broad and even, rather deep.
Skin: Bunyard (1920) describes the color as dull yellow-green with a brick red flush and russet patches. The George Bunyard & Co. catalogue (1901) describes it as pale yellow with light red striping — a partial conflict with the handbook on both ground color and the character of the red.
Flesh and Flavor: Very crisp, yellowish, and highly aromatic.
Core and Seeds: Core abaxile. Seeds short and plump. (These features explicitly distinguish Beauty Of Hants from Blenheim Orange, which has an axile core and long, pointed seeds.)
Season
Dessert; December to March.
Uses
A dessert apple. The George Bunyard & Co. catalogue (1901) describes it as one of the best eating apples from that nursery.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard's handbook entry notes the parentage notation "Seedling Offine" without further explanation. The variety's relationship to Blenheim Orange is addressed at length: it shares a family resemblance sufficient for Bunyard to call it "a fine form of Blenheim Orange," yet the core position and seed morphology are structurally distinct.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (2)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BEAUTY OF HANTS. Fl. and Pom., 1882, p. 89. F., Seedling Offine. Dessert, December to March, very large, 3 by 2¾, roundish square, rather irregular. Colour, dull yellow-green, brick red flush, russet patches. Flesh, very crisp, yellowish, highly aromatic. Eye, open in a broad even basin, which is rather deep. Stem, short and stout in a rather shallow cavity which is slightly russet. Growth, very strong. Leaf, upcupped, round oval, dark green, boldly curved serrate. Origin, raised at Basset, Southampton, in Mrs. Eyre Crabbes garden, and introduced to notice about 1880. A fine form of Blenheim Orange. Barron places this as a synonym of Blenheim, which is quite wrong as is it perfectly distinct since the core of a Blenheim is axile and the seeds are long and pointed, while the core of Beauty of Hants is abaxile and the seeds are short and plump.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Medium sized, pale yellow, with light red striping. One of the best eating apples from this nursery.