Beauty Of Kent

Origin & History

The origin of this handsome English apple is not known. It is first noticed by Forsyth in his Treatise on Fruit Trees, but according to the Herefordshire Pomona (1885) it was not mentioned in any of the nurserymen's catalogues, either of the last or the early part of the present century. It was introduced to the Brompton Park Nursery about the year 1820 and became very widely cultivated throughout England. It is probably the Rambour Franc of the French pomologists. A very good representation of it is given in Ronalds' Pyrus Malus Brentfordiensis, plate xv, fig. 1. In England it is said to do best under garden culture in warm soil and on Paradise stock; grown in clay and other uncongenial soils it loses quality (Beach, 1905). It was but little known in New York as of 1905.

Tree

The tree is large, strong, and vigorous, with an upright growth habit. Shoots are dark (Thomas, 1903). It is better adapted as a standard than as an espalier or pyramid, and attains a large size, forming a very handsome tree (Herefordshire Pomona). It comes into bearing rather young, is a reliable cropper, and is moderately productive — described as "rather productive" by Warder (1867) and "moderately productive" by both Downing and Beach. It bears freely (Herefordshire Pomona). It has a tendency to canker if not in congenial soil (Herefordshire Pomona).

Fruit

Size: Large to very large. When well grown it is perhaps the most magnificent apple in cultivation (Herefordshire Pomona). Thomas (1903) calls it "one of the most beautiful and magnificent in appearance of all apples." Downing is quoted as saying that in America "the fruit in this climate is one of the most magnificent of all apples, frequently measuring sixteen or eighteen inches in circumference."

Form: Roundish, flattened at the base and narrowing toward the eye, somewhat conical. Warder (1867) describes it as roundish, flattened, somewhat conic, regular. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as roundish ovate, broad and flattened at the base and narrowing towards the apex, where it is terminated by several prominent angles. Downing says roundish but flat at the base and narrowing distinctly to the eye, where it is slightly ribbed, smooth. Thomas (1903) describes it as rounding, somewhat flattish-conical, fair, smooth, and rather obtuse.

Stem: Short and slender. Warder gives the length as medium to short. Thomas (1903) gives the length as three-fourths to an inch and a half long, slender. Downing describes it as short, slender, deeply planted.

Cavity: Sources vary in detail. Warder (1867): medium, acute, wavy, green. Herefordshire Pomona: wide and deep, with the base entirely covered with rough brown russet. Downing: round, russeted, corrugated. Thomas (1903): acuminate.

Calyx/Eye: Small and closed. Warder: eye very small, closed. Herefordshire Pomona: small and closed, with short segments. Downing and Thomas both describe the calyx as small.

Basin: Sources disagree on depth. Warder (1867): quite shallow, regular. Herefordshire Pomona: narrow and angular. Downing: narrow. Thomas (1903): deep, narrow.

Skin: Greenish-yellow ground color, more or less covered with red. Warder (1867): greenish yellow, more or less covered with bright red mixed, and splashed with a darker hue; dots small. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as deep yellow, slightly tinged with green, and marked with faint patches of red on the shaded side, but entirely covered with deep red except where there are a few patches of deep yellow on the side next the sun. Downing: greenish-yellow, marked with large, broken stripes of purplish red. Thomas (1903): nearly the whole surface striped with rich purplish red. Elliott (1865): greenish yellow, striped with purpled red.

Flesh & Flavor: Yellowish to whitish-yellow, tender, juicy. Warder (1867): whitish yellow, breaking, juicy; flavor acid; quality only good. The Herefordshire Pomona: yellowish, tender, and juicy, with a pleasant subacid flavour. Downing: juicy, crisp, tender, with a simple subacid flavor; rated Good. Thomas (1903): tender, slightly sub-acid, of rather poor flavor. Elliott (1865) describes it simply as tender, inferior.

Core & Seeds: Warder (1867): core regular, medium, ovate, slightly open, clasping the eye; seeds angular, imperfect. No other source describes the core or seeds.

Season

September or late September through November in America. Warder (1867) gives September and October. Downing gives October and November. Beach (1905) gives late September to November. Elliott (1865) gives October, November. Thomas (1903) says late autumn. The Herefordshire Pomona extends the season considerably in England, giving October to February, calling it one of the most popular winter apples for culinary purposes.

Uses

A culinary apple, well suited for cooking and market. Warder (1867) notes it is "well adapted by its size and appearance" for cooking and market use. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "a valuable and well-known culinary apple" and "one of the most desirable and useful either for a small garden or for more extended cultivation." Thomas (1903) states it is "of little or no value, except for cooking."

Subtypes & Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach (1905) provides an extensive reference list of 27 citations spanning from Forsyth (1803) through Garden magazine (1903), documenting the variety's long history in pomological literature on both sides of the Atlantic.