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Beauty Of Kent

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Beauty Of Kent

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Beauty Of Kent

Origin/History

Of English origin. The origin of this handsome apple is not known; it was first noticed by Forsyth in his Treatise on Fruit Trees (first published 1803), but is 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 the country. 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. Bunyard (1920) records the origin as unknown, first recorded about 1800. The George Bunyard & Co. catalog (1914) states it was raised by Moses, Lowland of Kent. Beach (1905) notes that in England, where it originated, 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. It was but little known in New York at the time of Beach's writing.

Tree

The tree is a strong and vigorous, upright grower — large, coming into bearing rather young, a reliable cropper. Sources differ on productivity: Warder (1867) calls it "rather productive"; Downing (1900) "moderately productive"; Budd-Hansen (1914) "a moderate bearer"; Beach (1905) "moderately productive"; the Herefordshire Pomona (1885) says it "bears freely." Bunyard (1920) describes growth as "strong; fertile." Thomas (1903) notes "Growth strong and upright, shoots dark."

It is better adapted as a standard than as an espalier or pyramid. It attains a large size, forms a very handsome tree. It has a tendency to canker if not in congenial soil.

Leaf (Bunyard 1920): rather large, dark, down-held, flat, very deeply curved-serrate.

Fruit

Size

Large to very large. Bunyard (1920) gives dimensions of 3½ by 3 inches, calling it "fairly large." Downing, quoted in the Herefordshire Pomona, says "The fruit in this climate is one of the most magnificent of all apples, frequently measuring sixteen or eighteen inches in circumference." One of the most beautiful and magnificent in appearance of all apples; when well grown perhaps the most magnificent apple in cultivation.

Form

Roundish, flattened at the base, and narrowing toward the apex/calyx/eye, where it is slightly ribbed and terminated by several prominent angles. Warder (1867) calls it "roundish, flattened, somewhat conic, regular." Thomas (1903) describes it as "rounding, somewhat flattish-conical, fair, smooth, and rather obtuse." Bunyard (1920) gives "round conical, flattened at base, irregular." Lowther (1914) records form as "re" (roundish). The George Bunyard catalog (1914) simply calls it "round."

Stem / Stalk

Short, slender (Downing 1900; Warder 1867 gives "medium to short"; Budd-Hansen 1914 "slender, short"; Herefordshire Pomona 1885 "short"). Thomas (1903) gives "three-fourths to an inch and a half long, slender." Bunyard (1920) uniquely describes the stem as "stout and long."

Cavity

Wide and deep, acuminate/acute, corrugated/wavy, russeted. Warder (1867): "medium, acute, wavy, green." Downing (1900): "round, russeted, corrugated." Herefordshire Pomona (1885): "wide and deep cavity, which, with the base, is entirely covered with rough brown russet." Thomas (1903): "acuminate." Budd-Hansen (1914): "wide, deep, acuminate, corrugated, with large patch of russeting extending out over the base." Bunyard (1920): "wide, shallow, russeted" — a shallow reading in contrast to the other sources.

Calyx / Eye

Small and closed, with short segments, set in a narrow basin. Budd-Hansen (1914) adds: "segments short, erect convergent." Warder (1867): "very small, closed." Bunyard (1920): "closed in a very wrinkled and knobbed basin."

Basin

Narrow, angular. Warder (1867) calls it "quite shallow, regular"; Herefordshire Pomona (1885) "narrow and angular"; Downing (1900) "narrow"; Budd-Hansen (1914) "narrow, angular, deep"; Thomas (1903) "deep, narrow"; Bunyard (1920) "very wrinkled and knobbed."

Skin

Greenish yellow / deep yellow, slightly tinged with green, marked with faint patches of red on the shaded side, and on the sunny side entirely (or nearly entirely) covered with large, broken stripes of purplish red / deep red, with a few patches of deep yellow interspersed. Warder (1867) describes the surface as "greenish yellow, more or less covered with bright red mixed, and splashed with a darker hue." Elliott (1865): "greenish yellow, striped with purpled red." Thomas (1903): "nearly the whole surface striped with rich purplish red." Downing (1900): "smooth, greenish-yellow, marked with large, broken stripes of purplish red." Budd-Hansen (1914): "surface smooth, greenish yellow, with faint red patches on shaded side, on sunny side entirely covered with large rich purplish-red stripes with a few deep yellow patches." Bunyard (1920): "yellow green, bright red flush, broad dark stripes." Lowther (1914): "striped or splashed (red)." The George Bunyard catalog (1914): "striped red on yellow."

Warder (1867) notes: "Dots small."

Flesh / Flavor

Flesh whitish yellow / yellowish, tender, juicy, crisp, breaking. Warder (1867): "whitish yellow, breaking, juicy." Herefordshire Pomona (1885): "yellowish, tender, and juicy." Downing (1900): "juicy, crisp, tender." Budd-Hansen (1914): "juicy, tender, crisp." Bunyard (1920): "tender, yellowish, slightly acid." Veitch (1911) describes the flesh as "of a fine yellow tone."

Flavor is subacid — variously "pleasant subacid" (Herefordshire Pomona 1885; Budd-Hansen 1914), "simple subacid" (Downing 1900), "slightly sub-acid" (Thomas 1903), "acid" (Warder 1867), "slightly acid" (Bunyard 1920), or "quite brisk tart" (George Bunyard 1914).

Quality: Sources disagree. Warder (1867): "only good." Elliott (1865): "inferior." Thomas (1903): "of rather poor flavor... of little or no value, except for cooking." Budd-Hansen (1914): "fair... of little value except for cooking." Downing (1900): "Good." Herefordshire Pomona (1885): "pleasant subacid flavour... A valuable and well-known culinary apple." Lowther (1914): "good." Bunyard (1920): "A very valuable cooking apple."

Core / Seeds

Warder (1867): "Core regular, medium, ovate, slightly open, clasping the eye; Seeds angular, imperfect." Budd-Hansen (1914): "Cells roundish obovate, abaxile; tube deep, conical; stamens median."

Season

Late September through November — extending in storage through the winter. Warder (1867): "September and October." Elliott (1865) and Downing (1900): "October, November" / "October and November." Budd-Hansen (1914): "October to November." Thomas (1903): "Late autumn." Lowther (1914): "early autumn." Beach (1905): "late September to November." Herefordshire Pomona (1885): "in season from October to February." Veitch (1911) and George Bunyard (1914): "Oct. to Feb." Bunyard (1920): "till March." Veitch (1911) additionally notes: "one of the best keeping apples."

Uses

Culinary / cooking / kitchen apple. Well adapted to cooking and market by its size and appearance. One of the most popular winter apples for culinary purposes, and one of the most desirable and useful either for a small garden or for more extended cultivation. Lowther (1914) records use as "both kitchen and market." The George Bunyard catalog (1914) notes it is "Highly esteemed for cooking."

Subtypes/Variants

Bunyard (1920) lists "Worling's Favourite" and "Countess of Warwick" in parenthesis alongside the name; foreign equivalents given as F., Beauté de Kent; G., Schöner aus Kent.

Other

The George Bunyard catalog (1914) marks the variety with the code letters "(H, B.T., P.)."

Book Sources

Described in 9 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 11 catalogs (1845–1917) from England, Illinois, Massachusetts

View original book sources (11)

Beauty of Kent. Foreign. Large, roundish, greenish yellow, striped with purpled red ; flesh, tender, inferior. October, November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Beauty of Kent.

A large English apple, well adapted to the kitchen.

Tree upright, vigorous, rather productive.

Fruit large to very large, roundish, flattened, somewhat conic, regular; Surface greenish yellow, more or less covered with bright red mixed, and splashed with a darker hue; Dots small.

Basin quite shallow, regular; Eye very small, closed.

Cavity medium, acute, wavy, green; Stem medium to short.

Core regular, medium, ovate, slightly open, clasping the eye; Seeds angular, imperfect; Flesh whitish yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor acid; Quality only good; Use, cooking and market, for which it is well adapted by its size and appearance; Season, September and October.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

BEAUTY OF KENT.

The origin of this handsome apple is not known. It is first noticed by Forsyth in his Treatise on Fruit Trees, but it is 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 is now very widely cultivated throughout the country. 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.

Description.—Fruit, large, roundish ovate, broad and flattened at the base, and narrowing towards the apex, where it is terminated by several prominent angles. Skin, deep yellow, slightly tinged with green, and marked with faint patches of red on the shaded side, but entirely covered with deep red, except when there are a few patches of deep yellow on the side next the sun. Eye, small and closed, with short segments, and set in a narrow and angular basin. Stalk, short, inserted in a wide and deep cavity, which, with the base, is entirely covered with rough brown russet. Flesh, yellowish, tender, and juicy, with a pleasant subacid flavour.

A valuable and well-known culinary apple, in season from October to February. When well grown it is perhaps the most magnificent apple in cultivation. Downing says of it in America, "The fruit in this climate is one of the most magnificent of all apples, frequently measuring sixteen or eighteen inches in circumference."

The tree is a strong and vigorous grower. It is better adapted as a standard, than as an espalier or pyramid. It attains a large size, forms a very handsome tree, and bears freely. It is one of the most popular winter apples for culinary purposes, and one of the most desirable and useful either for a small garden or for more extended cultivation. It has a tendency to canker if not in congenial soil.

— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

Beauty of Kent.

A showy English sort for culinary uses. The tree grows very strong and upright, moderately productive.

Fruit very large, roundish, but flat at the base, and narrowing distinctly to the eye, where it is slightly ribbed, smooth, greenish-yellow, marked with large, broken stripes of purplish red. Stalk short, slender, deeply planted in a round, russeted, corrugated cavity. Calyx small, set in a narrow basin. Flesh juicy, crisp, tender, with a simple subacid flavor. Good. October and November.

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

Beauty of Kent. Very large, rounding, somewhat flattish-conical, fair, smooth, and rather obtuse; nearly the whole surface striped with rich purplish red; stalk three-fourths to an inch and a half long, slender; cavity acuminate; calyx small, basin deep, narrow; flesh tender, slightly sub-acid, of rather poor flavor. One of the most beautiful and magnificent in appearance of all apples, but of little or no value, except for cooking. Late autumn. Growth strong and upright, shoots dark. English.

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

BEAUTY OF KENT.

REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:55. 2. Ib., 1824:93. 3. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 59. 4. Kenrick, 1832:92. 5. Floy-Lindley, 1833:20. 6. Downing, 1845:81. 7. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 14:250. 1848. fig. 8. Kirtland, Horticulturist, 2:544. 1848. 9. Thomas, 1849:146. 10. Cole, 1849:114. 11. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:34. 1851. 12. Barry, 1851:283. 13. Elliott, 1854:167. 14. Hooper, 1857:15. 15. Gregg, 1857:41. 16. Downing, Horticulturist, 19:364. 1864. figs. 17. Warder, 1867:584. 18. Fitz, 1872:152. 19. Leroy, 1873:97. fig. 20. Hogg, 1884:17. 21. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:288. 22. Wickson, 1889:245. 23. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234. 24. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354. 25. Budd-Hansen, 1903:109. 26. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 48:46. 1903. 27. Garden, 64:239. 1903. fig. bearing nursery trees.

SYNONYMS. BEAUTE DE KENT (19). BEAUTY OF KENT (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27). Beauty of Kent (19, 26). KENT BEAUTY (25, 26). Kentish Pippin (19, of some 3). Pepin de Kent (19). Pippin Kent (19).

Fruit large, beautiful, showy, suitable for culinary use, in season from late September to November. The tree is large, vigorous, upright, comes into bearing rather young, is a reliable cropper and moderately productive. In England where it originated 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 (27). It is but little known in New York.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Kent Beauty. — Of English origin; tree of strong upright growth, a moderate bearer. One of the most handsomely colored apples, but of little value except for cooking. Fruit very large, roundish, flattened at base, tapering toward the calyx; surface smooth, greenish yellow, with faint red patches on shaded side, on sunny side entirely covered with large rich purplish-red stripes with a few deep yellow patches; cavity wide, deep, acuminate, corrugated, with large patch of russeting extending out over the base; stem slender, short; basin narrow, angular, deep; calyx small, closed; segments short, erect convergent. Cells roundish obovate, abaxile; tube deep, conical; stamens median; flesh juicy, tender, crisp, pleasant subacid, fair. October to November.

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

Kent Beauty. Form: "re". Color: striped or splashed (red). Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: early autumn.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

BEAUTY OF KENT. Ronalds, p. 15. F., Beauté de Kent; G., Schöner aus Kent. (Worling's Favourite, Countess of Warwick.) Culinary, 3½ by 3, fairly large, till March, round conical, flattened at base, irregular. Colour, yellow green, bright red flush, broad dark stripes. Flesh, tender, yellowish, slightly acid. Eye, closed in a very wrinkled and knobbed basin. Stem, stout and long in a wide, shallow, russeted cavity. Growth, strong; fertile. Leaf, rather large, dark, down held, flat, very deeply curved serrate. Origin, unknown, recorded first about 1800. A very valuable cooking apple for late use.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Flesh of a fine yellow tone, keeping a large period but one of the best keeping apples. Oct. to Feb.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

Culinary; Oct-Feb. Large, round, striped red on yellow. Quite brisk tart flavor. Highly esteemed for cooking. Raised by Moses, Lowland of Kent. (H, B.T., P.)

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)
Beaute De Kent Beauté de Kent Countess of Warwick Gadd's Seedling Kent Beauty Kentish Beauty Kentish Pippin Pepin de Kent Peppin Kent Pippin Kent Rambour Franc Schöner aus Kent Wooling's Favourite Worling's Favourite Broad-End Col. Vaughan COLONEL VAUGHAN Kentish Broading Kentish Pippin Ménagère No. 8. Rambour D'Ete Rambour Gros Summer Rambo Western Beauty