Bedfordshire Foundling
Apple
Origin/History
The details of the origin of this apple are unknown. Its name gives the locality of its production — Bedfordshire, England. The extent of its cultivation and age of many of the trees lead to the inference that it is as old as the century (per the Herefordshire Pomona, writing in 1885). It is well figured by Ronalds, Pl. xxvii. It is grown extensively not only in the United Kingdom, but on the Continent, where it takes an honoured place at all Fruit Exhibitions.
Tree
The tree is vigorous in growth and bears freely.
Fruit
Size: Large, three inches and a quarter wide, and three inches and a half high.
Form: Roundish ovate, inclining to oblong, with irregular and prominent angles on the sides, which extend to the apex and form ridges round the eye. Downing describes it as roundish, obscurely ribbed.
Skin: Dark green at first, changing as it attains maturity to a pale greenish yellow on the shaded side, but tinged with orange on the side next the sun, and strewed with a few fawn-coloured dots. Downing describes it as deep green, paler at maturity.
Stem: Short, inserted in a deep cavity.
Cavity: Deep.
Calyx/Eye: Open, set in a deep, narrow angular basin.
Basin: Deep, narrow, angular.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, tender, pleasantly subacid, and with a somewhat sugary flavour (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing describes the flesh as yellowish, tender, juicy, with a pleasant, acid flavor. Elliott and Thomas both describe it simply as yellowish, acid. Thomas specifies it as a cooking apple. Downing rates it "Good" and describes it as excellent for kitchen use. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it an excellent apple of first rate quality and a general favourite.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
The Herefordshire Pomona gives the season as November to March. Downing gives October to February. Elliott gives November, December. Thomas describes it as autumn and winter.
Uses
Cooking. Downing describes it as excellent for kitchen use; Thomas specifies it as a cooking apple.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- BEDFORDSHIRE FOUNDLING. [Syn: Cambridge Pippin.]
The details of the origin of this apple are unknown. Its name gives the locality of its production; and the extent of its cultivation and age of many of the trees, lead to the inference that it is as old as the century. It is well figured by Ronalds, Pl. xxvii.
Description.—Fruit: large, three inches and a quarter wide, and three inches and a half high; roundish ovate, inclining to oblong, with irregular and prominent angles on the sides, which extend to the apex and form ridges round the eye. Skin: dark green at first, changing as it attains maturity to a pale greenish yellow on the shaded side, but tinged with orange on the side next the sun, and strewed with a few fawn-coloured dots. Eye: open, set in a deep, narrow angular basin. Stalk: short, inserted in a deep cavity. Flesh: yellowish, tender, pleasantly subacid, and with a somewhat sugary flavour.
An excellent apple of first rate quality; in season from November to March. The tree is vigorous in growth and bears freely. It is a general favourite, and is grown extensively not only in the United Kingdom, but on the Continent, where it takes an honoured place at all Fruit Exhibitions.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Bedfordshire Foundling. Cambridge Pippin. A large green English Apple, excellent for kitchen use. Fruit large, roundish, obscurely ribbed, deep green, paler at maturity. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, with a pleasant, acid flavor. Good. October to February.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)BEDFORDSHIRE FOUNDLING.
Foreign. Large, roundish, green; flesh, yellowish, acid. November, December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bedfordshire Foundling. Large, roundish, green; pleasant, acid—cooking. Autumn and winter. English.