Bethlehemite
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin & History
The Bethlehemite was first brought to notice from the town of Bethlehem, in Ohio, from which it takes its name; its precise origin is obscure. Multiple authorities describe it as an apple of the Newtown Spitzenburg type which it much resembles. Downing (1900) states it is "undoubtedly a seedling of the Newtown Spitzenberg," while Elliott (1865) notes testimony of "one or two who say they know it under that name." Beach (1905) judges it inferior to Newtown Spitzenburg in size and color and not better in quality. Warder (1867) records that the fruit was frequently exhibited before the Ohio Pomological Society by friends Lipsey, Morris and Benedict of Morrow County, to which region its cultivation appeared to have been confined. Beach notes it was but little known in New York state. Elliott observes that all specimens he had seen were from trees grown in rich, loamy soils.
Tree
Tree upright, strong, and moderately vigorous. Warder (1867) describes it as thrifty, hardy, and productive. Downing (1900) calls it a stocky, short-jointed grower with young shoots dull reddish brown and quite downy, and a productive bearer. Beach (1905) gives the most detailed account: form upright spreading, somewhat open; twigs short, stout, with short internodes; bark olive-green mingled with dark red, covered with light scarf-skin, very pubescent; lenticels numerous, large, oblong, raised, and conspicuous; buds large, broad, obtuse, appressed, and pubescent; leaves large and broad.
Fruit
Size. Medium, or according to Beach (1905) medium or below, rarely above medium size.
Form. Oblate to roundish conic, with minor variation among sources. Warder (1867): flat or oblate-globular, regular. Downing (1900): oblate, inclining to conical, regular. Beach (1905): oblate to roundish conic, often obscurely ribbed, sides sometimes unequal; fairly uniform in shape and size. Elliott (1865): roundish, flattened, tapering slightly to the apex. Thomas (1903): roundish-oblate, remotely conical.
Stem. Sources disagree on length. Warder (1867): medium to short. Downing (1900): rather short, slender. Elliott (1865): short. Thomas (1903): short, deeply set. Beach (1905), in contrast, gives medium to rather long, rather thick.
Cavity. Warder (1867): rather wide, regular, brown. Downing (1900): large, considerably russeted. Beach (1905): acute to acuminate, wide, deep, often symmetrical, sometimes compressed or lipped and covered with thin greenish, outspreading russet. Elliott (1865): narrow, irregular, with some russet about the stem.
Calyx. Warder (1867): eye medium, closed. Downing (1900): calyx open or partially closed; segments large and generally erect. Beach (1905): rather large, closed or partly open; lobes often separated at the base, often erect, wide, long, acute, conspicuous. Elliott (1865): medium, sometimes large.
Basin. Warder (1867): wide, deep, regular or folded, leather-cracked. Downing (1900): large, slightly corrugated. Beach (1905): rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately wide, somewhat abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled. Elliott (1865): deep, broad, irregular, somewhat furrowed. Thomas (1903): deep, furrowed.
Skin. Pale yellow or greenish ground, striped, shaded, and splashed with shades of red. Warder (1867): smooth, dull red or bright red, mixed, on yellow, with broken splashes of crimson; dots distinct, large, gray and yellow. Downing (1900): pale yellow, striped, shaded and splashed with shades of light and dark red nearly over the whole surface, with a thin grayish tinge, and pretty thickly sprinkled with light and brown dots. Beach (1905): rather smooth, pale yellow or greenish, washed, mottled and striped with red; color rather dull and unattractive; dots distinct, large to very small, gray or russet, and near the basin very numerous and often submerged. Elliott (1865): pale yellow ground, striped and stained with two shades of bright red, dotted with irregular-shaped brown dots, some russet about the stem.
Calyx Tube. Wide, large, cone-shaped, or approaching funnel-form. Stamens median to basal. (Beach, 1905.)
Core & Seeds. Core small and compact. Warder (1867): core regular, neat, closed, just meeting the eye; axis short; seeds numerous, short, very plump, pale. Beach (1905): core small, somewhat abaxile; cells usually symmetrical and partly open; core lines meeting; carpels short, concave, sometimes slightly tufted, wide; seeds short, plump, obtuse, dark reddish-brown, sometimes tufted, numerous. Elliott (1865): core small, compact; seeds obovate, obtuse, pyriform.
Flesh & Flavor. White to yellowish-white, tender, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, aromatic, with an exceedingly pleasant flavor. Warder (1867): yellowish-white, breaking, juicy, sub-acid, aromatic; quality good. Downing (1900): white, compact, crisp, juicy, rich, mild subacid, slightly aromatic; very good. Beach (1905): whitish with slight green or yellow tinge, firm, fine-grained, tender, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, aromatic; good to very good, though it "does not always develop good quality." Elliott (1865): yellowish white, tender, with a mild, sub-acid juice, and "exceedingly pleasant flavor." Thomas (1903): yellowish white, tender, with a mild, sub-acid, "very agreeable flavor."
Season
A winter apple. Warder (1867) gives December. Downing (1900) gives December to March. Beach (1905) gives November to March. Elliott (1865) gives November to January but notes it keeps until April. Thomas (1903) says it ripens through winter. Downing adds that the fruit keeps and carries well.
Uses
Valuable for both table and cooking use. Warder (1867) rates it good for table and cooking. Downing (1900) calls it "very valuable for all purposes." Beach (1905) ranks it good to very good for either dessert or culinary uses but cautions it does not always develop good quality, and does not recommend it for planting in New York.
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Bethlemite
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Bethlemite
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Bethlemite.
This apple has frequently been exhibited before the Ohio Pomological Society, by friends Lipsey, Morris and Benedict, of Morrow County, to which region its cultivation appears to have been confined. The origin of the fruit is obscure.
Tree thrifty, hardy, productive, upright.
Fruit medium, flat, or oblate-globular, regular; surface smooth, dull red or bright red, mixed, on yellow, with broken splashes of crimson; Dots distinct, large, gray and yellow.
Basin wide, deep, regular or folded, leather-cracked; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity rather wide, regular, brown; Stem medium to short.
Core regular, neat, closed, just meeting the eye; Axis short; Seeds numerous, short, very plump, pale; Flesh yellowish-white, breaking, juicy, sub-acid, aromatic; Quality good, for table and cooking; Season December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Bethlemite.
The origin of this fine apple is unknown. It was first brought to notice from the town of Bethlehem, in Ohio, and is undoubtedly a seedling of the Newtown Spitzenberg, which it much resembles. Tree an upright, strong, stocky, short-jointed grower, with young shoots dull reddish brown, quite downy. A productive bearer, the fruit keeping and carrying well; very valuable for all purposes.
Fruit, medium, oblate, inclining to conical, regular. Color pale yellow, striped, shaded and splashed with shades of light and dark red nearly over the whole surface, thin grayish tinge, and pretty thickly sprinkled with light and brown dots. Stalk rather short, slender. Cavity large, considerably russeted. Calyx open or partially closed. Segments large and generally erect. Basin large, slightly corrugated. Flesh white, compact, crisp, juicy, rich, mild subacid, slightly aromatic. Core small. Very good. December to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)BETHLEHEMITE.
REFERENCES. 1. Elliott, 1858:69. fig. 2. Warder, 1867:423. fig. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:6. 4. Downing, 1872:96. fig. 5. Thomas, 1885:231.
SYNONYM. BETHLEMITE (2, 4).
This is an apple of the Newtown Spitzenburg type but it is inferior to that variety in size and color and is not better in quality. When well grown it ranks good to very good for either dessert or culinary uses, but it does not always develop good quality. It is not recommended for planting in New York.
Origin. It was first brought to notice in Bethlehem, Ohio (1) from which town it takes its name. Its origin is obscure. It is but little known in New York state.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading, somewhat open. Twigs short, stout; internodes short. Bark olive-green, mingled with dark red, covered with light scarf-skin, very pubescent. Lenticels numerous, large, oblong, raised, conspicuous. Buds large, broad, obtuse, appressed, pubescent. Leaves large, broad.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium or below, rarely above medium size. Form oblate to roundish conic, often obscurely ribbed, sides sometimes unequal; fairly uniform in shape and size. Stem medium to rather long, rather thick. Cavity acute to acuminate, wide, deep, often symmetrical, sometimes appressed or lipped and covered with thin greenish, outspreading russet. Calyx rather large, closed or partly open; lobes often separated at the base, often erect, wide, long, acute, conspicuous. Basin rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately wide, somewhat abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin rather smooth, pale yellow or greenish, washed, mottled and striped with red. Color rather dull and unattractive. Dots distinct, large to very small, gray or russet and near the basin very numerous and often submerged. Calyx tube wide, large, cone-shaped, or approaching funnel-form. Stamens median to basal. Core small, somewhat abaxile; cells usually symmetrical and partly open; core lines meeting. Carpels short, concave, sometimes slightly tufted, wide. Seeds short, plump, obtuse, dark reddish-brown, sometimes tufted, numerous. Flesh whitish with slight green or yellow tinge, firm, fine-grained, tender, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, aromatic, good to very good.
Season November to March.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Bethlehemite.
This is a variety somewhat resembling the Newtown Spitzenberg, and we have testimony of one or two who say they know it under that name. Thus far all specimens we have seen were from trees grown in rich, loamy soils, and all we can learn of its history is, that it came from Bethlehem, in Ohio. Size, medium ; form, roundish, flattened, tapering slightly to the apex ; color, pale yellow ground, striped and stained with two shades of bright red, dotted with irregular-shaped brown dots, some russet about the stem ; calyx, medium, sometimes large ; basin, deep, broad, irregular, somewhat furrowed ; stem, short ; cavity, narrow, irregular ; flesh, yellowish white, tender, with a mild, sub-acid juice, and exceedingly pleasant flavor ; core, small, compact ; seeds, obovate obtuse pyriform. November to January, but keeps until April. Trees upright, strong growers.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bethlehemite. Medium, roundish-oblate, remotely conical; striped red on yellow; stalk short, deeply set; basin deep; furrowed; flesh yellowish white, tender, with a mild, sub-acid, very agreeable flavor. Ripens through winter. Growth strong, upright. Ohio.