BILLY BOND.

REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1872:90. 2. Thomas, 1885:503. 3. Not listed by Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234.

SYNONYMS. BELLE BONDE (1). BELLE BONNE (2). Billy Bond (1, 2).

Fruit rather attractive, being mottled, shaded and splashed with red over a yellow background. It is quite uniform in size and shape. It is desirable for cooking and evaporating, but is not much esteemed for dessert because it ranks but second rate in quality. In Wayne county it is regarded by many as a profitable commercial variety. It comes into bearing young and is a reliable cropper with a marked tendency to bear annually. The tree is a good grower, both in orchard and nursery.

Historical. Downing mentions a report that this apple had its origin in France in 1790, but in Wayne county where it was first brought to notice, it is claimed by some that it originated in the town of Lyons with a man whose name, Billy Bond, became attached to the variety. After it was disseminated this name evidently became confused with that of Belle et Bonne or Belle Bonne a very different apple, and so it came to be called variously Belle Bonde, the name which Downing accepted as correct (1), Belle Bonne, which Thomas sanctioned (2), Belle Bend, Billy Bend, etc. It has been grown to a limited extent in Wayne county, and scattering trees of it are occasionally found in other parts of Western New York. Bailey does not list it in his inventory of North American Apples in 1892 (3). It has never received much attention from nurserymen nor has it gained a prominent place in commercial orchards.

TREE.

Tree large, rather vigorous. Form upright or somewhat spreading. Twigs medium in length, rather erect, thick. Bark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green; internodes short, pubescent. Lenticels numerous to medium size, usually roundish, conspicuous. Buds medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, slightly pubescent. Foliage moderately dense; leaves medium to large, often broad.

FRUIT.

Fruit usually above medium to rather large. Form roundish inclined to oblong, or sometimes to conic, somewhat elliptical or irregular; sides sometimes unequal, often broadly or obscurely ribbed, axis often oblique. Stem medium to rather long, rather slender. Cavity acute, deep, moderately wide, compressed or furrowed, often partly russeted or with outspreading rays of thin russet, sometimes lipped. Calyx small to medium, closed or partly open. Basin often oblique, moderately wide, rather abrupt, indistinctly furrowed, varying from rather shallow to moderately deep. Skin smooth, somewhat waxy, bright yellow, mottled and shaded with red, splashed with lively deep purplish-red. Dots whitish, or russet, rather numerous. Prevailing effect striped red, attractive. Calyx tube long, rather narrow, funnel-form. Stamens median to marginal. Core medium to rather small, axile, closed or partly open; core lines clasping the cylinder of the calyx tube. Carpels roundish to roundish ovate, slightly emarginate. Seeds rather broad, acute to obtuse, light brown, medium size, plump.

Flesh nearly white, with slight yellow tinge, sometimes stained with red, firm, moderately coarse-grained, rather tender, rather crisp, juicy, with a peculiar rather pleasant but not high flavor, subacid, becoming mild subacid when fully ripe, good.

Season October to January. The fruit is sometimes kept till March but after midwinter it deteriorates in quality and color.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)