Blooming Orange
AppleBlooming Orange
Origin/History
Introduced by W.G. Waring of Centre Co., Pennsylvania, who brought this variety — along with a large number of other sorts — from the famous Herefordshire apple orchards of England in 1839. Of all the Herefordshire varieties he obtained, this was the only one he retained as fully adapted to the mountain region of Pennsylvania. Mr. Waring considered it the handsomest apple. Downing (1900) was unable, from the few specimens examined, to identify it with any known sort, noting that it may yet prove to be some known kind.
Tree
Vigorous, very strong, free, and handsome in growth, with strong, smooth shoots resembling the Rhode Island Greening in color, but of upright habit. An immense bearer, after six or eight years' growth.
Fruit
Size and Form: Warder describes the fruit as very large, fair, beautiful, roundish-oblate, and regular. Downing concurs in the roundish-oblate form but adds that it inclines to conic, and rates the size as large.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Eye open (Warder). Further calyx detail not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: The two sources give complementary descriptions of the surface coloring. Warder describes it as dark, richly clouded with claret and mahogany on a yellow ground. Downing describes it as yellowish, striped, splashed, and shaded with dull red, with large whitish and gray dots.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white (Downing), crisp, and juicy. Warder notes the flavor is acid at first, but this merges into a rich, penetrating, very agreeable flavor. Downing characterizes it as a pleasant subacid, rating quality good to very good. It is of the Ribston Pippin, or Dutch Mignonne type of fruit (Warder).
Core and Seeds: Core medium (Downing). Further seed detail not described in source.
Season
November and December (Downing).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Downing adds the following caution: "This may yet prove to be some known kind but as we have not fruited it ourself, cannot decide."
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Blooming Orange.
Mr. Waring considers this the handsomest apple. In 1839 he brought a large number of sorts from the famous Herefordshire apple orchards of England, of which this is the only one he retains as fully adapted to the mountain region of Pennsylvania.
Tree a very strong, free, handsome grower, and an immense bearer, after six or eight years' growth.
Fruit very large, fair, beautiful, roundish-oblate, regular; surface dark, richly clouded with claret and mahogany, on yellow ground; Eye open; Flesh crisp, juicy, acid at first, but this merges into a rich, penetrating, very agreeable flavor.
It is of the Ribston Pippin, or Dutch Mignonne type of fruit.—[Mr. G. Waring's MS.]
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Blooming Orange.
Under this name W. G. Waring, of Centre Co., Pa., has introduced an Apple said to have been brought from Herefordshire, England. We have been unable, from the few specimens examined, to identify it with any known sort. Tree vigorous, with strong, smooth shoots, resembling the Rhode Island Greening in color, but of upright growth. Fruit large, roundish oblate, inclining to conic, yellowish, striped, splashed, and shaded with dull red, with large whitish and gray dots. Flesh white, juicy, pleasant subacid. Good to very good. Core medium. November and December. This may yet prove to be some known kind but as we have not fruited it ourself, cannot decide.