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BRAMLEYS SEEDLING

Apple

BRAMLEYS SEEDLING

Origin/History

BRAMLEYS SEEDLING was raised by Mr. Bramley, a shoemaker, of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, and introduced by Messrs. Merryweather in 1876. It is referenced in the Herefordshire Pomona at plate 73.

Tree

Growth is extremely vigorous; the tree is very regularly fertile once fully developed, and is described as ironclad in constitution, growing wherever apples will grow. BRAMLEYS SEEDLING makes a very large, spreading tree and should be planted at least thirty feet apart in orchards. Veitch (1911) describes it as unquestionably the finest apple for the orchard, yielding fine crops.

Leaf: Very large, dark, round, slightly upfolded, coarsely curved serrate.

Fruit

Size

Large, measuring 3¾ inches by 2¾ inches (Bunyard). Rivers (1914) describes it as very large.

Form

Flat, round, and irregular.

Stem

Short, set in a wide, deep, slightly russeted cavity.

Cavity

Wide, deep, slightly russet.

Calyx

Closed, set in a broad, deep, slightly wrinkled basin.

Basin

Broad, deep, slightly wrinkled.

Skin

Greenish-yellow ground, with a red flush and broad broken stripes.

Flesh and Flavor

Flesh firm, juicy, pale yellow, and acid (Bunyard). Veitch (1911) notes that the flesh has a good flavour.

Core and Seeds

Not described in sources.

Season

Bunyard gives November to March. Veitch gives October to March. Rivers states that the fruit ripens in October. The harvest window appears to open in October, with the keeping season extending through March.

Uses

Culinary. Bunyard calls BRAMLEYS SEEDLING "the most popular and profitable of cooking apples." Veitch describes it as one of the best cooking apples and unquestionably the finest apple for the orchard. Rivers similarly calls it a very fine and good cooking apple.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 8 catalogs (1894–1917) from England, Oregon

  • Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Bramley's Seedling
View original book sources (3)

BRAMLEYS SEEDLING. Her. Pom., 73. Culinary, November to March, large, 3¾ by 2¾, flat, round, irregular. Colour greenish-yellow, red flush with broad broken stripes. Flesh firm, juicy, pale yellow, acid. Eye, closed in a broad, deep, slightly wrinkled basin. Stem, short, in a wide deep, slightly russet cavity. Growth, extremely vigorous; very regularly fertile when the tree is developed. Leaf, very large, dark, round, slightly upfolded, coarsely curved serrate. Origin, raised by Mr. Bramley, a shoemaker, of Southwell, Notts. Introduced by Messrs. Merryweather, in 1876. This is the most popular and profitable of cooking apples; ironclad in constitution, growing wherever apples will grow. It makes a very large spreading tree and should be planted at least thirty feet apart in orchards.

Brandy Apple: see Golden Harvey.

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

large, flesh with a good flavour, one of the best cooking apples, and unquestionably the finest apple for the orchard, and unquestionably yielding fine crops. Oct. to Mar.

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

very large and productive; a very fine and good cooking apple; ripens in October.

— Thomas Rivers & Son, Thomas Rivers Catalogue of Fruits (1914) (1914)