Brooke's Pippin
AppleOrigin/History
Origin in Essex County, Virginia. (Warder; Elliott confirms "a native of Virginia"; Thomas places the variety in Maryland and Virginia.) H. R. Robey of Fredericksburg, Virginia, contributed the following account to Warder: "The original tree is very large, bears regular and large crops of fruit, which is always fair, of the largest size, keeps well till May; Flesh fine, yellow, juicy and rich, and of the finest flavor; young trees grow very thriftily."
Tree
The original tree is very large, bearing regular and large crops of consistently fair fruit. Young trees grow very thriftily. (Warder/Robey) Productive, bearing abundantly every year. (Elliott, Thomas) Succeeds in localities where the Newtown Pippin does not. (Elliott)
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Roundish, inclining to conical, obscurely ribbed. (Warder, Elliott) Thomas describes the form as roundish, slightly conical, without mention of ribbing.
Stem: Short and stout. (Warder: "short, thick"; Elliott: "short, rather stout"; Thomas: "short and stout")
Cavity: Deep. Warder describes it as wavy and brown; Elliott describes it as deep, irregular, and russeted; Thomas as deep and russeted.
Calyx/Eye: Eye medium, closed. (Warder only)
Basin: Small, shallow, waved, sometimes furrowed. (Warder, Elliott) Thomas: small, shallow, furrowed.
Skin: Greenish yellow, with a faint blush. (All three sources)
Flesh: Yellow (Warder), crisp, juicy. Fine-grained (Warder) / fine texture (Elliott). Aromatic, with a pleasant aroma. (Elliott, Thomas)
Flavor: Acid, spicy, rich; quality very good. (Warder) Elliott rates quality as "best." Robey describes the flesh as "fine, yellow, juicy and rich, and of the finest flavor." (Warder)
Core/Seeds: Seeds long, slender, acuminate. (Elliott only)
Season
November to March. (Warder, Thomas) Elliott classes it as a winter variety. Robey reports it keeps well until May. (Warder)
Uses
A good keeper; the original grower reports the fruit keeps well until May. (Warder/Robey)
Other
Warder notes that as grown in Indiana, both tree and fruit closely resemble the Newtown Pippin in appearance, and the two varieties may prove identical after further trial. Elliott similarly notes a resemblance to the Newtown Pippin, but observes that Brooke's Pippin bears abundantly in localities where the Newtown Pippin does not succeed.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Brooke's Pippin.
"Origin, Essex County, Virginia. The original tree is very large, bears regular and large crops of fruit, which is always fair, of the largest size, keeps well till May; Flesh fine, yellow, juicy and rich, and of the finest flavor; young trees grow very thriftily." — [H. R. Robey, Fredericksburgh, Va.]
Fruit large, roundish, inclining to conical, obscurely ribbed, greenish yellow, faintly blushed.
Basin small, shallow, wavy, sometimes furrowed; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity deep, wavy, brown; Stem short, thick.
Flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, fine-grained; Flavor acid, spicy, rich; Quality very good; Season, November to March.
As grown in Indiana, both tree and fruit resemble the Newtown Pippin in appearance, and may prove identical after further trial.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Brooke's Pippin. A native of Virginia. Large, roundish, inclining to conical, obscurely ribbed, greenish yellow, with a faint blush ; stem, short, rather stout, deep, irregular, russeted cavity ; basin, small, shallow, waved, sometimes furrowed ; seeds, long, slender, acuminate : flesh, crisp, juicy, of fine texture, with a pleasant aroma : " best." Winter ; bearing abundantly every year in localities where the Newtown Pippin, to which it bears some resemblance, does not succeed.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Brooke's Pippin. Large, roundish, slightly conical; greenish yellow, with a faint blush; stalk short and stout; cavity deep, russeted; basin small, shallow, furrowed; flesh crisp, aromatic. November to March. Productive. Maryland and Virginia.