Bullock
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Bullock
Origin/History
Originated in Burlington County, New Jersey, more than a century before this record (early 1800s). Coxe described it as one of the finest apples in New Jersey in autumn and early winter. In 1826, Buel characterized it as "tender, juicy and high flavored; among the best fruit for table." A. J. Downing called it "one of the most delicious and tender apples." The variety has been favorably known in the West and South, and as far north as Ontario and Quebec. In New England and the West it was historically known as Golden Russet; Downing distinguished it from the English Golden Russet by naming it American Golden Russet to avoid confusion with the many varieties bearing the Golden Russet name.
Tree
Tree not large but a fairly strong grower. Form upright or roundish. Twigs short to medium, moderately stout, rather blunt at tip, nearly straight; internodes medium. Bark dull brownish-red or olive-green with a grayish hue due to the rather heavy scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels only moderately numerous, inconspicuous, raised, below medium, elongated. Buds small to medium, moderately projecting, acute, sparingly pubescent, free.
Fruit
Fruit below medium size. Form roundish conic to ovate, pretty regular in outline, uniform. Stem long, slender. Cavity acuminate to acute, moderately deep to deep, rather narrow, funnel-shaped or compressed. Calyx rather small, closed. Basin small, often oblique, rather shallow, narrow, wrinkled, not ridged.
Skin attractive, pale yellow or greenish-yellow, more or less overspread and splashed with thin russet. Dots numerous, small, obscure, russet.
Core medium to rather large, axile, slightly open; core lines nearly meeting. Carpels roundish. Seeds rather large, plump.
Flesh slightly tinged with yellow, firm, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy with an agreeable rich, aromatic, mild subacid flavor; very good to best.
Season
October to January.
Uses & Cultivation
Still grown to a limited extent in some portions of New York, particularly in the Hudson and Champlain valleys. Recommended for the home orchard, but not found profitable as a commercial sort. Some have reported success on sandy or gravelly soil. When grown on clay soil, the bark of trees is apt to split at the collar; some nurserymen prefer not to grow the trees in the nursery on their own trunks for this reason.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)BULLOCK.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:125. 2. Thacher, 1822:122. 3. Buel, N. Y. State Bd. of Agr. Memoirs, 3:476. Cat. No. 34. 1826. 4. Cat. Hort. Soc. London, 1831:35. 5. Kenrick, 1833:33. 6. Manning, 1838:54. 7. Dittrich, Syst. Handb. der Obstk., 1:504. 1839. 8. Downing, 1845:131. 1847. col. pl. 9. Thomas, 1849:178. fig. 10. Mag. Hort., 15:250. 1849. 11. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:94. 1851. fig., col. pl. No. 52. 12. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 13. Mag. Hort., 19:126. 1853. 14. Biedenfeld, 1854:223. 15. Mag. Hort., 21:300, 398. 1855. 16. Hooper, 1857:11, 20. 17. Elliott, 1858:71. fig. 18. Flotow, Ill. Handb. der Obstk., 1:337. 1859. 19. Warder, 1867:521. 20. Regel, 1:440. 1868. 21. Mas, Le Verger, 4:33. col. pl. 22. Lauche, 1: col. pl. No. 73. 1882. 23. Barry, 1883:341. 24. Hogg, 1884:7. 25. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:288. 26. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:236. 27. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 1893:132. 28. Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 2:32. 1895. 29. N. C. Bd. of Agr. Bul., 1900:6. 30. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:286. 1901. 31. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Bul., 37:42. 1901. 32. Budd-Hansen, 1903:57. fig.
SYNONYMS. AMERICAN GOLDEN RUSSET (9, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31). American Golden Russet (17, 27, 29, 32). Bullock (30). BULLOCK'S PEPPING (18, 22). Bullock's Pippin (8). BULLOCK'S PIPPIN (1, 2, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 21). Fall Winesap (17), erroneously. GOLDEN RUSSET (5, 6). Golden Russet (8, 9, 17). GOLDEN RUSSET, AMERICAN (8). Little Pearmain (17). PIPPIN BULLOK (7, 14). SHEEPNOSE (1). Sheepnose (8, 9, 17). SHEEP'S NOSE (4). SHEEP'S SNOUT (2).
Early in the last century Coxe described this as one of the finest apples in New Jersey in autumn and early winter (1). In 1826 Buel characterized it as "tender, juicy and high flavored; among the best fruit for table" (3). A. J. Downing called it "one of the most delicious and tender apples" (8). Thomas remarks that it is too small to become popular (9). The fruit is below medium size, light yellow, marbled with thin russet. Flesh yellowish, very tender, with a mild, rich, spicy, slightly subacid flavor. It is still grown to a limited extent in some portions of the state, particularly in the Hudson and Champlain valleys. It may be recommended for the home orchard, but it has not been found profitable as a commercial sort. Some have found that it succeeds best on sandy or gravelly soil. Some nurserymen have reported that when grown on clay soil the bark of the trees is apt to split at the collar, and for this reason they prefer not to grow the trees in the nursery on their own trunks.
Historical. Originated in Burlington county, New Jersey, more than a century ago (1). It has been favorably known in the West and the South (19) and as far north as Ontario and Quebec (31). In New England and the West it has been known as Golden Russet (5, 6, 8). To distinguish it from the English Golden Russet, Downing called it American Golden Russet (8). There are so many Golden Russets we prefer to follow the Catalogue of the American Pomological Society (12) and Hovey (10) and retain Coxe's name Bullock, believing this will be less liable to lead to confusion.
TREE.
Tree not large but a fairly strong grower. Form upright or roundish. Twigs short to medium, moderately stout, rather blunt at tip, nearly straight; internodes medium. Bark dull brownish-red or olive-green with a grayish hue due to the rather heavy scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels only moderately numerous, inconspicuous, raised, below medium, elongated. Buds small to medium, moderately projecting, acute, sparingly pubescent, free.
FRUIT.
Fruit below medium. Form roundish conic to ovate, pretty regular in outline, uniform. Stem long, slender. Cavity acuminate to acute, moderately deep to deep, rather narrow, funnel-shape or compressed. Calyx rather small, closed. Basin small, often oblique, rather shallow, narrow, wrinkled, not ridged. Skin attractive, pale yellow or greenish-yellow, more or less overspread and splashed with thin russet. Dots numerous, small, obscure, russet. General appearance attractive. Core medium to rather large, axile, slightly open; core lines nearly meeting. Carpels roundish. Seeds rather large, plump. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow, firm, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy with an agreeable rich, aromatic, mild subacid flavor; very good to best.
Season October to January.