Bullock
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Bullock
Origin / History
Bullock is a native of Burlington County, New Jersey. Coxe, in 1817, ranked it "one of the finest apples in New-Jersey, in the autumn and early winter months." He wrote that it takes one of its names from the family of Bullock and is sometimes called the Long Tom. He added that it is "more generally distinguished by the vulgar name of Sheep-nose, from a supposed resemblance between the form of the apple and that part of a sheep." Beach (1905) places its origin more than a century before his own day. Budd and Hansen call it an old New Jersey variety mentioned by Coxe in 1817.
Buel, in 1826, called it "tender, juicy and high flavored; among the best fruit for table." In New England and the West it was known as the Golden Russet. Downing wrote that it was widely cultivated under that name in both regions. He called it "one of the most delicious and tender Apples," and "though neither handsome nor large, is still a universal favorite, from its great productiveness and admirable flavor." He judged Coxe's "uncouth name" Sheep-nose nearly obsolete except in New Jersey and adopted American Golden Russet, a name "to which it is well entitled." Beach explains Downing's name as distinguishing it from the English Golden Russet. Noting "so many Golden Russets," Beach followed the Catalogue of the American Pomological Society (1852) and Hovey (1849) and kept Coxe's name Bullock as less liable to lead to confusion.
Warder calls it "a universal favorite with all who can appreciate delicacy of flavor and fineness of flesh in an apple." The best fruit he had seen came from the South and from sandstone soils. Thomas judged it "too small to become very popular." Beach records that it was favorably known in the West and the South and as far north as Ontario and Quebec. In New York he found it still grown to a limited extent, particularly in the Hudson and Champlain valleys.
Hedrick calls Bullock "one of the favorite dessert apples of a century ago," continuing in favor until Downing's time. He wrote that the small fruits, "with their modest russet skins, are not striking enough to attract much attention now, but its rich, spicy, refreshing flavor makes it too good an apple to be wholly lost." He gives its culture as restricted to the seaboard of the Middle Atlantic states. Lowther's station table (1914) records it under the name Bullock's Pippin in the Northern Division (4*), Central Division (12*), and Southern Division (1*), the asterisk marking a variety reported in more than one division. The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, British Columbia, planted it for trial in spring 1896.
Tree
Tree not large, small to ultimately of only medium size, but a vigorous, thrifty, fairly strong grower. Form upright or roundish, with a round, regular head; Coxe calls the tree handsome. Shoots erect and rather slender, dull reddish grayish brown (Downing).
Beach describes the twigs as short to medium, moderately stout, rather blunt at the tip, and nearly straight, with medium internodes. Bark dull brownish-red or olive-green, slightly pubescent, with a grayish hue from the rather heavy scarf-skin. Lenticels only moderately numerous, inconspicuous, raised, below medium, elongated. Buds small to medium, moderately projecting, acute, sparingly pubescent, free.
Foliage dark and luxuriant (Coxe), large and healthy (Warder); leaves sharply serrate (Thomas). Coxe calls it "a great and constant bearer"; Thomas says the tree overbears.
Thomas reports it generally rendered worthless in the East by black mildew and becoming more affected with it in the West. Elliott found it admirably suited to the rich soils of Southern Ohio, Indiana, and the Southwest. Some growers have found that it succeeds best on sandy or gravelly soil. Some nurserymen reported to Beach that on clay soil the bark is apt to split at the collar. For this reason they prefer not to grow the trees in the nursery on their own trunks.
Fruit
Size: Small to medium, most authors placing it below medium; Coxe calls it "below middling." Agassiz alone records it above medium, and Lowther's table gives it as large.
Form: Roundish conic to roundish ovate or conical, tapering slightly to much toward the eye ("tapering much toward the eye," Elliott). Coxe gives the form as "that of a heart, pointed towards the crown," the shape behind the name Sheep-nose. Outline pretty regular, uniform; "regular when perfect" (Warder). Lowther's table codes the form "re."
Stem: Long, slender. Coxe alone calls the stalk short.
Cavity: Acuminate to acute, narrow to rather narrow, regular, funnel-shape or compressed. Beach gives it as moderately deep to deep; Budd and Hansen call it rather shallow.
Calyx: Small or rather small, closed.
Basin: Very small to small, narrow to rather narrow, shallow to rather shallow; often oblique and wrinkled (Beach). Warder calls it regular and Beach not ridged, while Thomas calls it ribbed and Elliott sometimes furrowed.
Skin: Smooth (Warder). Ground yellow: pale, light, dull, greenish yellow, generally rich golden yellow, or "greenish yellow to orange or golden." Sprinkled, marbled, splashed, or more or less overspread with very thin, soft russet; Agassiz calls the russet golden, and Coxe describes the skin as "yellow, inclining to a russet." Sometimes faintly blushed (Warder), marbled with red in the sun (Elliott), or often with a distinct bronzed blush (Budd and Hansen). Lowther's table gives the color as yellow-red.
Elliott ties the russet to region: grown South, the fruit is almost entirely covered with russet; grown North on sandy soils, it is a warm, rich yellow with only marblings of russet. Beach calls the skin and general appearance attractive.
Dots: Small, minute, obscure, russet. Beach calls them numerous; Budd and Hansen call them few.
Flesh and flavor: Yellowish, given as yellow, slightly tinged with yellow, or yellowish white. Very fine-grained, firm, crisp, very tender, juicy. When fully ripe almost melting and almost buttery. Downing says it resembles in texture a buttery pear more than an ordinary apple, and Warder likens it to a pear. It becomes dry when overripe (Warder). Thomas finds it exceedingly delicate and tender when well ripened, but "sometimes it does not become soft in ripening, when the quality is poor, and often worthless."
Flavor agreeable, rich, mild, slightly subacid, spicy, aromatic, sprightly, delicate, refreshing.
Most authors rate it best ("very best," Warder); Beach gives very good to best, and Agassiz "quality very good."
Core and seeds: Core medium to large for the size of the fruit. Beach describes it as axile, with core lines nearly meeting and carpels roundish. Beach finds the core slightly open; Warder calls it closed, meeting the eye, and Budd and Hansen call it closed and clasping. Seeds numerous, pointed, full, ovate-pyramidal, rather large, plump.
Season
The recorded season runs from autumn into March. Most authors give autumn and early winter, October or November through December or January. Elliott gives December to March, and November to January in the South; at Agassiz, British Columbia, the season was November to March. Lowther's table codes the season "i."
Uses
Chiefly a dessert and table apple. Coxe also calls it "an excellent cider apple," and when baked "the best apple I am acquainted with." Lowther's table lists it for both kitchen and market. Warder considers it "not a profitable variety for orchard planting, because the fruit is very apt to be imperfect." Beach recommends it for the home orchard but notes that it has not been found profitable as a commercial sort.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 1 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867) — listed as American Golden Russet
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as American Golden Russet
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Bullock's Pippin
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Bullocks Pippin, Or Sheep Nose
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Bullock's Pippin
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Bullock's Pippin
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1850–1918) from Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850 — listed as American Golden Russet
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864 — listed as American Golden Russet
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as American Golden Russet
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Bullock Pippin
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912 — listed as American Golden Russet
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Bullock Pippin
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918 — listed as American Golden Russet
View original book sources (10)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 40. BULLOCKS PIPPIN, OR SHEEP NOSE.
This is one of the finest apples in New-Jersey, in the autumn and early winter months. In size it is below middling—the skin is yellow, inclining to a russet; the flesh is yellow, rich, juicy, tender and sprightly; it is an excellent cider apple, and when baked, is the best apple I am acquainted with—the form is that of a heart, pointed towards the crown; the stalk short; the tree handsome, the top round and regular, the foliage dark and luxuriant—a great and constant bearer—it is a native of Burlington county New-Jersey—it is sometimes called the Long Tom; it derives one of its names from the family of Bullock, but is more generally distinguished by the vulgar name of Sheep-nose, from a supposed resemblance between the form of the apple and that part of a sheep.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)BULLOCK'S PIPPIN.
American Golden Russet, Sheepnose,
Golden Russet, * Little Pearmain,
Hunt's Russet, Fall Winesap, erroneously.
American. Tree, ultimately of only medium size, with a round regular head, shoots erect, rather slender, admirably suited to rich soils of Southern Ohio, Indiana, the South-west, etc., etc. Grown South, the fruit is almost entirely covered with russet; North, on sandy soils, it is a warm, rich yellow, with only marblings of russet.
Size, small to medium; form, roundish ovate, tapering much toward the eye; color, generally rich golden yellow, overspread with soft russet, and in sun, a marbling of red; stem, slender; cavity, narrow, regular; calyx, small, closed; basin, shallow, sometimes furrowed; flesh, yellowish, tender, juicy, almost buttery, delicate, sprightly; core, large for size of fruit; seeds, full, ovate pyramidal. December to March. November to January, South.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)American Golden Russet. BULLOCK'S PIPPIN, ETC.
This delicious table apple is a universal favorite with all who can appreciate delicacy of flavor and fineness of flesh in an apple, and yet it is not a profitable variety for orchard planting, because the fruit is very apt to be imperfect. The best I have seen were from the South, and sandstone soils.
Tree vigorous, upright, round-headed, small; Foliage large, healthy.
Fruit small to medium, round-conic, regular when perfect; Surface smooth, yellow, covered with thin russet, sometimes faintly blushed; Dots minute.
Basin shallow, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, regular; Stem long, slender.
Core medium, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, pointed; Flesh yellowish, very fine grained, tender, when fully ripe almost melting, like a pear, juicy, becoming dry when over ripe; Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic; Quality very best; Use, dessert; Season, November and December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)American Golden Russet. Golden Russet. Bullock's Pippin. Sheep Nose. Little Pearmain.
The American Golden Russet is one of the most delicious and tender Apples, its flesh resembling more in texture that of a buttery Pear than that of an ordinary Apple. It is widely cultivated at the West and in New England as the Golden Russet, and though neither handsome nor large, is still a universal favorite, from its great productiveness and admirable flavor. The uncouth name of Coxe, Sheep-nose, is nearly obsolete, except in New Jersey, and we therefore adopt the present one, to which it is well entitled. The tree is thrifty, with upright shoots, dull reddish grayish brown.
Fruit below medium size, roundish-ovate, dull yellow, sprinkled with a very thin russet. Stalk rather long and slender. Calyx closed, and set in a rather narrow basin. Flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, with a mild, rich, spicy flavor. Best. October to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Little Pearmain. See Bullock's Pippin.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Bullock's Pippin, or American Golden Russet", pp. 363–363]
Bullock's Pippin, or American Golden Russet.* (Golden Russet, Sheepnose.) Rather small, conical; light yellow, sprinkled and sometimes overspread with thin russet; stalk long, slender; basin very small and narrow, ribbed; flesh yellowish white, very fine grained, becoming very tender, with a mild, rich, slightly sub-acid flavor. Growth erect, shoots rather slender; leaves sharply serrate; tree overbears. Early winter. When well ripened, this apple is exceedingly delicate and tender; sometimes it does not become soft in ripening, when the quality is poor, and often worthless. It is too small to become very popular. Generally rendered worthless at the East by black mildew, and becoming more affected with it at the West. Fig. 399. New Jersey.
— 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.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Bullock (American Golden Russet). — A delicious apple, with flesh more like a buttery pear than that of an ordinary apple. An old New Jersey variety mentioned by Coxe in 1817. Tree thrifty, shoots upright, dull reddish, grayish brown.
Fruit medium or below, roundish, somewhat conical; surface greenish yellow to orange or golden, with more or less of very thin russet, often with distinct bronzed blush; dots obscure, few, minute; cavity rather shallow, acute, regular; stem long, slender; basin shallow, regular, rather narrow; calyx closed. Core closed, clasping; seeds many, pointed; flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, mild, rich, spicy, aromatic subacid, best. October to January.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Bullock's Pippin (3): size large; form re; color yellow-red; quality best; use both kitchen and market; season i; Northern Division 4* (variety reported in more than one division), Central Division 12* (variety reported in more than one division), Southern Division 1* (variety reported in more than one division).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)BULLOCK. Bullock's Pippin. Golden Russet.
Bullock was one of the favorite dessert apples of a century ago, and continued in favor until Downing's time. He speaks of it as "one of the most delicious and tender of apples." The fruits are small, and, with their modest russet skins, are not striking enough to attract much attention now, but its rich, spicy, refreshing flavor makes it too good an apple to be wholly lost. It succeeds best in sandy or gravelly soils. Bullock originated in Burlington County, New Jersey, more than a century ago. Its culture is restricted to the seaboard of the Middle Atlantic states.
Tree not large but vigorous, upright or round-topped. Fruit small or medium, round-conic to ovate, regular in outline, uniform ; stem long, slender ; cavity acuminate, deep, narrow, funnel-shape or compressed ; calyx small, closed ; basin small, often oblique, shallow, narrow, wrinkled ; skin pale yellow, more or less overspread and splashed with thin russet ; dots numerous, small, obscure, russet ; core large, axile, open ; core-lines nearly meeting ; carpels round ; seeds large, plump ; flesh yellow, firm, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy with an agreeable rich, aromatic, mild subacid flavor ; very good to best ; October to January.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1896. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit above medium size, roundish, tapering slightly to the eye. Skin greenish yellow, with a golden russet. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, with a mild rich flavour, quality very good. Season November to March.