Butter
Apple
Butter
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the sources describe at least three different apples under the name Butter. Downing's Butter, from Pennsylvania, is above medium, yellow, and ripens in September and October. Elliott's Butter Apple is below medium and yellow, marbled and overspread with red. Warder's Butter is small and almost wholly red. Downing reprints Elliott's description as "another Butter apple" and Warder's as "another Butter." Beach states that the references "do not all refer to the same variety." The three descriptions are kept distinct and attributed below.]
Origin / History
Downing's Butter is from Pennsylvania. Elliott calls his Butter Apple "American — probably from Pennsylvania." Warder says the origin of his Butter "has not been definitely traced," and he described it with Fulkerson's as a synonym. He calls it "not very widely diffused," but "a prime favorite with its acquaintances, and the lovers of rich apple-butter."
Downing reprints the Elliott and Warder descriptions as separate varieties. He adds that there are "besides these, three or four different varieties under the name of Butter, which appears to be a favorite name with some to apply to any good sweet apple for sauce or cooking." Beach cites the name in Elliott (1854), Downing (1857 and 1869), Warder (1867), Fitz (1872), Thomas (1875), and Ragan (1905). He assigns the above-medium yellow apple of September and October to Downing's editions of 1857 and 1869, and he judges that these references do not all describe one variety.
Tree
Downing's Butter is vigorous, upright, and very productive.
Fruit
Size: Above medium in Downing's Butter, below medium in Elliott's, and small in Warder's.
Form: Roundish in Downing's Butter and regular roundish in Elliott's. Very regular and oblate in Warder's.
Stem: Short in Downing's Butter, long and slender in Elliott's, and of medium thickness and rather long in Warder's.
Cavity: Deep and round in Downing's Butter. Narrow and deep in Elliott's, with russet near and in the cavity. Acute, regular, and brown in Warder's.
Calyx: Small and closed in Downing's Butter, half closed in Elliott's, and rather large and closed in Warder's.
Basin: Large and open in Downing's Butter, abrupt and ribbed in Elliott's, and medium, regular or folded, in Warder's.
Skin: Yellow and fair in Downing's Butter. Yellow, marbled and overspread with red, in Elliott's. Warder's has a very smooth surface, so covered with mixed red as rarely to show the yellow ground color, with darker stripes of deep red laid over it.
Dots: Few, yellow, russet (Elliott). Minute and inconspicuous (Warder).
Flesh and flavor: Downing's Butter has whitish flesh, "very sweet and rich." Elliott's has yellowish white, tender, sweet flesh, which he rates "very good." Warder's has yellow, tender, fine-grained, juicy flesh, "with a sweet, rich and aromatic flavor."
Core and seeds: Core medium in Elliott's, with roundish ovate seeds. Core wide, large, and closed in Warder's, with large, plump, pointed seeds.
Season
The recorded season runs from September to February. Downing's Butter ripens in September and October, Warder's in October to January, and Elliott's in November to February.
Uses
Downing calls his Butter valuable for cooking and esteemed for making apple-butter. Warder calls his valuable for stock and for apple-butter.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
"The numerous so-called varieties which appear under this name are not certainly distinct sorts. Butter appears to be a favorite name for any good apple
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Butter Apple, American — probably from Pennsylvania. Fruit, below medium, regular roundish, red marbling and overspreading yellow, few yellow russet dots, russet near and in cavity of stem ; stem, long, slender ; cavity, narrow, deep ; calyx, half closed ; basin, abrupt, ribbed ; core, medium ; seeds, roundish ovate : flesh, yellowish white, tender, sweet ; "very good." November to February.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Butter.
FULKERSON'S.
The origin of this fruit has not been definitely traced, and though not very widely diffused, it is a prime favorite with its acquaintances, and the lovers of rich apple-butter.
Fruit small, very regular, oblate ; Surface very smooth, and so covered with mixed red as rarely to show the yellow ground color ; upon this are laid darker stripes of deep red ; Dots minute and inconspicuous.
Basin medium, regular, or folded ; Eye rather large, closed.
Cavity acute, regular, brown ; Stem of medium thickness, rather long.
Core wide, large, closed ; with large, plump, pointed seeds ; Flesh yellow, tender, fine grained, juicy ; with a sweet, rich and aromatic flavor. Valuable for stock and for apple-butter ; Season, October to January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Butter.
From Pennsylvania. Tree vigorous, upright, very productive. Fruit above medium, roundish, yellow, fair. Stalk short. Cavity deep and round. Calyx small, closed. Basin large and open. Flesh whitish, very sweet and rich, valuable for cooking, and esteemed for making apple-butter. September and October.
Another Butter apple is described in Elliott as follows : — " Fruit below medium, regular roundish, red marbling and overspreading yellow, few yellow russet dots, russet near and in cavity of stem. Stem long, slender. Cavity narrow, deep. Calyx half closed. Basin abrupt, ribbed. Core medium. Seeds roundish ovate. Flesh yellowish white, tender, sweet. Very good. November to February."
Another Butter is thus described by Warder, with Fulkerson's as a synonym : — " Fruit small, very regular, oblate. Surface very smooth and so covered with mixed red as rarely to show the yellow ground color ; upon this are laid darker stripes of deep red. Dots minute and inconspicuous. Basin medium, regular, folded. Eye rather large, closed. Cavity acute. Stem of medium thickness, rather long. Core wide ; large, plump pointed seed. Flesh yellow, tender, fine-grained, juicy, with a sweet rich and aromatic flavor. October to January."
There are, besides these, three or four different varieties under the name of Butter, which appears to be a favorite name with some to apply to any good sweet apple for sauce or cooking.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)BUTTER.
REFERENCES. 1. Elliott, 1854:125, 159, 174. 2. Downing, 1857:125. 3. Warder, 1867:392. 4. Downing, 1869:112. 5. Fitz, 1872:152. 6. Thomas, 1875:495. 7. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:60. 1905.
SYNONYMS. None.
Downing describes a variety under this name which is above medium size, yellow, with whitish flesh, very sweet and rich, valuable for cooking and esteemed for making apple butter; season September and October (2, 4). Other varieties have been known under the name Butter which, as Downing remarks, "appears to be a favorite name with some to apply to any good sweet apple for sauce or cooking." The references above cited do not all refer to the same variety.