Cannon Pearmain
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
An American apple originating in Virginia or North Carolina (Beach; Warder says "probably from North Carolina"). Much grown in North Carolina and some portions of the West (Downing). Warder notes it was "grown to some extent in parts of the West, where it proves a substitute for the Ben Davis, keeping longer." Beach states it was "valued in the South as a long keeping apple of fairly good quality" but "not adapted to New York conditions."
Tree
Vigorous, healthy, spreading, and productive. Warder notes the tree is "productive when old." Elliott describes it as a "good grower, branches diverging."
Fruit
Size: Generally described as medium (Warder, Downing, Beach), though Beach says medium to nearly large, Thomas describes it as rather large, and Elliott calls it small.
Form: Roundish to ovate or oblong-conical. Warder describes it as round, oblong or ovate, regular. Downing says roundish conic. Beach says ovate varying to roundish, regular, symmetrical, pretty uniform. Thomas says roundish or oblong-conical. Elliott says roundish.
Skin: Yellow ground color, shaded and striped with red. Warder: smooth, yellow, shaded red, faintly striped. Downing: yellow, striped and marbled with red and dark crimson, with large grayish dots. Beach: greenish-yellow, mottled and washed with bright red, faintly striped with carmine. Elliott: yellow, with dull red and large yellow specks. Thomas: red on yellow.
Dots: Large, yellowish or gray. Warder: large, yellow, gray. Downing: large grayish dots. Beach: yellowish, often areolar with russet point. Elliott: large yellow specks.
Stem: Sources disagree on length. Warder describes the stem as long, slender, and red. Downing and Elliott both describe it as short.
Cavity: Warder: acute, often lipped. Downing: small, russeted. Elliott: shallow, russety. Thomas: small.
Calyx/Eye: Sources disagree. Warder: eye small, closed. Downing: calyx large, open. Elliott: calyx small, closed.
Basin: Warder: deep, abrupt, regular, rarely wavy. Downing: large, round, deep, and open, corrugated. Elliott: furrowed. Thomas: abrupt.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellow, firm, subacid. Warder: yellow, firm, breaking; flavor mild subacid; quality "only good." Downing: yellow, firm, with a rich, brisk, subacid flavor; quality "very good." Beach: tinged with yellow, very firm, somewhat coarse, crisp, juicy, aromatic, subacid; quality "good." Elliott: yellow, crisp, sprightly. Thomas: yellowish, firm, rich, spicy, mild subacid.
Core/Seeds: Warder: core medium, regular, oval, closed, clasping; seeds numerous, long, pointed. Beach: core medium, axile, closed; core lines somewhat clasping.
Season
December to April. Downing and Elliott give December to March. Warder and Beach give January to April. Thomas says it keeps "till spring."
Uses
Market, kitchen, and table (Warder). Valued as a long-keeping apple (Beach, Warder).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Warder includes a figure (Fig. 279) of the Cannon Pearmain.
Beach provides the following references: Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:102, 1851 (fig.); Downing, 1857:126; Elliott, 1858:126; Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1860; Mag. Hort., 27:99, 1861; Warder, 1867:676 (fig.); Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1871:38; Barry, 1883:344; Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:236; Ala. Sta. Bul., 47:7, 1893; Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:39, 1903.
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) lists Cannon Pearmain in a variety-characteristic table:
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Cannon Pearmain M re rs VG f W 7* 2*
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Cannon Pearmain.
A southern apple; probably from North Carolina. Grown to some extent in parts of the West, where it proves a substitute for the Ben Davis, keeping longer.
Fig. 279. — CANNON PEARMAIN.
Tree vigorous, healthy, productive when old; Fruit medium, round, oblong or ovate, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, shaded red, faintly striped; Dots large, yellow, gray.
Basin deep, abrupt, regular, rarely wavy; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, often lipped; Stem long, slender, red.
Core medium, regular, oval, closed, clasping; Seeds numerous, long, pointed; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking; Flavor mild sub-acid; Quality only good; Use, market, kitchen, table; Season, January to April.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cannon Pearmain.
Tree vigorous, spreading, and productive ; much grown in North Carolina, and some portions of the West.
Fruit medium, roundish conic. Color yellow, striped, and marbled with red and dark crimson, with large grayish dots. Stalk short. Cavity small, russeted. Calyx large, open. Basin large, round, deep, and open, corrugated. Flesh yellow, firm, with a rich, brisk, subacid flavor. Very good. December to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)CANNON PEARMAIN.
REFERENCES. 1. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:102. 1851. fig. 2. Downing, 1857:126. 3. Elliott, 1858:126. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1860. 5. Mag. Hort., 27:99. 1861. 6. Warder, 1867:676. fig. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1871:38. 8. Barry, 1883:344. 9. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:236. 10. Ala. Sta. Bul., 47:7. 1893. 11. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:39. 1903.
SYNONYM. Cannon Pearmain (8).
Valued in the South as a long keeping apple of fairly good quality. Not adapted to New York conditions.
Historical. Originated in Virginia or North Carolina (2, 3, 6, 7).
TREE.
Tree healthy, vigorous, spreading.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to nearly large, ovate varying to roundish, regular, symmetrical; pretty uniform. Skin greenish-yellow, mottled and washed with bright red faintly striped with carmine. Dots yellowish, often areolar with russet point. Core medium, axile, closed; core lines somewhat clasping. Flesh tinged with yellow, very firm, somewhat coarse, crisp, juicy, aromatic, subacid, good.
Season January to April.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Cannon Pearmain M re rs VG f W 7* 2*
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cannon Pearmain. American. Tree, good grower, branches diverging. Fruit, small, roundish, yellow, with dull red and large yellow specks; stem, short; cavity, shallow, russety; calyx, small, closed; basin, furrowed; flesh, yellow, crisp, sprightly. December to March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cannon Pearmain. Rather large, roundish or oblong-conical; red on yellow; cavity small, basin abrupt; flesh yellowish, firm, rich, spicy, mild sub-acid. Keep still spring. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. North Carolina.