Catshead
Apple
Catshead
Origin/History
An old English variety, known from the seventeenth century. Ray described it as long ago as 1688. Formerly grown in some of the home orchards of New York state, but by the early twentieth century practically obsolete. Bunyard (1920) considered it not worthy of cultivation, having been superseded by other culinary varieties such as Lord Derby.
Tree
Growth strong; fertile when aged (Bunyard). The fruit is apt to drop from the tree owing to its great weight (Coxe). Leaf large, round, pale, flat, with curved serrate margins (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size
Very large; among the largest of apples. Bunyard gives dimensions of 3¼ by 3½ inches.
Form
Sources differ on the form:
- Coxe (1817): round, flattened at the ends, and deeply hollowed.
- Downing (1900): round, quite smooth.
- Elliott (1865): roundish.
- Bunyard (1920): long oblong, conical, irregular.
Stem
Short and thick, so deeply sunk as to be almost imperceptible (Coxe).
Cavity
Deeply hollowed (Coxe).
Calyx
Not described in source.
Basin
Not described in source.
Skin
Greenish yellow (Coxe); pale green (Downing, Beach); yellowish green (Elliott); pale yellowish-green with a faint brown flush (Bunyard). Surface quite smooth (Downing).
Flesh/Flavor
Flesh white (Coxe, Elliott); tender (Downing, Bunyard); coarse (Elliott). Juice subacid (Downing, Beach, Bunyard); Elliott describes the flavor as sharp acid. Coxe notes it is deficient in point of richness and flavour. Downing rates it "Good."
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
October and November (Downing, Elliott); October to January (Bunyard).
Uses
A culinary apple. Used principally for cooking and for drying/evaporating; cultivated for drying in some parts of the country (Downing, Beach, Coxe). Of little other value except as a cooking apple (Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Elliott (1865) notes: "There is another one of this name, equally worthless, same shape, but striped yellow and red."
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Cathead
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905) — listed as Cathead
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Cathead
View original book sources (6)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 55. CATHEAD.
This is a very large round apple ; flattened at the ends, and deeply hollowed: the stalk is short and thick, so deeply sunk as to be almost imperceptible the colour a greenish yellow, the flesh white: a good apple for cooking and drying, but apt to drop from the tree from its great weight, and deficient in point of richness and flavour.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Catshead. Round Catshead. Cathead Greening. A very large Apple, cultivated for drying in some parts of the country, but of little other value except as a cooking apple. Fruit of the largest size, round, quite smooth, pale green. Flesh tender, with a subacid juice. Good. October and November.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)CATHEAD.
REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:56. 2. Coxe, 1817:133. fig. 3. Thacher, 1822:122. 4. Floy-Lindley, 1833:48. 5. Downing, 1845:103. 6. Thomas, 1849:179. 7. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:86. 1851. 8. Elliott, 1854:168. 9. Warder, 1867:715. 10. Leroy, 1873:842. fig. 11. Hogg, 1884:41.
SYNONYMS. CATHEAD (2, 3, 8). Cathead Greening (5, 6, 8). CATSHEAD (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11). Catshead (4, 10). Catshead Greening (10). Costard (4). Costard Ray (7). Coustard (4). De Seigneur d'Automne (10). Grosse-Schafnase (10). Round Catshead (5, 8, 10). Schafnase (10). Tete d'Ange (10). TETE DE CHAT (10).
Formerly grown in some of the home orchards of the state but now practically obsolete. Fruit very large, pale green, subacid. Used for cooking and evaporating. An old English variety. Ray described it as long ago as 1688 (4).
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cathead. Cathead Greening, | Round Catshead. Large, roundish, yellowish green; flesh, white, coarse, sharp acid. October, November. There is another one of this name, equally worthless, same shape, but striped yellow and red.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cat-head Greening. See Cat-head.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)CATSHEAD. Her. Pom., L. F., Tête du Chat; G., Schafsnase. (Katzenkopf, Catshead Greening.) Culinary, October to January, large, 3¼ by 3½, long oblong, conical, irregular. Colour, pale yellowish-green, faint brown flush. Flesh, tender, white, sub-acid. Growth, strong; fertile when aged. Leaf, large, round, pale, flat, curved serrate. Origin, Old English sort, known from seventeenth century. Not worthy of cultivation. Superseded by others such as Lord Derby.