Christmas Pearmain

Apple

Christmas Pearmain

Origin / History

A seedling raised by Mr. Manser and introduced by Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co. in 1895. The firm's 1901 catalog gives its reason for buying the variety: "our idea was that it would take the place of the King of Pippins for dessert or market, as the latter is subject to canker, and can only be grown well in a few localities."

Tree

Growth compact. A good grower, free from canker. An enormous cropper, extraordinarily fertile and prolific. Leaf rather small and rather pale, slightly upfolded, undulated, finely serrate (Bunyard, 1920).

Fruit

Size: Medium or moderate; 2½ by 2 (Bunyard, 1920).

Form: Oval, conical, regular.

Stem: Short.

Cavity: Small, round.

Calyx: Eye wide open.

Basin: Shallow, even.

Skin: Dull yellow with a red cheek or flush, brownish red (Bunyard, 1920) or scarlet (1901 Bunyard catalog), with slight russet or russet markings and faint stripes.

Dots: Not described in source.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, subacid. Called "pleasantly flavoured" (Bunyard, 1920) and "of excellent flavour" (1901 Bunyard catalog).

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

November into January. Bunyard (1920) and Veitch give November and December. The 1914 Bunyard catalog gives December to January.

Uses

Dessert, and also intended by its introducers for market. Bunyard (1920) calls it "valuable for small gardens on account of its tree cropping powers," and the 1914 Bunyard catalog also recommends it for small gardens.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England

Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917

View original book sources (4)

CHRISTMAS PEARMAIN. Dessert, November to December, medium, 2½ by 2, oval, conical, regular. Colour, dull yellow with brownish-red flush, slight russet and faint stripes. Flesh, firm, yellowish, pleasantly flavoured. Eye, wide open in a shallow even basin. Stem, short in a small round cavity. Growth, compact; extraordinarily fertile. Leaf, rather pale, slightly upfolded, undulated, rather small, finely serrate. Origin, a seedling raised by Mr. Manser, and introduced by Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., in 1895. This fruit is valuable for small gardens on account of its tree cropping powers.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Medium, of excellent flavour, with scarlet cheek and russet markings, an enormous cropper; the tree is a good grower, free from canker. In purchasing it, our idea was that it would take the place of the King of Pippins for dessert or market, as the latter is subject to canker, and can only be grown well in a few localities.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)

medium size, of excellent flavour, the tree is a good grower, an enormous cropper and free from canker ... Nov. & Dec.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

Dessert; Dec.-Jan. Moderate size, conical, red cheek with russet; flesh crisp, sub-acid; extraordinarily prolific; recommended for small gardens. Raised by Mr. Manser, and introduced by our firm in 1895.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)