Cornish Aromatic
Apple
Cornish Aromatic
Origin / History
A foreign (English) apple variety. Bunyard records that it originated in Cornwall, perhaps in the seventeenth century, and notes it appears in Ronalds (p. 15) as "Aromatic Russet." Warder reports that the variety was imported and tested at Louisville, Kentucky, by Mr. George Heinsohn, who furnished specimens of this and other European varieties.
Tree
Growth compact, twiggy; moderately fertile (Bunyard). Leaf medium, rather long oval, crenate (Bunyard). Elliott notes that the variety requires rich, warm, sandy soil.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large (Warder); medium (Downing, Elliott, Thomas, Bunyard). Bunyard gives dimensions of 3 by 3 inches.
Form: Roundish, a little flattened, regular (Warder); roundish, angular (Downing); roundish regular, sometimes a little conical (Elliott); roundish, ribbed (Thomas); round, conical, uneven (Bunyard).
Stem: Medium to long, slender (Warder); long, slender (Elliott); rather short, set in a wide russet cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity: Medium depth, narrow (Warder); regular, open, rather deep (Elliott); wide and russet (Bunyard).
Calyx / Eye: Eye medium, closed (Warder); calyx small (Elliott); eye very small, closed (Bunyard).
Basin: Medium, abrupt, regular or furrowed (Warder); abrupt, furrowed (Elliott); shallow, ribbed (Bunyard).
Skin / Surface: Surface smooth, yellow ground washed with rich red, with yellow russet dots and spots (Warder). Color rich red, much marked with russet yellow dots, on a pale russet ground (Downing). Yellow ground, mostly overspread with rich red, dotted with yellow russet spots (Elliott). Red (Thomas). Golden-yellow with red flush and russet (Bunyard).
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; flavor sub-acid, aromatic, spicy (Warder). Yellow, with a rich, aromatic, subacid flavor; rated "Good" (Downing). Yellow, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, of a flavor closely allied to Esopus Spitzenberg (Elliott). Rich sub-acid, aromatic (Thomas). Yellow, crisp, aromatic (Bunyard). Bunyard considers the apple "of the highest quality, and appearance."
Core / Seeds: Core medium, somewhat open, clasping; seeds large, plump, angular (Warder). Core open, hollow, regular form; seeds large (Elliott).
Season
November to February (Warder, Elliott); October to December (Downing); Autumn (Thomas); Dessert, December to February (Bunyard).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Probably Aromatic Carolina.
Probably Gov. list No. 977.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from England, Illinois
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Aromatic Russet
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Aromatic Russet
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Cornish Aromatic.
This foreign variety was imported and tested at Louisville, Kentucky, by Mr. George Heinsohn, to whom I am indebted for specimens of other European varieties.
Fruit medium to large, roundish, a little flattened, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, washed rich red; Dots and spots yellow russet.
Basin medium, abrupt, regular or furrowed; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity medium depth, narrow; Stem medium to long, slender.
Core medium, somewhat open, clasping; Seeds large, plump, angular; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, spicy; Season November to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cornish Aromatic. An English Apple. Fruit of medium size, roundish, angular. Color rich red, much marked with russet yellow dots, on a pale russet ground. Flesh yellow, with a rich, aromatic, subacid flavor. Good. October to December.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cornish Aromatic.
Foreign : requires rich, warm, sandy soil. Size, medium ; form, roundish regular, sometimes a little conical ; color, yellow ground, mostly overspread with rich red, dotted with yellow russet spots ; stem, long, slender ; cavity, regular, open, rather deep ; calyx, small ; basin, abrupt, furrowed ; flesh, yellow, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, of flavor closely allied to Esopus Spitzenberg ; core, open, hollow, regular form ; seeds, large. November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cornish Aromatic. Medium, roundish, ribbed, red; rich sub-acid, aromatic. Autumn. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)CORNISH AROMATIC. Ronalds, p. 15. (as Aromatic Russet). Dessert, December to February, medium, 3 by 3, round, conical, uneven. Colour, golden-yellow with red flush and russet. Flesh, yellow, crisp, aromatic. Eye, very small, closed in a shallow ribbed basin. Stem, rather short in a wide russet cavity. Growth, compact, twiggy; moderately fertile. Leaf, medium, rather long oval, crenate. Origin, originated in Cornwall, perhaps in the seventeenth century. This apple is of the highest quality, and appearance.