Dartmouth
Apple
Stark Bros. Year Book (1910)
Dartmouth
Origin / History
Dartmouth originated in New Hampshire (Beach; Hedrick) and was first described in 1883 (Hedrick). Thomas attributes the variety to Massachusetts ("Mass.") — this conflicts with Beach and Hedrick, who place its origin in New Hampshire.
Tree
Beach describes the tree as a moderately vigorous or rather slow grower; Hedrick describes it as vigorous. Both agree it is upright-spreading and open in form (Beach adds "to roundish"), with moderately long (Beach) or long (Hedrick), stout, crooked branches. The tree is not a vigorous grower overall, comes into bearing rather early, and yields full crops in alternate years (Beach; Hedrick concurs on alternate-year bearing and notes the trees are "none too vigorous").
Twigs: short, curved, moderately stout; internodes short (Beach).
Bark: clear brown, mingled with olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips (Beach).
Lenticels: scattering, small, round, slightly raised (Beach).
Buds: rather prominent, medium to large, long, narrow, acute, free, slightly pubescent (Beach).
Leaves: Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Thomas) to medium-large or large (Beach; Hedrick; Stark Bros. calls the fruit "large" and "handsome").
Form: Oblate or roundish oblate, ribbed (Beach; Hedrick).
Stem: Long and slender, often bracted (Beach; Hedrick).
Cavity: Acute, broad, deep, russeted (Beach; Hedrick).
Calyx: Small; lobes long, reflexed (Beach; Hedrick). Calyx tube elongated cone-shape, approaching funnel-form (Beach); elongated-cone-shape (Hedrick). Stamens marginal.
Basin: Rather broad and shallow (Beach); broad and shallow (Hedrick).
Skin: Pale yellow, almost entirely overlaid with bright red deepening to a dark red or purple on the exposed side (Beach; Hedrick describes the deepening as dark red, omitting purple), dotted with yellow and covered with a heavy bluish bloom (Beach; Hedrick describes the bloom as "heavy" without specifying bluish). Thomas describes the variety simply as "yellow." Stark Bros. describes the fruit as "a rich dark red color, handsomely striped." Brilliantly colored and very prepossessing in appearance (Beach; Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor: Yellowish, tinged with red next the skin (Beach); yellow, tinged with red next the skin (Hedrick). Fine-grained, juicy, mild subacid; good in quality and flavor (Beach; Hedrick). Thomas describes the flavor as "sweet, good." Of fine flavor (Hedrick).
Core / Seeds: Core large, abaxile; cells open; core lines clasping (Beach; Hedrick). Seeds not separately described.
Season
August (Beach; Hedrick). October (Thomas). Hedrick notes the fruit ripens too early for either market or home use.
Uses
Hedrick judges the fruit ripens too early for either market or home use, despite its prepossessing appearance and fine flavor. Stark Bros. promotes it as "an exquisite, beautiful apple for shipping and fine table use" and, being a heavy producer, "good for orchards" — this conflicts with Hedrick's assessment.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1900–1912) from England, Illinois, Missouri
- 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
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
View original book sources (4)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Dartmouth. Medium, yellow; sweet, good. October. Mass.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)DARTMOUTH.
REFERENCES. 1. Barry, 1883:359. 2. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 15:277. 1896. 3. Lyon, Mich. Sta. Bul., 143:200. 1897. 4. Farrand, Ib., 205:47. 1903. 5. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 36:363. 1905.
SYNONYMS. None.
Fruit large, brilliantly colored, good in flavor and quality. The tree is not a vigorous grower, comes into bearing rather early and yields full crops in alternate years.
Historical. Origin New Hampshire (1).
TREE. Tree a moderately vigorous or rather slow grower with moderately long, stout, crooked branches. Form upright spreading to roundish, open. Twigs short, curved, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark clear brown, mingled with olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels scattering, small, round, slightly raised. Buds rather prominent, medium to large, long, narrow, acute, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit medium to large. Form oblate or roundish oblate, ribbed. Stem long and slender, often bracted. Cavity acute, broad, deep, russeted. Calyx small; lobes long, reflexed. Basin rather broad, shallow. Skin pale yellow, almost entirely overlaid with bright red deepening to a dark red or purple on the exposed side, dotted with yellow and covered with a heavy bluish bloom. Calyx tube elongated cone-shape approaching funnel-form. Stamens marginal. Core large, abaxile; cells open; core lines clasping. Flesh yellowish, tinged with red next the skin, fine-grained, juicy, mild subacid, good in quality and flavor. Season August.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)DARTMOUTH. The fruits of Dartmouth are large and brilliantly colored, very prepossessing in appearance, and of fine flavor, but ripen too early for either market or home use. The trees are none too vigorous and bear only in alternate years. The variety originated in New Hampshire and was first described in 1883.
Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, open, with long, stout, crooked branches. Fruit medium to large, oblate or round-oblate, ribbed; stem long and slender, often bracted; cavity acute, broad, deep, russeted; calyx small; lobes long, reflexed; basin broad, shallow; skin pale yellow, overlaid with bright red deepening to a dark red on the exposed side, dotted with yellow and covered with heavy bloom; calyx-tube elongated-cone-shape; stamens marginal; core large, abaxile; cells open; core-lines clasping; flesh yellow, tinged with red next the skin, fine-grained, juicy, mild subacid; good; August.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)An exquisite, beautiful apple for shipping and fine table use. Being a heavy producer, good for orchards. First large, handsome fruit of a rich dark red color, handsomely striped...