Devonshire Quarrenden
Apple
Devonshire Quarrenden
Origin / History
An English variety of considerable antiquity. Bunyard notes it is mentioned by Worlidge in his Vinetum Britannicum in 1678, and suggests it probably takes its name from Carentan, an apple district in Normandy. The Herefordshire Pomona records that it is supposed to be a very old variety, but there is no record of it previous to 1693, when it is mentioned by Ray; it seems to have been unknown to Switzer, Langley, and Miller, and except by Mortimer, it is not noticed by any subsequent writer until within a very recent period. The only early catalogue in which it is mentioned is that of Miller and Sweet, of Bristol, in 1790. It does not appear to have been grown in any of the London nurseries until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Elliott and Downing both classify it simply as "foreign" / "an English fruit." Throughout Herefordshire the Devonshire Quarrenden was the pride of many a cottage garden, with the richly-coloured fruit a source of considerable profit to the housewife; the Herefordshire Pomona notes the fruit is generally larger in size in Herefordshire than in its native county.
Tree
The Herefordshire Pomona describes the tree as attaining a considerable size, particularly hardy, and a most prolific bearer. It succeeds well in almost every soil and situation and is admirably adapted for orchard planting, growing in perfect health and luxuriance in almost every latitude of Great Britain, from Devonshire to the Moray Frith. Bunyard, however, characterizes growth as moderate, rather spreading, with fertility irregular, and notes that the variety is rather subject to canker. Bunyard further describes the leaf as upfolded and undulating. The Central Experimental Farm catalogue (Agassiz BC, planted Spring 1893) records the tree as a vigorous grower.
Fruit
Size: Sources generally describe it as rather below medium to medium. Elliott calls it medium; Downing says "scarcely of medium size"; Thomas calls it medium; the Herefordshire Pomona says "rather below medium size"; Bunyard gives small to medium, with specific dimensions of 2¼ by 1⅞ inches; the Central Experimental Farm catalogue records medium size.
Form: Roundish flattened / oblate. Elliott: "roundish flattened." Downing: "roundish, flattened, and slightly narrowed at the eye." Thomas: "roundish-oblate." Herefordshire Pomona: "oblate and sometimes a little angular in its outline." Bunyard: "flat, irregular." Central Experimental Farm: "roundish flattened."
Stem / Stalk: Elliott describes the stem as short. The Herefordshire Pomona gives it as about three-quarters of an inch long, fleshy at the insertion. Bunyard describes the stem as fairly long.
Cavity: Elliott: deep, russeted at base. Herefordshire Pomona: deeply set in a round funnel-shaped cavity. Bunyard: deep cavity.
Calyx / Eye: Elliott describes the calyx as large and half closed. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the eye as quite closed, with very long tomentose segments. Bunyard: closed.
Basin: Elliott: shallow, slightly ribbed. Herefordshire Pomona: undulating and shallow, sometimes knobbed, and generally lined with thick tomentum. Bunyard: wide shallow basin.
Skin: Elliott: clear, deep red, with specks of russet green. Downing: rich deep crimson, with lighter crimson, sprinkled with numerous green dots. Thomas: crimson. Herefordshire Pomona: smooth and shining, entirely covered with deep purplish red, except where it is shaded by a leaf or twig, where it is of a delicate pale green, presenting a clear and well-defined outline of the object which shades it. Bunyard: covered with dark crimson flush. Central Experimental Farm: nearly crimson, with many greenish dots.
Flesh / Flavour: Elliott: white, tender, sub-acid; "very good." Downing: nearly white, crisp, juicy, with a pleasant subacid flavor; quality "Good." Thomas: crisp, sub-acid. Herefordshire Pomona: white tinged with green, crisp, brisk, and very juicy, with a rich vinous and refreshing flavour; "a very valuable and first-rate dessert apple." Bunyard: crisp, greenish, aromatic; "of most distinct and refreshing flavour." Central Experimental Farm: white, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good.
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late summer to early autumn. Elliott: August. Downing: ripe during all August and September. Thomas: late summer. Herefordshire Pomona: ripens on the tree in the first week of August and lasts till the end of September. Bunyard: dessert, end August–September. Central Experimental Farm: August.
Uses
A dessert apple (Herefordshire Pomona: "a very valuable and first-rate dessert apple"; Bunyard: "Dessert"). The Herefordshire Pomona notes the richly-coloured fruit was a source of considerable profit to cottage housewives in Herefordshire.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard records the French name as "Quarrendon du Comté de Devon" and the German name as "Englisher Scharlach Peppin," and notes "Quarrington" as an error. The Herefordshire Pomona references Plate III, no. 4.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England, Illinois
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- 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
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Red Quarrenden. Devonshire Quarrenden, | Sack Apple. Foreign. Fruit, medium, roundish flattened, clear, deep red, with specks of russet green; stem, short; cavity, deep, russeted at base; calyx, large, half closed; basin, shallow, slightly ribbed; flesh, white, tender, sub-acid; "very good." August.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)Plate III.
- DEVONSHIRE QUARRENDEN.
[Syn. : Quarrington; Red Quarrenden ; Sack Apple.]
The Devonshire Quarrenden is supposed to be a very old variety, but there is no record of it previous to 1693, when it is mentioned by Ray. It seems to have been unknown to Switzer, Langley, and Miller; and, except by Mortimer, it is not noticed by any subsequent writer till within a very recent period. The only early catalogue in which it is mentioned is that of Miller and Sweet, of Bristol, in 1790. It does not seem to have been grown in any of the London nurseries until the beginning of the present century.
Description.—Fruit ; rather below medium size, oblate and sometimes a little angular in its outline. Skin ; smooth and shining, entirely covered with deep purplish red, except where it is shaded by a leaf or twig, and then it is of a delicate pale green, presenting a clear and well-defined outline of the object which shades it. Eye ; quite closed with very long tomentose segments, and placed in an undulating and shallow basin, which is sometimes knobbed, and generally lined with thick tomentum. Stalk ; about three-quarters of an inch long, fleshy at the insertion, deeply set in a round funnel-shaped cavity. Flesh ; white tinged with green, crisp, brisk, and very juicy, with a rich vinous and refreshing flavour.
A very valuable and first-rate dessert apple. It ripens on the tree in the first week of August, and lasts till the end of September.
The tree attains a considerable size, is particularly hardy, and a most prolific bearer. It succeeds well in almost every soil and situation, and is admirably adapted for orchard planting. It grows in perfect health and luxuriance in almost every latitude of Great Britain, from Devonshire to the Moray Frith. Throughout Herefordshire the Devonshire Quarrenden is the pride of many a cottage garden, and the richly-coloured fruit which loads its boughs is a source of considerable profit to the good housewife. The fruit too is generally larger in size in Herefordshire than in its native county.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Devonshire Quarrenden.
Red Quarrenden. Sack Apple.
An English fruit, scarcely of medium size, roundish, flattened, and slightly narrowed at the eye. Skin rich deep crimson, with lighter crimson, sprinkled with numerous green dots. Flesh nearly white, crisp, juicy, with a pleasant subacid flavor. Good. Ripe during all August and September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Devonshire Quarrenden. Medium, roundish-oblate, crimson; crisp, sub-acid. Late summer. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)DEVONSHIRE QUARRENDEN. Her. Pom., p. 3. F., Quarrendon du Comté de Devon; G., Englisher Scharlach Peppin. (Sack, Quarrington (error).) Dessert, end August-September, small to medium, 2¼ by 1⅞, flat, irregular. Colour, covered with dark crimson flush. Flesh, crisp, greenish, aromatic. Eye, closed in a wide shallow basin. Stem, fairly long in a deep cavity. Growth, moderate, rather spreading; fertility irregular. Leaf, upfolded, undulating. Origin, this is mentioned by Worlidge, in his Vinetum Britannicum in 1678, and probably takes its name from Carentan, an apple district in Normandy. Of most distinct and refreshing flavour; rather subject to canker.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1893. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit of medium size, roundish flattened. Skin nearly crimson, with many greenish dots. Flesh white, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season August.