Dumelow

Origin / History

Dumelow is English (Downing); Elliott lists it simply as "Foreign." According to Beach, citing Hogg, it takes its name from the farmer with whom it originated. Beach also records that it had long been extensively cultivated under the name of Dumelow's Crab before it was first exhibited to the Royal Horticultural Society, London, in 1820 under the name Wellington. Bunyard says it was raised at Shakerstone, Leicester, by Mr. Dummelow, "in the latter part of the nineteenth century," whereas Beach places its exhibition in 1820.

In England it is esteemed as one of the most valuable culinary apples (Beach, citing Hogg).

Tree

Tree vigorous to very vigorous, a very strong grower. Form upright, becoming rather round, with spreading and somewhat drooping branches. Twigs medium or rather long, nearly straight, somewhat stocky, somewhat pubescent; internodes medium or above. Bark rather clear light brownish-red over olive-green, with slight scarf-skin. Lenticels characteristically conspicuous, very numerous, medium to very large, usually elongated, raised. Buds large to below medium, plump, rather acute, somewhat appressed, decidedly pubescent (Beach).

Leaves fairly large to large, long and rather broad, rather pale, nearly flat, very coarsely serrate or crenate; petioles red at base. Beach gives the leaf dimensions and the petiole color; Bunyard gives the pale color, flatness, and serration.

Quite productive in alternate years (Beach); Bunyard rates its fertility fair. Bunyard says it is apt to canker.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large, the larger end given by Downing ("rather large") and Beach ("above medium to large"). Beach adds that the fruit is pretty uniform in size and shape and of good marketable size. Bunyard measures it at 3 by 2¼.

Form: Round to roundish, somewhat oblate or flattened round, regular (Bunyard). Beach notes it is sometimes obscurely ribbed.

Stem: Medium to very short. Beach gives medium to rather short; Bunyard calls it very short, set in a very shallow cavity or almost on the surface.

Cavity: Rather narrow, acute to acuminate, symmetrical, sometimes russeted (Beach). Depth very shallow to deep. Beach gives moderately shallow to deep; Bunyard calls it very shallow, with the stem almost on the surface.

Calyx: Large, open, the lobes separated at the base; Bunyard also calls the eye open. Beach describes the calyx tube as conical or funnel-form, with broad limb and short truncate cylinder, and the stamens as basal.

Basin: Variable, flat to moderately deep, obtuse to abrupt, irregularly furrowed and wrinkled. Bunyard calls it a flat wrinkled basin; Beach gives shallow to moderately deep, somewhat wrinkled.

Skin: Tough (Beach). Prevailing color yellow, rather pale bright yellow to creamy-yellow, with a blush red. Beach describes the color as sometimes blushed with light red and striped with thin carmine; Bunyard calls it a scarlet flush. Rather attractive for a yellow apple (Beach).

Dots: Often submerged, dark gray or with russet point (Beach). Elliott notes brown spots.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white to yellow. Elliott and Downing call it yellow and Bunyard white; Beach gives whitish with slight yellow tinge. Firm, crisp, moderately fine, tender, very juicy, slightly aromatic. Flavor brisk. Elliott, Downing, and Bunyard call it acid; Beach calls it brisk subacid, though too acid to be agreeable for dessert. Downing rates it "Good"; Beach calls it "good for cooking."

Core and seeds: Core below medium to rather small, usually more or less abaxile. Cells not always symmetrical, partly closed particularly toward the apex, or open. Core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish cordate, emarginate. Seeds small to medium, wide, plump, acute to obtuse, dark (Beach).

Season

November to March or April. The other authors close the season in March; Beach extends it to April. A good keeper (Beach, citing Hogg and Beach and Clark).

Uses

Culinary; excellent for cooking, but not for dessert (Beach). Bunyard calls it "one of the best of cooking apples for those who like a brisk acidity." Beach judged it possibly worthy of growing to a limited extent for market. He found it inferior to good red apples like Baldwin and Sutton both in appearance and for dessert uses.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach's references begin with Lindley, Ronalds, and the Catalogue of the Horticultural Society of London, all of 1831. They continue through Diel (1832), Kenrick and Floy-Lindley (1833), Thomas and Rivers (1849), Emmons (1851), Downing (1857), Elliott (1858), Lucas (1859), Warder (1867), Leroy (1873), Hogg (1884), Bailey (1892), Bredsted (1893), the Illinois Station Bulletin 45 (1896), and Eneroth-Smirnoff (1901). They end with Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul. 248 (1904). Bunyard cites Ronalds, p. 19.