Egg Top
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Egg Top
Origin / History
An old variety of uncertain origin. Elliott marks it foreign. Cited under the name Egg Top in Mag. Hort., 10:210, 1844. Beach (1905) says a few trees are occasionally found in the oldest orchards but it is now nearly obsolete.
Tree
Large, moderately vigorous, a regular and abundant bearer (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Not so large as Black Gilliflower (Beach).
Form: Oblong ovate (Elliott); elongated, oblong, conic oval (Downing). Similar in shape to Black Gilliflower (Beach).
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Pale yellow, striped with red (Elliott). Mostly overspread, and splashed and striped with shades of red (Downing). Somewhat streaked and shaded with red (Beach).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white to yellowish white, tender, moderately juicy, subacid. Pleasant flavored but not high in quality (Beach). Elliott rates it "inferior"; Downing, "Scarcely good."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late fall to midwinter (Beach). November to February (Elliott); Downing gives November, December.
Uses
Good for dessert but not for cooking (Beach).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1845) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Early June
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Egg Top. Eve, | Pound Top, Sheep Nose, of some, | Wine, of some, West. Foreign. Medium, oblong ovate, pale yellow, striped with red ; flesh, yellowish white, tender, inferior. November to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Egg Top.
Eve. Sheep Nose. Round Top. Wine of some.
Fruit medium, elongated, oblong, conic oval, mostly overspread, and splashed and striped with shades of red. Flesh white, tender, moderately juicy, subacid. Scarcely good. November, December.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)EGG TOP.
REFERENCES. 1. Mag. Hort., 10:210. 1844. 2. Elliott, 1854:169. 3. Hooper, 1857:34. 4. Warder, 1867:717. 5. Downing, 1869:159. 6. Thomas, 1875:498.
SYNONYMS. Early June (3). EGG TOP (1, 2, 4, 5, 6). Eggtop (3). EVE APPLE (3). Eve (2, 5). Round Top (2, 5). Sheepnose (2, 5). Wine of some (2, 5).
Fruit similar in shape to Black Gilliflower but not so large, somewhat streaked and shaded with red, pleasant flavored but not high in quality; good for dessert but not for cooking. Tree large, moderately vigorous and a regular and abundant bearer. In season from late fall to midwinter.
Historical. An old variety of uncertain origin. A few trees of it are occasionally found in the oldest orchards but it is now nearly obsolete.