Evening Party
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Evening Party
Origin / History
Originated in Berks County, Pennsylvania (Warder, Downing, Beach, Elliott, Thomas, Budd-Hansen). The variety was brought into notice by Dr. Brinkle of Philadelphia in his ad-interim reports, and also in Hoffy's Fruits (Warder). It was tested with entire satisfaction by J. D. G. Nelson, President of the Indiana Horticultural Society, who always had admirers of the fruit exhibited by him at the winter meetings (Warder). At mid-winter it takes the place which is occupied in summer by the Early Joe, and in autumn by the Jefferies, Dr. Watson, and Cooper (Warder).
By the time of Beach's writing it had been known in cultivation for fifty years, but was little grown in New York and its cultivation was not being extended (Beach). Some growers found the tree unproductive, but others reported that it was a biennial bearer producing so abundantly that the fruit was small if it was not thinned and the tree well pruned (Beach). When highly colored it is decidedly attractive, but often it does not color well and usually is below medium in size; it is not recommended for commercial planting (Beach). Elliott described it as "a new variety that promises valuable for small gardens."
Tree
Tree medium in size, vigorous (Downing, Thomas, Budd-Hansen) to moderately vigorous (Beach); productive (Budd-Hansen, Thomas — "a good bearer"); health vigorous (Thomas). Some sources find the tree unproductive while others report biennial heavy bearing (Beach, see History). Form roundish, upright spreading (Downing), or roundish with long spreading branches (Beach), with slender branches (Downing).
Young shoots dark grayish brown with many small dots (Downing); young shoots reddish, old wood gray (Elliott). Twigs dark reddish-brown, slender to rather stout, curved at base; internodes long to very long (Beach). Bark generally dull brownish-red with a rather strong undertone of olive-green in places; scarf-skin uniform, moderately light (Beach). Lenticels inconspicuous, raised, numerous, above medium to rather small, roundish (Beach). Buds medium size, moderately obtuse, quite pubescent (Beach).
The fruit hangs well to the tree, and the foliage remains until quite late (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Sources vary. Warder: medium to small. Downing: small or medium. Beach: above medium to rather small (usually below medium when not well thinned). Elliott: medium. Thomas: rather large. Budd-Hansen: small to medium. Lowther: medium.
Form: Regular, quite flat (Warder); oblate, sides often unequal (Downing); oblate to roundish, pretty symmetrical, uniform (Beach); roundish flattened (Elliott); oblate, slightly oval (Thomas); oblate, often unequal, slightly oval (Budd-Hansen); flat (Lowther).
Stem / Stalk: Stem medium, green, slender (Warder); stalk short, inserted in the cavity (Downing, Thomas); stem short (Elliott); stem short, medium in thickness, seldom exserted (Beach); stem short, slender, green (Budd-Hansen).
Cavity: Wide, deep, regular, brown (Warder); round, deep, acute, sometimes russeted (Downing); acute to acuminate, deep, moderately broad, usually smooth, occasionally with outspreading russet rays, symmetrical (Beach); deep (Elliott); round, deep, often russeted (Thomas); deep, acute, wide, regular, often russeted (Budd-Hansen).
Calyx / Eye: Eye small, closed; segments long (Warder); calyx closed (Downing, Elliott, Thomas); calyx medium to large, open or partly closed; lobes long, acuminate, somewhat separated at the base (Beach); calyx small, closed; segments long (Budd-Hansen).
Basin: Abrupt, regular, deep (Warder); rather large and even (Downing); abrupt, moderately deep to deep, moderately wide, slightly wrinkled (Beach); open (Elliott); large (Thomas); abrupt, smooth, deep, large (Budd-Hansen).
Skin / Surface / Color: Surface smooth, mixed red, and carmine stripes on waxen-yellow ground (Warder). Yellow, chiefly shaded, splashed, and striped with red, becoming dark red in the sun (Downing). Skin moderately thin, rather tough, smooth, glossy, greenish or pale yellow mottled and blushed with red and indistinctly and sparingly striped with carmine, becoming a dark, almost purplish, red in the sun; the deep red color is apt to overspread the basin while the yellow ground color is conspicuous around the cavity (Beach). Greenish yellow, shaded with red (Elliott). Yellow, striped with red (Thomas). Surface smooth, waxen yellow, with dark crimson splashes and stripes, mixed dark red on sunny side (Budd-Hansen). Color: red (Lowther).
Dots: Numerous, distinct, gray (Warder); pretty thickly studded with light dots, especially near the calyx (Downing); large, pale, mingled with many that are small, whitish and submerged or with minute russet point (Beach); many, distinct, gray (Budd-Hansen).
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh light yellow, very fine-grained, tender, juicy; flavor sub-acid, aromatic; first quality, or very best, for the dessert (Warder). Flesh juicy, whitish, tender, crisp, with a brisk saccharine, somewhat vinous, aromatic flavor, an excellent dessert fruit, very good (Downing). Flesh tinged with yellow, moderately firm, fine, rather crisp, tender, very juicy, mild subacid mingled with sweet, somewhat aromatic, very good to best (Beach). Flesh juicy, tender, crisp, fine dessert fruit (Elliott). Flesh juicy, tender, crisp, with a vinous, aromatic flavor; an excellent dessert fruit (Thomas). Flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, vinous, aromatic subacid, excellent to best (Budd-Hansen). Quality: very good (Lowther).
Core / Seeds: Core small, regular, closed, touching the eye; axis short; seeds short, wide, dark (Warder). Core medium (Elliott). Calyx tube short, broad, conical; stamens median to marginal; core medium to small, somewhat abaxile to axile; cells usually pretty symmetrical, partly open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping; carpels roundish to elliptical, slightly tufted; seeds medium in size, moderately wide, plump, obtuse to acute (Beach). Core small, closed, meeting; axis short (Budd-Hansen).
Season
December and January (Warder, Downing, Beach, Thomas, Budd-Hansen). December to March (Elliott). In season at Christmas (Beach). Winter (Lowther).
Uses
Dessert fruit — first quality, or very best, for the dessert, or the evening party, during December and January (Warder); excellent dessert fruit (Downing, Thomas); fine dessert fruit (Elliott); pleasant flavored dessert fruit (Beach); excellent to best (Budd-Hansen). Both kitchen and market (Lowther). Not recommended for commercial planting (Beach).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Lowther's reporting-station data: Northern Division reporting stations: none recorded. Central Division reporting stations: 3 (reported in more than one division). Southern Division reporting stations: none recorded.
Book Sources
Described in 7 period pomological works
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 1 (1905)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from 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
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (7)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Evening Party.
This excellent dessert fruit originated in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was brought into notice by the late lamented Dr. Brinkle, of Philadelphia, in his ad-interim reports, and also in Hoffy's Fruits. It has been tested with entire satisfaction by J. D. G. Nelson, President of the Indiana Horticultural Society, who always has admirers of the fruit exhibited by him at the winter meetings. This apple takes the place at mid-winter which is occupied in summer by the Early Joe, and in autumn by the Jefferies, Dr. Watson and Cooper.
Fig. 91.—EVENING PARTY.
Fruit medium to small, regular, quite flat; Surface smooth, mixed red, and carmine stripes on waxen-yellow ground; Dots numerous, distinct, gray.
Basin abrupt, regular deep; Eye small, closed; Segments long.
Cavity wide, deep, regular, brown; Stem medium, green, slender.
Core small, regular, closed, touching the eye; Axis short; Seeds short, wide, dark; Flesh light yellow, very fine-grained, tender, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic; first quality, or very best, for the dessert, or the evening party, during December and January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Evening Party.
Origin, Berks Co., Pa. Tree vigorous, roundish, upright spreading, with slender branches. Young shoots dark grayish brown, many small dots.
The fruit hangs well to the tree, and the foliage remains until quite late.
Fruit small or medium, oblate, sides often unequal, yellow, chiefly shaded, splashed, and striped with red, becoming dark red in the sun, pretty thickly studded with light dots, especially near the calyx. Stalk short, inserted in a round, deep, acute cavity, sometimes russeted. Calyx closed. Basin rather large and even. Flesh juicy, whitish, tender, crisp, with a brisk saccharine, somewhat vinous, aromatic flavor, an excellent dessert fruit. Very good. December and January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)EVENING PARTY.
REFERENCES. 1. Brinckle, Horticulturist, 10:539. 1855. col. pl. 2. Downing, 1857:77. fig. 3. Elliott, 1859:137. 4. Warder, 1867:433. fig. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 6. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1881:310. 7. Thomas, 1885:233. 8. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 9. Buckman, Rural N. Y., 54:806. 1895. 10. Budd-Hansen, 1903:78. fig.
A pleasant flavored dessert fruit which is in season at Christmas. Some find the tree unproductive but others report that it is a biennial bearer producing so abundantly that the fruit is small if it is not thinned and the tree well pruned. When highly colored it is decidedly attractive but often it does not color well and usually is below medium in size. It is not recommended for commercial planting.
Historical. Origin, Berks county, Pa. (4). It has been known in cultivation for fifty years but it is but little grown in New York and its cultivation is not being extended.
TREE.
Tree medium in size, moderately vigorous. Form roundish with long spreading branches. Twigs dark reddish-brown, slender to rather stout, curved at base; internodes long to very long. Bark generally dull brownish-red with a rather strong undertone of olive-green in places; scarf-skin uniform, moderately light. Lenticels inconspicuous, raised, numerous, above medium to rather small, roundish. Buds medium size, moderately obtuse, quite pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit above medium to rather small. Form oblate to roundish, pretty symmetrical, uniform. Stem short, medium in thickness, seldom exserted. Cavity acute to acuminate, deep, moderately broad, usually smooth, occasionally with outspreading russet rays, symmetrical. Calyx medium to large, open or partly closed; lobes long, acuminate, somewhat separated at the base. Basin abrupt, moderately deep to deep, moderately wide, slightly wrinkled. Skin moderately thin, rather tough, smooth, glossy, greenish or pale yellow mottled and blushed with red and indistinctly and sparingly striped with carmine becoming a dark, almost purplish, red in the sun; the deep red color is apt to overspread the basin while the yellow ground color is conspicuous around the cavity. Dots large, pale, mingled with many that are small, whitish and submerged or with minute russet point. Calyx tube short, broad, conical. Stamens median to marginal. Core medium to small, somewhat abaxile to axile; cells usually pretty symmetrical, partly open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels roundish to elliptical, slightly tufted. Seeds medium in size, moderately wide, plump, obtuse to acute. Flesh tinged with yellow, moderately firm, fine, rather crisp, tender, very juicy, mild subacid mingled with sweet, somewhat aromatic, very good to best. Season December and January.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Evening Party. Size: medium. Form: flat. Color: red. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter. Northern Division reporting stations: none recorded. Central Division reporting stations: 3 (reported in more than one division). Southern Division reporting stations: none recorded.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Evening Party.
From Berks Co., Pa. Fruit, medium, roundish flattened, greenish yellow, shaded with red ; stem, short ; cavity, deep ; calyx, closed ; basin, open ; flesh, juicy, tender, crisp, fine dessert fruit ; core, medium. December to March. Young shoots, reddish ; old wood, gray. A new variety that promises valuable for small gardens.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Evening Party. Rather large, oblate, slightly oval; yellow, striped with red; stalk short, inserted in a round, deep cavity, often russeted; calyx closed, basin large; flesh juicy, tender, crisp, with a vinous, aromatic flavor. An excellent dessert fruit. Tree health, vigorous, a good bearer. December and January. Pennsylvania.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Evening Party.—Origin, Berks Co., Pennsylvania; tree vigorous and productive.
Fruit small to medium, oblate, often unequal, slightly oval; surface smooth, waxen yellow, with dark crimson splashes and stripes, mixed dark red on sunny side; dots many, distinct, gray; cavity deep, acute, wide, regular, often russeted; stem short, slender, green; basin abrupt, smooth, deep, large; calyx small, closed; segments long. Core small, closed, meeting; axis short; flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, vinous, aromatic subacid, excellent to best. December and January.