Evening Party
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin & History
Evening Party originated in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was brought into notice by the late Dr. Brinkle of Philadelphia, in his ad-interim reports and also in Hoffy's Fruits, with the earliest known published reference appearing in the Horticulturist in 1855. According to Beach (1905), it had been known in cultivation for fifty years by that date but was little grown in New York, and its cultivation was not being extended. Beach did not recommend it for commercial planting. Elliott (1865) described it as "a new variety that promises valuable for small gardens."
Warder (1867) noted it had been 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 observed that 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.
Tree
Tree moderately vigorous, with a roundish, upright spreading form and long, slender spreading branches. Thomas (1903) described the tree as healthy, vigorous, and a good bearer. 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 (Beach). The fruit hangs well to the tree, and the foliage remains until quite late (Downing).
Twigs dark reddish-brown, slender to rather stout, curved at base; internodes long to very long (Beach). Downing described the young shoots as dark grayish brown with many small dots; Elliott described young shoots as reddish and old wood as gray. 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).
Fruit
Size: Most sources describe the fruit as medium to small (Warder: medium to small; Downing: small or medium; Beach: above medium to rather small; Elliott: medium). Beach noted that when highly colored it is decidedly attractive but often it does not color well and usually is below medium in size. Thomas (1903), in contrast, described the fruit as "rather large" — a notable disagreement with all other sources.
Form: Oblate to roundish, pretty symmetrical and uniform (Beach). Warder described it as regular and quite flat. Downing noted it as oblate with sides often unequal. Elliott: roundish flattened. Thomas: oblate, slightly oval.
Stem: Short (Downing, Beach, Elliott, Thomas), medium in thickness, seldom exserted (Beach). Warder described the stem as medium length, green, and slender.
Cavity: Deep in all sources. Acute to acuminate, moderately broad, usually smooth, occasionally with outspreading russet rays, symmetrical (Beach). Downing described it as round, deep, and acute, sometimes russeted. Warder: wide, deep, regular, brown. Thomas: round, deep, often russeted.
Calyx: Most sources describe the calyx as closed (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Warder described the eye as small and closed with long segments. Beach differed, describing the calyx as medium to large, open or partly closed, with lobes long, acuminate, and somewhat separated at the base.
Basin: Abrupt, moderately deep to deep, moderately wide, slightly wrinkled (Beach). Warder: abrupt, regular, deep. Downing: rather large and even. Thomas: large. Elliott described the basin simply as open.
Skin: Moderately thin, rather tough, smooth, and glossy (Beach). The ground color is greenish or pale yellow (Beach, Elliott) to waxen-yellow (Warder), mottled and blushed with red and striped with carmine. Downing described it as yellow, chiefly shaded, splashed, and striped with red, becoming dark red in the sun. Beach noted the color becomes 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 numerous, distinct, and gray (Warder). Downing described the fruit as pretty thickly studded with light dots, especially near the calyx. Beach described dots as large, pale, mingled with many that are small, whitish and submerged or with minute russet point.
Flesh & Flavor: Flesh light yellow (Warder) to whitish (Downing) to tinged with yellow (Beach), very fine-grained (Warder), moderately firm (Beach), fine (Beach), tender, rather crisp, and very juicy. Warder described the flavor as sub-acid and aromatic, rating it "first quality, or very best, for the dessert, or the evening party." Downing described a "brisk saccharine, somewhat vinous, aromatic flavor," rating it "very good." Beach described it as "mild subacid mingled with sweet, somewhat aromatic," rating it "very good to best." Thomas described the flavor as "vinous, aromatic." All sources agreed it was an excellent dessert fruit.
Core & Seeds: Core medium to small, somewhat abaxile to axile; cells usually pretty symmetrical, partly open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping (Beach). Warder described the core as small, regular, closed, and touching the eye, with a short axis. Elliott described the core simply as medium. Carpels roundish to elliptical, slightly tufted (Beach). Calyx tube short, broad, conical; stamens median to marginal (Beach). Seeds medium in size, moderately wide, plump, obtuse to acute (Beach). Warder described the seeds as short, wide, and dark.
Season
December and January (Warder, Downing, Beach, Thomas). Elliott extended the season to December through March.
Uses
A dessert apple of very high quality, praised by all sources. Not recommended for commercial planting (Beach). Elliott considered it promising for small gardens.
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) lists Evening Party in a variety-characteristic table:
Evening Party................ M | fl | r | VG | b | W | ...... | 3* | ......
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
View original book sources (6)
— 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................ M | fl | r | VG | b | W | ...... | 3* | ......
— 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.