Forest Styre

Origin/History

Forest Styre is a famous old cider apple from Gloucestershire, England (Downing). It was recorded by Coxe (1817) under the name "Styre" as "the most celebrated and extensively cultivated cider apple in England." Downing (1900) lists it with the synonyms Styre and Iltire, and carries a secondary entry under the name "Styke" which resolves to this variety.

Tree

Both sources agree the tree is upright and willow-like in growth. Coxe describes it in greater detail: the tree is of "singularly beautiful growth, remarkably beesom-headed, throwing out numerous straight luxuriant shoots, growing upwards from the crown, in the form of a willow pollard, running much to wood." In deep soils it grows to a great size before it becomes fruitful; it suits sandy ground better. Downing confirms: "Tree upright, willow-like in growth."

Fruit

Size

Sources differ. Coxe characterizes the size as "above middling," and notes that specimens in his own orchards were "as large as Newton Pippins." Downing's primary Forest Styre entry characterizes the fruit as "small"; his secondary Styke entry gives "medium size."

Form

Roundish oblate (Downing, Forest Styre entry). The Styke entry in Downing gives simply "roundish."

Stem

Not described in source.

Cavity

Not described in source.

Calyx

Not described in source.

Basin

Not described in source.

Skin

Pale throughout. Coxe describes the color as "pale yellowish white" and characterizes the fruit as "pale rinded." Downing's Forest Styre entry gives "pale yellow, blush in sun"; his Styke entry gives "pale yellow, with an orange cheek." Despite the pale exterior, the fruit produces a high-colored liquor (Coxe; Downing/Styke). Coxe notes the specimens in his orchards were "remarkably fair."

Flesh and Flavor

Flesh is firm (all sources). Coxe describes the flavor, when fully ripe, as "fine." Downing (Forest Styre entry, citing Lind.) characterizes the flesh as "brisk acid."

Core and Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Coxe gives the ripening as "by the end of September" in England, with the general time of gathering "generally the middle of October" in common years. Downing's Styke entry gives October through January as the season of use, consistent with Coxe's own observation that he kept several specimens free from rot to the latter end of January.

Uses

Forest Styre is primarily a cider apple, and also noted as a good eating apple (Coxe). The cider produced from a light, rich soil is "rich, highly flavoured and of a good body"; its price in England was frequently four times that of common sale cider (Coxe). Despite the pale skin, it produces a high-colored liquor (Coxe; Downing/Styke). By Knight's experiments, the must outweighed all others tested except a new variety produced by crossing the Lulham Green and Siberian Crab. Marshall reported that nearly one third more Forest Styre apples are required to produce a barrel of cider compared with common apples. Coxe, from his own experience keeping specimens to the latter end of January without rot, pronounced the variety "highly estimable for late cider."

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.