Fulton
Apple
Origin/History
A Western fruit, originated in the orchard or nursery of A. G. Downing, Canton, Fulton County, Illinois (Downing). The original tree, when 19 years old, gave 36½ inches circumference 3 feet from the ground, was 25 feet high and 28 feet across the top, and had produced large crops ten years in succession (Elliott).
Tree
Large, vigorous, hardy, regular in form, productive, annual bearer (Warder; Downing). Young shoots slender, clear light reddish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: About medium (Downing; Elliott) to large (Warder); Thomas describes it as rather large.
Form: Globular-oblate (Warder), roundish flattened (Elliott; Thomas), oblate (Downing), often oblique or unsymmetrical (Warder; Thomas).
Skin: Smooth (Warder; Thomas). Greenish-yellow with a carmine blush (Warder); light yellow, sprinkled with green or gray dots, having a blush on the sunny side (Downing); pale clear yellow with a bright red cheek and a little russet in the stem cavity (Elliott); yellow, often with a handsome blush (Thomas).
Dots: Minute, indented (Warder); green or gray (Downing); small (Elliott).
Stem: Rather long and slender (Warder); three-fourths of an inch, rather slender (Downing); short (Elliott); rather short (Thomas).
Cavity: Deep, narrow or acute, green and brown (Warder); broad, deep (Downing); deep, with a little russet (Elliott); deep (Thomas).
Calyx: Medium to large, open (Warder); large, open, segments small, recurved (Downing); short segments (Elliott).
Basin: Abrupt, deep, folded (Warder); pretty large (Downing); rather deep (Elliott); large, slightly wrinkled (Thomas).
Flesh: Yellow, tender, fine-grained, juicy (Warder); yellowish, juicy, tender (Downing); tender, juicy (Elliott); yellowish white, fine-grained (Thomas).
Flavor: Sub-acid and aromatic (Warder); mild subacid, almost sweet (Downing); mild sub-acid (Elliott; Thomas).
Core: Small, round, clasping (Warder); small (Downing; Elliott).
Seeds: Numerous, small, short and plump (Warder); ovate, pointed (Elliott).
Quality: First quality for table (Warder); good to very good (Downing); "very good" (Elliott). Valued at the West (Thomas).
Season
November and December (Warder); November to February (Downing); November to March (Elliott).
Uses
First quality for table (Warder). Illinois orchardists did not commend it so highly as when first introduced; not fully satisfactory where planted in Ohio on limestone clays (Warder).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Fulton...................... M | fl | gy | G | m | W | 1* | 6* |
(Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture, 1914)
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1904) from Illinois
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Fulton.
Origin, Canton County, Illinois. Tree large, vigorous, productive, annual bearer. Fruit large, globular-oblate, often oblique or unsymmetrical; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow, with a carmine blush; Dots minute, indented. Basin abrupt, deep, folded; Eye medium to large, open. Cavity deep, narrow or acute, green and brown; Stem rather long and slender. Core small, round, clasping; Seeds numerous, small, short and plump; Flesh yellow, tender, fine grained, juicy; flavor sub-acid and aromatic; First quality for table; In Fig. 72.—FULTON. November and December. Our Illinois orchardists do not commend it so highly as when first introduced; not fully satisfactory where planted in Ohio on limestone clays.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Fulton.
A Western fruit, originated in the orchard or nursery of A. G. Downing, Canton, Fulton Co., Ill., a vigorous grower, hardy, regular in form, an annual and productive bearer. Young shoots slender, clear light reddish brown.
Size about medium, oblate, light yellow, sprinkled with green or gray dots, having a blush on the sunny side. Stalk three-fourths of an inch, rather slender, inserted in a broad deep cavity. Calyx large, open. Segments small, recurved, in a pretty large basin. Flesh yellowish, juicy, tender, mild subacid, almost sweet. Good to very good. Core small. November to February.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Fulton...................... M | fl | gy | G | m | W | 1* | 6* |
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Fulton.
Native of Fulton Co., Ill. Original tree, when 19 years old, gave 36½ inches circumference, 3 feet from ground, 25 feet high, and 28 feet across top, and had produced large crops ten years in succession. Fruit, medium, roundish flattened, pale clear yellow, bright red cheek, little russet in stem cavity, small dots; stem, short; cavity, deep; calyx, short segments; basin, rather deep; core, small; seeds, ovate pointed; flesh, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid; "very good." November to March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Fulton. Rather large, roundish, flattened at ends, slightly oblique; skin smooth, yellow, often with a handsome blush; stalk rather short, cavity deep; basin large, slightly wrinkled; flesh yellowish, white, fine-grained, with a mild sub-acid flavor. Illinois—valued at the West.