Fulton
Apple
Fulton
Origin / History
Fulton originated in Fulton County, Illinois — Warder gives the locality as "Canton County, Illinois," while Downing specifies that it arose in the orchard or nursery of A. G. Downing, Canton, Fulton Co., Ill. Elliott and Budd & Hansen both place its origin in Fulton Co., Illinois. Thomas notes it is from Illinois and was "valued at the West." Elliott records that the original tree, at 19 years old, measured 36½ inches in circumference (3 feet from the ground), 25 feet high, and 28 feet across the top, and had produced large crops ten years in succession. Warder notes that Illinois orchardists did not commend it so highly as when first introduced, and that it was not fully satisfactory where planted in Ohio on limestone clays.
Tree
Large, vigorous, hardy, regular in form, an annual and productive bearer (Warder; Downing; Budd & Hansen). Young shoots slender, clear light reddish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium to rather large (Warder: large; Downing: about medium; Elliott: medium; Thomas: rather large; Budd & Hansen: medium to rather large; Lowther: medium).
Form: Globular-oblate, oblate, oblate truncated, or roundish flattened — often oblique or unsymmetrical, flattened at the ends (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Thomas; Budd & Hansen). Lowther describes the form simply as flat. Budd & Hansen call it regular; Warder calls it often oblique or unsymmetrical; Thomas calls it slightly oblique.
Stem / Stalk: Reports vary. Warder: rather long and slender. Downing: three-fourths of an inch, rather slender. Elliott: short. Thomas: rather short. Budd & Hansen: medium, stout.
Cavity: Deep (all sources agreeing on depth). Warder: deep, narrow or acute, green and brown. Downing: broad and deep. Elliott: deep, with a little russet in the stem cavity. Budd & Hansen: deep, wide, obtuse, with radiate russet.
Calyx / Eye: Warder: eye medium to large, open. Downing: calyx large, open; segments small, recurved. Elliott: calyx with short segments. Budd & Hansen: calyx half open; segments small, flat convergent.
Basin: Warder: abrupt, deep, folded. Downing: pretty large. Elliott: rather deep. Thomas: large, slightly wrinkled. Budd & Hansen: wide, very shallow, smooth or slightly wrinkled.
Skin / Surface: Smooth (Warder; Thomas). Ground color greenish-yellow, light yellow, pale clear yellow, yellow, or rich light yellow (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Thomas; Budd & Hansen; Lowther: greenish yellow). Bears a carmine, bright red, or handsome deep crimson blush on the sunny side, the blush in Budd & Hansen overlaid with whitish (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Thomas; Budd & Hansen). Dots vary by source: Warder calls them minute and indented; Downing describes them as green or gray; Elliott as small; Budd & Hansen as distinct, numerous, large, and gray.
Flesh / Flavor: Yellow or yellowish (Warder; Downing; Budd & Hansen); Thomas: yellowish, white. Tender, juicy, fine-grained (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Thomas; Budd & Hansen). Flavor mild sub-acid and aromatic (Warder: sub-acid and aromatic; Downing: mild subacid, almost sweet; Elliott: mild sub-acid, "very good"; Thomas: mild sub-acid; Budd & Hansen: mild aromatic subacid, almost sweet). Quality first quality for table (Warder); good to very good (Downing); "very good" (Elliott); very good (Budd & Hansen); good (Lowther).
Core / Seeds: Core small, round, clasping (Warder); small (Downing; Elliott); closed, round, small, clasping, sessile, with obovate slit cells, funnel-shaped tube, and median stamens (Budd & Hansen). Seeds numerous, small, short and plump (Warder); many, small, plump, short (Budd & Hansen); ovate pointed (Elliott).
Season
November and December (Warder); November to February (Downing; Budd & Hansen); November to March (Elliott); winter (Lowther).
Uses
For the table — first quality (Warder). Market use (Lowther).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 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
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— 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: size medium; form flat; color greenish yellow; quality good; use market; season winter; Northern Division reports 1 (also reported in another division); Central Division reports 6 (also reported in another division).
— 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.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Fulton.— Origin, Fulton Co., Illinois; tree large, vigorous, an annual bearer, productive.
Fruit medium to rather large, regular, oblate truncated, often oblique, surface rich light yellow with handsome deep crimson blush on sunny side, blush overlaid with whitish; dots distinct, numerous, large, gray; cavity deep, wide, obtuse, with radiate russet; stem medium, stout; basin wide, very shallow, smooth or slightly wrinkled; calyx half open; segments small, flat convergent. Core closed, round, small, clasping, sessile; cells obovate, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds many, small, plump, short; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, fine-grained, mild aromatic subacid, almost sweet, very good. November to February.