NO. 92. CARTHOUSE, OR GILPIN.

This apple is said to have been brought from Virginia—it obtained its name from a family in the Delaware State. It is highly esteemed for its excellence as a table apple late in the spring, and as a good cider fruit: it is a most abundant bearer, and hangs on the tree very late in the season; the tree is hardy, of a handsome, open, spreading, and vigorous growth—the fruit is small, the colour a deep red, sometimes a little streaked with yellow—the skin of a polished smoothness; the form inclining to an oblong: the flesh is very firm, yellow, and rich, not fit for eating until mid-winter, when it becomes juicy, tender, and finely flavoured.

— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

Gilpin. CARTHOUSE—LITTLE RED ROMANITE.

This valuable Virginia apple was cultivated and distributed by Coxe, and has found its way into the orchards and into favor all over the country, on account of its productiveness and early bearing.

Tree remarkably vigorous, strongly branched, spreading, open, round head, very productive; shoots stout, dark; foliage rather sparse, somewhat curled and glaucous.

Fruit medium, small on old trees, round, truncated at the ends, making it look cylindrical, mostly symmetrical, but large specimens often somewhat irregular; Surface very smooth, often polished, deep red all over, stripes indistinct; Dots minute, indented.

Basin wide, regular, or folded; Eye small, closed. Cavity deep, acute, regular, brown; Stem very short. Core medium, round, regular, closed; Seeds few, large, plump; Flesh greenish-yellow, firm, juicy; Flavor sweet, rich; Quality poor for dessert, though it is eatable in the spring—valuable for its cider from the richness of the must. Keeps sound until May—bruises do not rot as in other apples. Valuable also for stock.

Its early bearing makes it very desirable in a new country, and in the prairies it has received the soubriquet of "Dollars and Cents."

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Gilpin.

Carthouse. Small Romanite. Gray Romanite. Roman Knight. Romanite of the West. Little Romanite.

A handsome cider fruit, from Virginia, which is also a good table fruit from February to May. A very hardy, vigorous, and fruitful tree. Fruit of medium size, roundish oblong. Skin very smooth and handsome, richly streaked with deep red and yellow. Stalk short, deeply inserted. Calyx in a round, rather deep basin. Flesh yellow, firm, juicy and rich, becoming tender and sprightly in the spring. Good.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

GILPIN

REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:155. fig. 2. Thacher, 1822:122. 3. Wilson, 1828:136. 4. Kenrick, 1832:42. 5. Downing, 1845:144. 6. Thomas, 1849:164, 189. fig. 7. Cole, 1849:135. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:66. 1851. 9. Hooper, 1857:39. 10. Elliott, 1858:135. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 12. Warder, 1867:559. fig. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 14. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:239. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:89. 16. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 48:42. 1903. 17. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul. 248:121. 1904.

SYNONYMS. CARTHOUSE (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8). Carthouse (5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16). Gilpin (6). Little Red Romanite (12, 15, 17). Red Romanite of Ohio (6). Romanite (7). Romanite of the West (9, 10).

As grown in New York Gilpin is not a good commercial variety because it is rather small and does not rank high in quality. Its color is rather dark red over a clear yellow background. In ordinary cellar storage it usually keeps till June or later and is then acceptable for dessert and very good for certain culinary uses, particularly for boiling. It makes excellent cider. The tree is hardy, healthy, moderately productive and a biennial bearer. The fruit hangs firmly to the tree till loosened by the frost.

Historical. "This apple is said to have been brought from Virginia. It obtained its name from a family in the Delaware state" (1). "It was cultivated and distributed by Coxe and has found its way into the orchards and into favor all over the country on account of its productiveness and early bearing" (12).

TREE.

Tree moderately vigorous or slow growing. Form round, open, spreading with rather short and somewhat drooping laterals. Twigs short, slender, straight; internodes medium. Bark rather dull reddish-brown overlaid with thin to rather thick scarf-skin; somewhat pubescent. Lenticels moderately numerous, small, elongated, raised, of clear color, conspicuous. Buds rather small, prominent, heavily pubescent, adhering. Foliage not very dense, somewhat curled.

FRUIT.

Fruit above medium to rather small; uniform in size and shape. Form roundish to ovate truncate, sometimes nearly cylindrical, often obscurely ribbed, symmetrical or sides slightly unequal, sometimes oblique. Stem short. Cavity acute to acuminate, sometimes shallow but usually deep, rather broad, obscurely furrowed or compressed, sometimes lipped, often partly russeted. Calyx large, open, rarely closed; lobes leafy, reflexed, long, acute or acuminate, sometimes separated at base. Basin often oblique, usually deep, wide, abrupt and prominently furrowed but sometimes rather shallow and moderately narrow or compressed, often distinctly wrinkled. Skin tough, smooth, rather glossy, greenish-yellow becoming clear deep yellow, with brownish-red cheek often deepening to an attractive clear dark red. Prevailing effect dark red mingled with good yellow. Calyx tube wide varying from short truncate funnel-shape to urn-shape. Stamens basal. Core axile, below medium to above; cells pretty symmetrical, usually closed or sometimes partly open; core lines meeting or sometimes slightly clasping. Carpels round to ovate, narrowing towards apex, mucronate, slightly emarginate. Seeds numerous, dark brown, large to medium or below, plump, acute, slightly tufted. Flesh yellowish, very firm, rather coarse, at first hard but becoming somewhat crisp and tender as the season advances, moderately juicy, nearly sweet or mild subacid, pleasant, good. Season February to June.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Gilpin (7). Size: small. Form: "re". Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: market. Season: winter. Northern Division reports: 2 (also reported in another division). Central Division reports: 16 (also reported in another division). Southern Division reports: 3 (also reported in another division).

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

Gilpin. Carthouse, | Romance of the West, From Virginia. Its keeping and bearing qualities will always render it more or less popular. Fruit, below medium, roundish, flattened at apex, deep red and yellow; stem, varying; cavity, deep; calyx, closed; basin, sometimes furrowed; core, medium; seeds, ovate; flesh, yellow, firm, juicy; will keep a year.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Carthouse.* (Gilpin, Romanite, Red Romanite, and Small Romanite, of the West.) Medium or rather small, roundish-oblong, nearly regular, apex flattened; striped and shaded deep red on greenish yellow ground; stalk one-half to an inch long, slender; basin slightly furrowed, wide, distinct; flesh tough, crisp, fresh, agreeable, mild sub-acid, nearly sweet, of moderate quality. Keeps fresh till late in spring. Much cultivated as a long keeper at the West. Virginia.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Gilpin (Carthouse, Little Red Romanite). — An old variety from Virginia, valuable for cider, and good for the table in late spring; tree very productive and vigorous, with a spreading, open, round top.

Fruit rather small to medium, roundish oblong, regular, somewhat cylindrical; surface very smooth, often polished, greenish yellow, almost or wholly covered with deep rich red, obscurely striped and splashed; dots minute, indented; cavity deep, acute, regular, russeted; stem very short; basin wide, rather deep, regular or slightly furrowed; calyx small, closed. Core round, closed; cells round, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, large, pointed, plump; flesh yellow, firm, juicy, crisp, agreeable rich subacid nearly sweet, becomes tender and sprightly late in spring, good. February to May.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

GILPIN. Carthouse. Red Romanite. Romanite. Gilpin has a place in the South, where it is chiefly grown, by virtue of its long-keeping fruits. The apples hang on the tree until heavy frosts, and suffer little by moderate freezes, often remaining in good condition under leaves or rubbish throughout the winter. The tree-characters are all good. The apples are too small and hardly high enough in quality to make the variety generally desirable. The birthplace of the variety is Virginia, and its history dates back at least to the Revolution, though the earliest account of it is given by Coxe in 1817. Tree vigorous, round, open, spreading with short and drooping laterals. Fruit small, uniform in size and shape, round to ovate-truncate, sometimes nearly cylindrical, often obscurely ribbed, symmetrical or sides unequal, sometimes oblique; stem short; cavity acuminate, usually deep, broad, obscurely furrowed or compressed, sometimes lipped, often russeted; calyx large, open, rarely closed; lobes leafy, reflexed, long, acuminate; basin oblique, deep, wide, abrupt and prominently furrowed but sometimes shallow and narrow or compressed, wrinkled; skin tough, smooth, glossy, greenish-yellow becoming deep yellow, with brownish-red cheek often deepening to dark red; calyx-tube wide, short, truncate-funnel-shape; stamens basal; core axile; cells symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines meeting or clasping; carpels round to ovate, narrowing towards apex, mucronate, emarginate; seeds numerous, dark brown, large, plump, acute, tufted; flesh yellow, very firm, coarse, at first hard but becoming crisp and tender, juicy, subacid; good; February to June.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)