Gladstone

Origin / History

Gladstone is an English variety, found near Kidderminster by Mr. Jackson of Blakedown Nursery and introduced by him in 1868 (Bunyard). It is a comparatively recent introduction to America, but has been grown for half a century in England (Hedrick). It has not been extensively disseminated in the United States, and so far as Beach could learn, its cultivation was not increasing in this country. Hansen (1902) describes it as "a new variety from England." Bunyard notes it was much grown for market purposes in England and considered a valuable early sort.

Tree

Tree rather small (Beach) to small (Hedrick), moderately vigorous (Beach) — Hedrick characterizes the tree simply as "vigorous." Form spreading and inclined to droop, with short, stout branches. Bunyard describes growth as moderate and the tree as very regularly fertile; it comes into bearing young, is an annual cropper, and productive (Beach). Veitch notes it is very hardy and a good bearer.

Twigs moderately long, curved, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes medium in size. Bark brown, tinged with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, medium size, round, slightly raised. Buds medium size, broad, flat, obtuse, appressed, slightly pubescent (Beach).

Leaf rather small, roundish, pea green, upfolded, undulating, shallow serrate (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size

Medium to large, uniform (Beach, Hedrick). Hansen describes the fruit as large. Bunyard gives medium, 2½ by 2 inches. Veitch gives medium size.

Form

Roundish, somewhat tapering (Hansen); roundish oblate, slightly conic (Beach) to round-oblate, sometimes conic (Hedrick), obscurely ribbed; sides usually unequal. Bunyard gives round conical, irregular. Hansen describes it as regular.

Stem

Short to medium (Hansen); medium in length, moderately slender (Beach); medium in length, slender (Hedrick); medium, in a shallow cavity (Bunyard).

Cavity

Regular, acute, with small radiating russet patch (Hansen); acuminate to acute, rather wide, moderately deep to deep, sometimes with outspreading russet (Beach); acuminate, wide, deep, sometimes with outspreading russet (Hedrick); shallow (Bunyard).

Calyx

Closed, segments connivent (Hansen); below medium to rather large, closed or somewhat open (Beach); large, closed or open (Hedrick); closed, in a much ribbed basin (Bunyard, who terms it the "eye").

Basin

Nearly smooth, regular, rather shallow (Hansen); rather small, shallow to medium in depth, medium in width to rather wide, a little abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled (Beach); small, medium in depth and width, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled (Hedrick); much ribbed (Bunyard).

Skin

Surface yellow, mostly covered with dark crimson stripes, much like Oldenburg (Hansen). Thin, smooth, greenish-yellow or pale yellow, more or less thinly overspread with red, irregularly mottled, splashed and distinctly striped with pinkish carmine (Beach); thin, smooth, pale yellow, thinly overspread with red, irregularly mottled, splashed and distinctly striped with carmine (Hedrick). Bunyard: greenish-yellow, almost covered with dark red, occasionally with broken stripes. Veitch: red striped with yellow.

In general appearance the fruit is intermediate between Oldenburg and Gravenstein, perhaps resembling Gravenstein in color more than Oldenburg (Beach); the relationship to Oldenburg and Gravenstein is immediately apparent, the apples resembling Gravenstein more than Oldenburg (Hedrick).

Dots

Obscure, few, minute, whitish (Hansen); rather numerous, inconspicuous, light colored, submerged (Beach); numerous, inconspicuous, light colored, submerged (Hedrick).

Flesh / Flavor

Yellow, fine grained, juicy, acid (Hansen); slightly tinged with yellow, moderately firm, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid, fair in quality (Beach); yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid; fair in quality (Hedrick); soft, greenish-white, pleasantly flavoured (Bunyard); juicy, with good flavour (Veitch); "very nicely a dank yellow flesh" (Rivers — text appears garbled).

On quality: Hansen reports "cooking only, rather poor," and quotes J. P. Jackson of Glenwood, Iowa: "Quality as good as Haas, but inferior to Duchess." Beach notes it is not equal to either Oldenburg or Gravenstein in quality. Hedrick concurs that the variety is hardly equal to either Oldenburg or Gravenstein in quality of fruit or in tree-characters. Beach does not recommend it for planting in New York.

Core / Seeds

Core closed, central; cells ovate, axile, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens basal; seeds large, plump (Hansen). Beach: calyx tube rather short, cone-shape to funnel-form; stamens median; core medium to rather large, usually axile; cells symmetrical, closed or slightly open; core lines clasping; carpels broadly roundish, very slightly emarginate; seeds rather dark brown, very wide, flat, obtuse to acute. Hedrick: calyx-tube short cone-shape; stamens median; core large, usually axile; cells symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly roundish, emarginate; seeds dark brown, very wide, flat, obtuse.

Season

August, September (Hansen); September and October (Beach, Hedrick); July to August (Bunyard); July and August (Veitch, Rivers). It is suited to a cool locality (Veitch).

Uses

Hansen: cooking only. Bunyard classifies it as a dessert apple and notes it was much grown for market purposes as a valuable early sort.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Hardy fruit (Rivers, who also describes it as "hardy"); very hardy (Veitch).