Gloria Mundi
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Gloria Mundi
Origin/History
The origin of this variety is disputed among pomological authorities. The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) states it is believed to be of American origin, with the general opinion holding that it originated in the garden of a Mr. Smith in the neighbourhood of Baltimore, that it was introduced from America into France by Comte Lelieur in 1804, and that it was brought to England by Captain George Hudson of the ship Belvidere, of Baltimore, in 1817. However, Beach (1905) reports that Mease, writing in 1804, stated it originated on the farm of Mr. Crooks, near Red Hook in New York, while Coxe (1817) credited it with a Long Island origin. Downing (1900) states simply that the origin is unknown. Beach concludes that all that can be stated with certainty is that it is an old variety known in parts of Eastern New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
The Herefordshire Pomona further notes that some doubt exists as to whether the variety is even native to America: the "Allgemeines Teutsches Gartenmagazin" for 1805 reported it to have been raised by Herr Kunstgartner Maizman of Hanover, which, if correct, would suggest it was carried to America by Hanoverian emigrants — an account that would also explain the multiple American localities claiming its origin. The Herefordshire Pomona additionally notes that Dittrich (vol. III, p. 41) confounded the synonyms of Gloria Mundi with Golden Mundi, which he described under the head of Monstrous Pepping.
Tree
The tree is large, vigorous, spreading, hardy, and long-lived (Beach). The Herefordshire Pomona states that it grows freely and bears abundantly. Downing, by contrast, describes it as not productive or profitable. Beach reports that it has been commonly held to be unproductive, but that a few fruit growers in Southeastern New York have reported it to be a good bearer and a profitable commercial variety.
Fruit
Size and Form: Fruit is of the largest size, sometimes measuring four and a half inches in diameter (Herefordshire Pomona); Beach describes it as very large or large, uniform. Form is roundish with truncate ends, slightly conical, ribbed, with sides usually unequal (Beach); the Herefordshire Pomona describes the shape as roundish, inclining to be angular on the sides, and flattened both at the base and apex; Downing describes it as roundish oblate, ribbed.
Stem: Short and stout (Herefordshire Pomona); medium to short, moderately thick (Beach).
Cavity: Deep and open, lined with rough russet (Herefordshire Pomona); large, acuminate, moderately deep to deep, broad, furrowed and compressed, sometimes slightly russeted (Beach).
Calyx: Large, open, deeply set in the basin (Herefordshire Pomona); medium to large, open or partly closed; lobes separated at base, short, narrow (Beach).
Basin: Wide and slightly furrowed (Herefordshire Pomona); large, moderately deep to deep, rather wide, somewhat abrupt, sometimes compressed, furrowed and wrinkled (Beach).
Skin: Smooth (Herefordshire Pomona), greenish-yellow (Downing, Beach), described more precisely by the Herefordshire Pomona as pale yellowish green, interspersed with white dots and patches of thin delicate russet, and tinged sometimes with a faint blush of red next the sun. Beach describes the blush as a faint bronze rather than red. Dots small to medium, often areolar with russet center, or light colored and submerged; prevailing effect yellow or greenish (Beach).
Flesh and Flavor: Coarse (Downing, Beach); moderately crisp, rather tender, juicy (Beach). Color: white (Herefordshire Pomona); slightly tinged with greenish-yellow (Beach). Flavor: the Herefordshire Pomona states not highly flavoured; Downing describes a pleasant acid flavor and rates it Good; Beach gives the flavor as rather mild subacid and the quality as fair or nearly good.
Calyx Tube and Core: Calyx tube very large, long, wide, broadly conical, extending to the core or approaching cylindrical below; stamens median. Core medium to rather large, usually decidedly abaxile; cells symmetrical, open; core lines usually clasping. Carpels broadly roundish to somewhat elliptical, slightly tufted. Seeds moderately dark brown, medium to rather small, rather narrow, short, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes tufted (Beach). Not described in Herefordshire Pomona or Downing.
Season
October to December (Herefordshire Pomona); October to January (Downing, Beach).
Uses
An excellent culinary apple (Herefordshire Pomona); suitable only for culinary purposes, and seldom cultivated except for exhibition (Beach, Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach notes an extensive publication history beginning in 1804, with the variety appearing in numerous American and European pomological references through 1903. The variety was exhibited at horticultural shows and is considered an old, well-documented, if commercially marginal, sort.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 23 catalogs (1891–1936) from England, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- OSU Bulletin 81 — 1904
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906
- J.B. Pilkington , Portland , Oregon — 1907
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Hudson's Wholesale Nurseries , Tangent , Oregon — 1936
View original book sources (3)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)Plate X.
- GLORIA MUNDI.
{Syn: Baltimore; Belle Dubois; Mammoth; Monstrous Pippin; Ox Apple.}
This Apple is believed to be of American origin, but some doubts exist as to where it was first raised, that honour being claimed by several different localities. The general opinion however is, that it originated in the garden of a Mr. Smith in the neighbourhood of Baltimore. It was introduced from America into France by Comte Lelieur, in 1804, and was brought over to this country by Captain George Hudson, of the ship Belvidere, of Baltimore, in 1817.
There is, however, some doubt as to whether it is a native of America. In the volume of the "Allgemeines Teutsches Gartenmagazin" for 1805, it is said to have been raised by Herr Kunstgartner Maizman, of Hanover. If this account is correct, the apple must have been taken to America by some of the Hanoverian emigrants, which would account, moreover, for the claim of its origin by different localities there. Dittrich, vol. III, p. 41, has confounded the synonyms of the Gloria Mundi with Golden Mundi, which he has described under the head of Monstrous Pepping.
Description.—Fruit, immensely large, sometimes measuring four inches and a half in diameter; of a roundish shape, inclining to be angular on the sides, and flattened both at the base and apex. Skin, smooth, pale yellowish green, interspersed with white dots, and patches of thin delicate russet, and tinged sometimes with a faint blush of red next the sun. Eye, large, open, and deeply set in a wide and slightly furrowed basin. Stalk, short and stout, inserted in a deep and open cavity, which is lined with rough russet. Flesh, white, tender, and juicy, but not highly flavoured.
It is an excellent culinary apple, in season from October to December.
The tree grows freely, and bears abundantly. It was introduced into Herefordshire, some
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Gloria Mundi. Monstrous Pippin. Belle Josephine. Baltimore of some. Glazenwood Gloria Mundi. Baltimore Pippin. New York Gloria Mundi. American Mammoth. Mississippi? Ox Apple. Origin unknown. Tree vigorous. Not productive or profitable. Fruit very large, roundish oblate, ribbed, greenish yellow. Flesh coarse, tender, with a pleasant acid flavor. Good. October to January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GLORIA MUNDI.
References. 1. Dom. Encyc., 1804 (cited by 4). 2. Am. Gard. Cal., 1806:585. 3. Coxe, 1817:117. fig. 4. Thacher, 1822:131. 5. Buel, N. Y. Bd. Agr. Mem., 1826:476. 6. Fessenden, 1828:129. 7. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 447. 8. Kenrick, 1832:49. 9. Floy-Lindley, 1833:86. 10. Downing, 1845:110. fig. 11. Cole, 1849:122. 12. Thomas, 1849:182. 13. Phoenix. Horticulturist, 4:470. 1850. 14. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:41. 1851. col. pl. No. 35 and fig. 15. Elliott, 1854:174. 16. Mag. Hort., 23:83. 1857. 17. Hooper, 1857:39. 18. Warder, 1867:719, 725. 19. Downing, 1869:191. 20. Fitz, 1872:168. 21. Leroy, 1873:407. fig. 22. Downing, 1881:11 index, app. 23. Hogg, 1884:85. 24. Wickson, 1889:245. 25. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 26. Green, Rural N. Y., 49:604. 1890. 27. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 28. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354. 29. Can. Hort., 23:75. 1900. 30. Bruner, N. C. Sta. Bul., 182:20. 1903.
Synonyms. American Gloria Mundi (4, 7, 21). American Mammoth (7, 10, 15, 17, 19, 21). Baltimore (10, 12, 14, 21, 23, 26, of some 19). Baltimore Pippin (15, 17, 19). Belle Dubois (23). Belle Josephine (19, 21). Copp's Mammoth (22). Glasenwood (10). Glazenwood Gloria Mundi (19, 21, 23). Gloria Mundi (1, 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30). Gloria Mundi (5, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 26). Imperatrice Josephine (21). Josephine (21). Kinderhook Pippin (14). Mammoth (21, 23). Mammoth Pippin (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 26). Mammoth Pippin (7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21). Melon (21). Mississippi? (19). Monstreuse Pippin (21). Monstrous Pippin (23). Mountain Flora (22). N. Y. Gloria Mundi (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19, 21). Ox Apple (10, 12, 14, 15, 19, 23, 26). Pound (17). Vandyne Apple (9).
Fruit of largest size; seldom cultivated except for exhibition; suitable only for culinary purposes. The tree is large, vigorous, spreading, hardy and long-lived. It has been commonly held to be unproductive, but a few fruit growers in Southeastern New York report that it is a good bearer and a profitable commercial variety. Season October to January.
Historical. The exact place of origin of this apple seems doubtful. In 1804 Mease stated, "It originated on the farm of Mr. Crooks, near Red Hook in New York" (1). Thirteen years later Coxe credited it with a Long Island origin (3). All that can be stated with certainty is that it is an old variety known in parts of Eastern New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the beginning of the last century.
Fruit. Fruit very large or large, uniform. Form roundish with truncate ends, slightly conical, ribbed; sides usually unequal. Stem medium to short, moderately thick. Cavity large, acuminate, moderately deep to deep, broad, furrowed and compressed, sometimes slightly russeted. Calyx medium to large, open or partly closed; lobes separated at base, short, narrow. Basin large, moderately deep to deep, rather wide, somewhat abrupt, sometimes compressed, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin greenish-yellow sometimes with faint bronze blush. Dots small to medium, often areolar with russet center, or light colored and submerged. Prevailing effect yellow or greenish. Calyx tube very large, long, wide, broadly conical extending to core or approaching cylindrical below. Stamens median. Core medium to rather large, usually decidedly abaxile; cells symmetrical, open; core lines usually clasping. Carpels broadly roundish to somewhat elliptical, slightly tufted. Seeds moderately dark brown, medium to rather small, rather narrow, short, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes tufted. Flesh slightly tinged with greenish-yellow, coarse, moderately crisp, rather tender, juicy, rather mild subacid, fair or nearly good in quality. Season October to January.