Golden Pippin

Origin / History

The name Golden Pippin has been applied to several distinct apple varieties of different origins, the most important of which are described below.

The original English Golden Pippin is a very old variety of English origin, probably dating from the early seventeenth century, being mentioned by Evelyn in 1660 (Downing). Bunyard places it in the early seventeenth century and notes it was "intensely popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but now seldom grown." It still thrives well in many parts of England (Downing). Coxe notes it "possesses the highest reputation in England, as a fine winter, table, and cider fruit," and that English writers have remarked that "the climate of England is peculiarly favourable to this apple." In America it does not rank very high; Coxe attributes this in part to climate but more to "the long duration of the variety, which, in its native soil, is supposed to have diminished the excellence of its flavour and the vigour of its growth." Floy adds, "The apple is not much known in this country; the kind called here Golden Pippin is a very different fruit" (quoted in Beach). The Golden Pippins of New York and New England are fall apples and are distinct from the English variety (Beach Vol. 1).

The large American Golden Pippin (also called Butter Pippin, Pound Royal, Mammoth, Large Golden Pippin, York Pippin) is of unknown origin but dates back at least a century (Hedrick, writing in 1922); its culture is confined to New York (Hedrick), and Beach reports it is grown to a considerable extent in various parts of New York state and in New England, and in some sections is regarded as one of the most desirable of the fall varieties for commercial planting. In Central and Western New York it is often called York Pippin (Beach). In New York it is now found mostly in old orchards and its cultivation is not increasing (Beach).

A second American Golden Pippin (also called Pittstown Pippin) is, according to Downing, an old apple grown many years ago in Adams, Massachusetts, from whence it was brought to Pittstown and recently christened after that place. Beach reports this variety is no longer propagated in New York.

The Golden Pippin of Westchester County, also known under the name of American Golden Pippin and by various other synonyms, is described elsewhere under the name Golding, which is the name now accepted for this variety by pomologists (Beach Vol. 2).

Elliott describes a Golden Pippin (with synonyms American Golden Pippin, Ribbed Pippin, New York Greening, Newtown Greening) as "an old American sort."

There is also a Golden Pippin sometimes known as Porter in Michigan (Downing).

Tree

English Golden Pippin: The tree is small, the branches short, the growth delicate; said by Mr. Knight in his treatise on orchards to succeed best on sandy soils (Coxe). Growth weak; fertility moderate (Bunyard). A great bearer, but requires a strong, deep, sandy loam (Downing). Leaf rather small, narrow, pale, slightly upfolded, finely and sharply serrate (Bunyard). Floy says, "The English Golden Pippin grows with delicate small shoots and is not calculated for an orchard; but if properly managed it makes a beautiful espalier tree and is an abundant bearer" (quoted in Beach). There are many varieties of the English Golden Pippin, the fruit of which differs but little from that of the old variety but the trees are more vigorous (Downing, Beach).

Large American Golden Pippin (Mammoth / Pound Royal / Butter Pippin / York Pippin): Tree large, spreading, hardy, vigorous, healthy, long-lived and reliable in bearing (Hedrick). Tree very vigorous and very productive on deep rich soils; on light soils it is often a shy bearer, the fruit much smaller (Downing). More spreading than that of Fall Pippin, and perhaps somewhat hardier; generally healthy, vigorous, quite long-lived, and when full grown becomes a pretty large tree. A reliable cropper, bearing good to heavy crops biennially or sometimes annually. There is apt to be considerable loss by premature dropping of the fruit, and unless proper preventive measures are taken the crop may be seriously injured by apple scab and codling moth (Beach).

Pittstown / Adams, Mass. Golden Pippin: The tree is an upright vigorous grower, with large strong branches. Shoots dull brownish red, slightly downy (Downing).

Elliott's American sort: "Of strong growth, not an early, but productive bearer" (Elliott).

Fruit

Size

• English Golden Pippin: Very small (Coxe); small (Downing, Beach Vol. 1, Thomas); 2 by 1¾ inches (Bunyard).
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Rather large (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Very large or large (Beach); one of the largest of its class, specimens sometimes weighing 20 ounces (Downing); large, uniform in size and shape (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Large (Elliott).
• Porter (Michigan) Golden Pippin: Medium size (Downing).

Form

• English Golden Pippin: Form rather flat (Coxe); round and regularly formed (Downing); oblong-round, regular (Bunyard); roundish (Thomas).
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Roundish oblate, sometimes conic, sides unequal (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Roundish, ribbed (Downing); roundish to roundish oblate, sometimes slightly conic, often with a broad flat base and broadly ribbed toward the apex; pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach); round to round-oblate, sometimes conic, often with a broad, flat base and broadly ribbed toward the apex (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Variable, sometimes ribbed, roundish flattened (Elliott).
• Porter (Michigan) Golden Pippin: Roundish oblate (Downing).

Stem

• English Golden Pippin: Very short, in a small narrow cavity (Bunyard).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Long to medium, thick, sometimes swollen (Beach); long, thick, sometimes swollen (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Short, stout (Elliott).

Cavity

• English Golden Pippin: Small and narrow (Bunyard, for the stem cavity).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Acute to acuminate, medium in depth, broad, usually rather symmetrical, sometimes lipped, russeted and often with heavy, outspreading russet rays (Beach); acute, medium in depth, broad, usually symmetrical, sometimes lipped, russeted and often with heavy, outspreading russet rays (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Deep (Elliott).

Calyx

• English Golden Pippin: Eye usually closed (Bunyard).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Rather large, closed (Beach); large, closed (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Closed (Elliott).

Basin

• English Golden Pippin: Broad, shallow, slightly plaited (Bunyard).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Deep, moderately wide to wide, abrupt, slightly furrowed, sometimes irregularly compressed (Beach); deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed, sometimes irregularly compressed (Hedrick).

Skin

• English Golden Pippin: Rough, deep rich yellow, mixed with russet (Coxe); gold color, dotted with gray russety dots, with also obscure white specks imbedded under the skin (Downing); golden-yellow, with slight russet (Bunyard); yellow (Thomas). Beach Vol. 1 summarizes as "rather small, smooth, white or yellowish apple with a shade of red towards the base."
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Greenish yellow with a blush in sun exposure (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Greenish yellow, becoming quite yellow at full maturity, slight blush of brown crimson in sun-exposed specimens (Downing); rather tender, green or yellowish changing to a deeper and rather attractive yellow when fully mature, sometimes with bronze blush and russet flecks (Beach); tender, green or yellow when mature, sometimes with bronze blush and russet flecks (Hedrick). Dots small to rather large and conspicuous, greenish and submerged or with russet point (Beach); dots large and conspicuous, green, submerged or with russet point (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Golden yellow, with a few dots, sometimes net russet (Elliott).
• Porter (Michigan) Golden Pippin: Greenish yellow (Downing).

Flesh / Flavor

• English Golden Pippin: Yellow, rich, and sprightly (Coxe); yellowish, crisp, rather acid, but with a rich, brisk, high flavor; "very good" (Downing); crisp, yellow, aromatic (Bunyard); yellow, with a rich, sub-acid flavor (Thomas). Bunyard notes, "Only in warm years and on light soils does it reach first-class flavour." Downing calls it "the queen of all dessert Apples, in the estimation of the English connoisseurs, as it unites the qualities of small size, fine form, and color, with high flavor and durability."
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Yellowish, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Yellowish, coarse, juicy, tender, mild subacid (Downing); yellowish, coarse, rather tender, juicy, agreeable mild subacid, somewhat aromatic, good to very good (Beach); yellow, coarse, tender, juicy, mild subacid, aromatic; good to very good (Hedrick). Beach characterizes the fruit overall as "large, coarse-grained, with a very pleasant flavor." Hedrick notes it is "very similar to Fall Pippin... the essential differences between the two are that in this sort the apple is a little coarser in size, texture of flesh, and flavor, but keeps longer, ships better."
• Elliott's American sort: Yellowish, tender, juicy, rich, vinous, aromatic (Elliott).
• Porter (Michigan) Golden Pippin: Mild subacid (Downing).

Core / Seeds

• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Core rather large (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Core small (Downing); core rather small, somewhat abaxile; cells open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping (Beach); core small, abaxile; cells open; core-lines meeting or clasping (Hedrick). Carpels roundish or approaching elliptical, sometimes obovate, heavily tufted (Beach); carpels round or elliptical, sometimes obovate, heavily tufted (Hedrick). Seeds few, often not perfectly developed, medium size, irregular, rather dark brown, rather plump, acute (Beach); seeds few, often not perfectly developed, medium size, irregular, dark brown, plump, acute (Hedrick). Calyx tube wide, conical; stamens median to somewhat basal (Beach); calyx-tube wide, conical; stamens median (Hedrick).
• Elliott's American sort: Core large (Elliott).

Season

• English Golden Pippin: November to March (Downing, Beach, Bunyard); winter (Coxe, Thomas).
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: September and October (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: November, December (Downing); late September to December or January (Beach); September to January (Hedrick). Beach notes that in Western New York its season in ordinary storage extends from about September 20 to January 1, and that "it holds its flavor and quality well for a late fall and early winter sort."
• Elliott's American sort: November, February (Elliott).
• Porter (Michigan) Golden Pippin: Ripe in September and October (Downing).

Uses

• English Golden Pippin: Dessert (table) and culinary use, also cider (Coxe); long esteemed in England as a very valuable dessert and culinary apple (Beach); dessert (Bunyard).
• Pittstown / Adams Golden Pippin: Good for cooking (Downing).
• Large American Golden Pippin: Suitable for either dessert or culinary uses; as compared with Fall Pippin the fruit is harder, keeps longer and stands shipping better in hot weather; frequently brings better prices than Fall Pippin, and is sometimes exported (Beach). Hedrick notes it is "suitable for the same uses, adapted to the same regions, and has the same faults" as Fall Pippin.

Subtypes / Variants

• Hughes' Golden Pippin and Kirke's new Cluster Golden Pippin — Downing names these as the best of "many varieties of the English Golden Pippin, differing but little in general appearance and size, and very little in flavor, from the old sort, but of rather more thrifty growth." Bunyard remarks of the English Golden Pippin that "there are many seedlings of this sort of doubtful distinctness."
• Pittstown Pippin — the Adams, Mass. variety as renamed after being brought to Pittstown (Downing, Beach).
• Porter — a Golden Pippin known by this name in Michigan, of medium size, roundish oblate, greenish yellow, mild subacid, ripe September and October (Downing).
• Downing and Beach both note that "there are also several other Apples under this popular name, many of which doubtless will be found identical with named sorts" (Downing); Beach Vol. 2 likewise notes additional sorts beyond those described that have been known under this name.

Other

Coxe's 1817 entry is numbered No. 64 in his work. Beach explicitly cross-references between Volumes I and II of The Apples of New York for the distinction between the English and American varieties bearing this name. Hedrick's comparison with Fall Pippin is central to his entry and is recommended for readers attempting to distinguish the two.