Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981)
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981)
Origin/History
Origin, Russia. The name "Golden White" is not descriptive of the apple, but was adopted and retained for the present by the Russian Nomenclature Commission until the true name can be ascertained.
Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981) represents a group of Russian introductions documented under several nursery numbers and names. J.B. Mitchell, who propagated the variety, confirmed that Nos. 978, 979, and 981 are all alike in character. J. Sexton observed that No. 4 Orel and No. 5 Orel are like Mallett 980 in leaf and like the above three in fruit. No. 56, Vor., was considered spurious. Other designations associated with the group include Long White (No. 979, of Tuttle and Mitchell), White Russet (No. 981, of Tuttle and Mitchell), Winter Stripe, and Avenarius No. 15, Department, of Patten. Mitchell noted that after he stopped propagating the trees, demand from prior purchasers was sufficient to prompt him to resume propagation two years before the time of writing.
A.G. Tuttle remarked: "In my neighborhood Golden White is a very good apple."
Tree
Irregular grower. Buds very prominent, thick, and woolly (J.B. Mitchell).
Fruit
Size: Large; graded 5 to 6 on the size scale.
Form: Roundish, slightly to somewhat tapering, sometimes angular.
Skin/Surface: Yellow (described as light yellow in the tabular entry), with dark crimson splashes, mixed and marbled; in the tabular description characterized as striped and splashed with red.
Dots: Large, grayish white, distinct (paragraph descriptions); described simply as white in the tabular entry.
Stem: Short to medium (tabular entry); medium (paragraph descriptions).
Cavity: Shallow, wide, with a radiating patch of russet. The tabular entry describes the cavity as wide and regular without noting the russet patch.
Calyx: Half open.
Calyx tube: Funnel-shaped.
Stamens: Median.
Basin: Shallow; described as slightly corrugated in the tabular entry and as narrow and corrugated in the paragraph descriptions.
Flesh: Yellowish white.
Flavor: Pleasant subacid; quality rated good.
Season
Late fall; ripens between Oldenburg and Longfield in maturity sequence.
Uses
Regarded as a very good apple in districts where it has been grown (Tuttle).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981)—Origin, Russia. This name is not descriptive, but was retained for the present by the Russian Nomenclature Commission—Fruit large, roundish, somewhat tapering, sometimes angular; surface yellow, with dark crimson splashes, mixed and marbled; dots large, grayish white, distinct; cavity shallow, wide, with radiating patch of russet; stem medium; basin shallow, narrow, corrugated; calyx half open. Calyx tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh yellowish white, pleasant subacid, good. Late fall, between Oldenburg and Longfield.
Golden White. (Nos. 978, 979, 981)
GOLDEN WHITE GROUP.
Large. Long White, 979, of Tuttle and Mitchell; Golden White, 978, of Tuttle and Mitchell; White Russet, 981, of Tuttle and Mitchell; Nos. 4 and 5, Orel, of Budd; No. 56, Vor., (spurious); Winter Stripe; Avenarius No. 15, Department, of Patten.
The name does not describe the apple, but it is adopted until the true name can be ascertained.
DESCRIPTION:
Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981)—Size 5 to 6; form, roundish, slightly angular; color, light yellow, striped and splashed with red; dots, white; cavity, wide, regular; stem, short to medium; basin, shallow, slightly corrugated; calyx, half open; flesh, yellowish white; flavor, subacid; season, fall; origin, Russia; tree, irregular grower.
J. B. Mitchell: Nos. 978, 979 and 981 are all alike; the buds are very prominent, thick and woolly. I quit propagating the trees, but people who had bought trees kept coming to me for more, so I began again two years ago.
J. Sexton: No. 4 Orel and 5 Orel are like Mallett 980 in leaf and like the above three in fruit.
A. G. Tuttle: In my neighborhood Golden White is a very good apple." (Rus. Nom. Com.)
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Golden White (Nos. 978, 979, 981).— Origin, Russia. This name is not descriptive but was retained for the present by the Russian Nomenclature Commission.
Fruit large, roundish, somewhat tapering, sometimes angular; surface yellow, with dark crimson splashes, mixed and marbled; dots large, grayish white, distinct; cavity shallow, wide, with radiating patch of russet; stem medium; basin shallow, narrow, corrugated; calyx half open. Calyx tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh yellowish white, pleasant subacid, good. Late fall, between Oldenburg and Longfield.