Grimes Golden
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Grimes Golden
Origin / History
Grimes Golden originated in Brooke County, Virginia, on the farm of Thomas Grimes (Downing; Hansen), "many years since" (Downing). Beach and Hedrick give the place of origin as West Virginia, and Hedrick dates it "more than a century ago." Beach cites Grimes in the Horticulturist (1869) for fruit from the original tree being sold to the New Orleans traders as long ago as 1804. The earliest references Beach cites, Hovey (1856) and Downing (1857), carry it as Grimes Golden Pippin, and Elliott and Downing head their entries under that name.
Warder records that it was introduced to the State Pomological Society by S. B. Marshall of Massillon, Ohio, who obtained it from N. Wood of Belmont County. He ranks it "another apple of similar and equally high character." Downing calls it "this valuable Apple." In its native locality it is highly prized for the peculiar hardihood of the tree, which withstands the most severe winters uninjured and never breaks in its limbs. It is also prized there for its uniform, regular, annual productiveness (Downing).
Beach finds it generally disseminated throughout the Ben Davis regions of the South, West, and Southwest. There it is often planted for home use and highly esteemed as a dessert apple, but it is not grown extensively in the commercial orchards of many localities. Hansen writes that "in the West this variety and Jonathan are the standard of high quality, nothing better is known." Stark calls it "an old-time favorite never losing its popularity."
Hedrick calls it "a universal favorite wherever it can be grown," in spite of several faults. Except in the Virginias and adjoining states the variety has many faults: the apples develop size, color, or quality in only a few regions. Hedrick confines its culture to the Virginias and adjoining states, and to Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
In New York it has long been known in scattering localities, and old trees of it stand in some orchards, but it has not been generally planted (Beach). Favorable reports have come from certain New York localities, and some few growers there consider it a fairly profitable variety, but generally it is regarded less favorably. As grown in that state it generally does not develop in size, color, or quality as well as in more southern latitudes, and there is a high percentage of loss from drops and culls. Beach says it has failed to become a standard apple in either the home or the commercial orchards of New York, and that "the indications are that it will never be grown in New York to any considerable extent."
Tree
Tree vigorous, though Beach and Hedrick rate it only moderately vigorous. Hedrick adds that under most conditions it must be classed with the "unmanageables." Habit spreading to upright spreading, or roundish, inclined to droop, rather dense. Branches short, stout, curved, crooked (Beach). Downing describes the branches with peculiar knobs at the base of each, connecting it with the main limbs.
Twigs short to long, straight, moderately stout; internodes short (Beach). Shoots stout, dark (Warder); young wood dark dull red brown, grayish (Downing). Beach gives the following details. Bark dull brownish, rather lightly mottled with scarf-skin, pubescent in spots and at tips. Lenticels scattering, small to large, roundish or oblong, not raised, rather inconspicuous. Buds medium, broad, obtuse to acute, free, varying from slightly pubescent to quite pubescent. Foliage abundant, dark green (Warder). A hardy late bloomer (Stark).
Healthy (Warder). Downing and Stark call it hardy; Hansen finds it not sufficiently hardy at the north. Fine specimens raised near Yankton have been shown at the South Dakota State Fair. At the station orchard at Brookings a few have been raised by top-grafting on Hibernal (Hansen).
Bears early and comes into bearing young. Productive to very productive; the Agassiz farm, where trees were planted in spring 1890, found it very productive. Downing gives it uniform, regular, annual bearing, and Hansen calls it a good early annual bearer. Beach finds it a biennial or sometimes an annual bearer and a good cropper. Stark recommends it as "a first-class, A 1 filler."
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Six of eight independent authors give medium, full medium, or above medium. Beach and Stark give medium to large.
Form: Roundish oblong to cylindrical, oblong flattened or often flattened at the ends, regular to pretty regular. Downing calls it roundish oblate, slightly conical, and Hansen sometimes roundish oblate. Beach describes it as symmetrical and uniform, sometimes inclined to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed, sometimes oblique, with sides often unequal. Beach calls the form attractive; Hedrick calls it "well-moulded."
Stem: Short to medium, slender. Warder describes it as long and curved.
Cavity: Broad, deep to rather deep, regular, slightly to often russeted. Beach describes it as acute to acuminate, Hansen as obtuse. Green (Warder).
Calyx: Rather large to large; closed, or partially to half open. Lobes long, reflexed, divergent, often separated at base. Calyx tube yellow, very broad at the top, conical, deep (Beach). Stamens basal (Beach; Hansen).
Basin: Abrupt, deep or moderately deep, rather wide; uneven, folded, slightly or somewhat wrinkled to somewhat furrowed.
Skin: Tough, somewhat rough, uneven. Rich golden yellow to clear deep yellow; Stark calls it "transparent." Vein-russeted (Warder), or sometimes with thin open net-veining of russet (Hansen). The color is called beautiful (Beach; Hedrick).
Dots: Minute to small, numerous to scattering or moderately sprinkled, obscure; white, gray, bright, pale yellow, or russet. In Hansen's account they are chiefly white, with a few russet dots. Thomas alone calls them large russet dots.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow; Elliott and Thomas call it yellowish white. Firm to very firm, compact, crisp, tender, breaking. Warder calls it very fine-grained; Beach finds it moderately coarse. Juicy, though Beach rates it only moderately juicy.
Flavor subacid, rich, aromatic, spicy, sprightly, refreshing (Warder), with a peculiar aroma (Downing). Thomas calls it "a mild sub-acid, agreeable." The Agassiz farm calls it "a rich pleasant flavour." Hedrick credits it with "firm but crisp and tender flesh, pleasantly acidulous flavor, and most pleasant aroma."
Quality "very good" to "best," with Downing and Beach giving "very good to best." Warder rates it "very best" and Hansen "best," while Elliott, Thomas ("very good flavor"), and the Agassiz farm give "very good."
Core and seeds: Core small to medium, pyriform, somewhat abaxile (Beach), meeting the eye (Warder). Warder calls the core closed; Hansen calls it slightly open. Beach describes the cells as usually pretty symmetrical, closed or somewhat open; Hansen calls them obovate. Core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish, emarginate, concave (Beach). Seeds numerous, plump, brown, short, medium or below, somewhat tufted, acute to obtuse.
Season
The recorded season runs from November into March. Five of seven independent authors give December, or in Warder's case January, through March. Thomas gives November alone. Beach gives November to January or February, with a commercial limit of December or January, and places it in season about with Hubbardston. Beach calls it not a good keeper and apt to scald in storage; Hedrick says that wherever grown the apples scald badly in storage.
Uses
Dessert. Warder calls it "too good for aught else," though he adds that "those who have tried it say that it is excellent for cooking." Stark calls it a good cooking apple while quoting Warder that "it is too good for aught else but dessert." Beach rates it excellent either for dessert or culinary use; Thomas calls it "unexcelled for home use."
Beach says it "can hardly be called a standard market variety but in some markets it sells well." Stark calls it "a favorite on all markets" that "invariably brings highest prices."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Lowther's Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) carries Grimes' Golden in its variety-characteristic table with the entry "M | rob | gy | VG | f | W | 3* | 20* | 2*". The Stark Bros. catalog entry closes with the code "NCS".
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867) — listed as Grimes' Golden
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 1 (1905) — listed as GRIMES
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Grimes' Golden
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Grimes' Golden
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Grimes' Golden Pippin
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Grimes' Golden Pippin
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 52 catalogs (1891–1932) from Alabama, Arkansas, California, England, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Virginia, Washington
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1896
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907 — listed as Grimes Golden Pippin
- J.B. Pilkington , Portland , Oregon — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- J. B. Pilkington , Nurseryman, Portland, OR (nurseries near Newberg, forty miles from Portland) — 1913
- Van Holderbeke Nursery Co. , Incorporated, Spokane, Washington (nurseries at Otis Orchards WA, Pasadena WA, Kennewick WA) — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
- Ornamental & Fruit Nursery Company , Wapato, County of Yakima , Washington — 1915
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Holsinger Bros. Nurseries (Holsinger Brothers Nursery) , Rosedale , Kansas — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
- Fancher Creek Nurseries , George C. Roeding, Fresno , California — 1918
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon , Washington — 1921
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
- Fresno Nursery Co. , Fresno , California — 1924
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925
- Hudson's Wholesale Nurseries , Tangent , Oregon — 1926
- Stark Bro's Nurseries , Louisiana , Missouri — 1932
- Rich & Sons Nursery , Hillsboro , Oregon
View original book sources (11)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Grimes' Golden Pippin.
From Brooke Co., Va. Fruit, medium, oblong flattened, golden yellow; flesh, yellowish white, sub-acid; "very good." December to March.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Grimes' Golden.
Another apple of similar and equally high character. Origin, Brooke County, Virginia. Introduced to the State Pomological Society by our zealous fellow member S. B. Marshall, Massillon, Ohio, who obtained it from N. Wood, of Belmont County.
Tree vigorous, healthy, spreading, productive, bears early ; Shoots stout, dark ; Foliage abundant, dark green.
Fruit full medium, cylindrical, regular ; Surface yellow, vein-russeted ; Dots numerous, minute.
Basin abrupt, folded ; Eye large, closed.
Cavity wide, regular, green ; Stem long, curved.
Core small, pyriform, closed, meeting the eye ; Seeds numerous, plump, brown ; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, very fine-grained, juicy ; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, spicy, rich, refreshing ; Quality very best ; Use, dessert, too good for aught else ; those who have tried it say that it is excellent for cooking ; Season, January to March.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Grimes' Golden Pippin.
Grimes Golden.
This valuable Apple originated many years since, on the farm of Thomas Grimes, Brooke Co., Va. In its native locality it is highly prized for the peculiar hardihood of the tree, withstanding uninjured the most severe winters, and never breaking in its limbs. Also for its uniform regular annual productiveness.
Grimes' Golden Pippin.
Tree vigorous, hardy, upright spreading, very productive, branches with peculiar knobs at the base of each, connecting it with the main limbs. Young wood dark dull red brown, grayish.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conical. Skin uneven. Color rich golden yellow, sprinkled moderately with small gray and bright dots. Stalk rather short and slender. Cavity rather deep, sometimes slightly russeted. Calyx closed, or partially open. Basin abrupt, uneven. Flesh yellow, compact, crisp, tender, juicy, rich, sprightly, spicy subacid, peculiar aroma. Core rather small. Very good to best. December to March.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Grimes Golden—Origin, Brooke County, Virginia, on the farm of Thomas Grimes. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, a good early annual bearer. In the west this variety and Jonathan are the standard of high quality, nothing better is known. Not sufficiently hardy at the north. Fine specimens raised near Yankton have been shown at the South Dakota State Fair. In Station orchard at Brookings we have succeeded in raising a few by top-grafting on Hibernal—Fruit above medium, regular, cylindrical, sometimes roundish oblate; surface rich golden yellow, sometimes with thin open net-veining of russet; dots obscure, many, white, minute, with a few russet dots; cavity regular, obtuse, slightly russeted; stem medium; basin deep, abrupt, uneven, somewhat wrinkled; calyx closed or half open, segments divergent. Core small, slightly open, pyriform, meeting; cells obovate; tube conical; stamens basal; seeds many, short, plump; flesh yellow, firm, compact, crisp, aromatic, rich, spicy subacid; quality best. December to March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Grimes' Golden.* Above medium, roundish, slightly oblong, regular; skin yellow, with large russet dots; stalk slender, in a deep cavity; basin deep, slightly wrinkled; flesh of yellowish white, with a mild sub-acid, agreeable, very good flavor. November. Virginia. Unexcelled for home use.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)GRIMES.
REFERENCES. 1. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 22:131. 1856. 2. Downing, 1857:149. 3. Hooper, 1857:42. 4. Hanford, Horticulturist, 18:206. 1863. fig. 5. Warder, 1867:670. fig. 6. Grimes, Horticulturist, 24:51. 1869. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1869. 8. Barry, 1883:347. 9. Thomas, 1885:245. 10. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 11. Wickson, 1891:247. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 13. Amer. Gard., 19:131. 1898. fig. 14. Brackett, Ib., 22:191. 1901. 15. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:133. 1901. 16. Stinson, Mo. Fr. Sta. Bul., 3:25. 1902. 17. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:55. 1902. fig. 18. Budd-Hansen, 1903:95. fig. 19. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:43. 1903. 20. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:123. 1904.
SYNONYMS. GRIMES' GOLDEN (5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Grimes Golden (19, 20). GRIMES GOLDEN PIPPIN (1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12).
Fruit beautiful rich golden-yellow, attractive in form and excellent either for dessert or culinary use. It can hardly be called a standard market variety but in some markets it sells well. It is not a good keeper and is apt to scald in storage. It is in season about with Hubbardston. The tree is a biennial or sometimes an annual bearer and a good cropper. Favorable reports on it have been received from certain localities in New York but generally as grown in this state it does not develop in size, color or quality as well as it does in more southern latitudes, and there is a high percentage of loss from drops and culls. Some few New York fruit growers consider it a fairly profitable variety but generally it is regarded less favorably and it has failed to become a standard apple either in the home orchards or in the commercial orchards of the State. The indications are that it will never be grown in New York to any considerable extent.
Historical. Originated in West Virginia. Fruit from the original tree was sold to the New Orleans traders as long ago as 1804 (6). It has become generally disseminated throughout the Ben Davis regions of the South, West and Southwest, where it is often planted for home use and is highly esteemed as a dessert apple, but it is not grown extensively in many localities in the commercial orchards. It has long been known in scattering localities in New York and old trees of it are found in some orchards but it has not been generally planted.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous; branches short, stout, curved, crooked. Form upright spreading or roundish, inclined to droop; rather dense. Twigs short to long, straight, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark dull brownish, rather lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent in spots and at tips. Lenticels scattering, small to large, roundish or oblong, not raised, rather inconspicuous. Buds medium, broad, obtuse to acute, free, varying from slightly pubescent to quite pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to large. Form roundish oblong, often flattened at the ends, sometimes inclined to conic, pretty regular, sometimes obscurely ribbed, sometimes oblique, symmetrical, uniform; sides often unequal. Stem short to medium. Cavity broad, deep, acute to acuminate, often russeted. Calyx rather large, closed; lobes long, reflexed, often separated at base. Basin abrupt, deep or moderately deep, rather wide, somewhat furrowed. Skin tough, somewhat rough, clear deep yellow with scattering pale yellow or russet dots. Calyx tube yellow, very broad at the top, conical, deep. Stamens basal. Core medium to rather small, somewhat abaxile; cells usually pretty symmetrical, closed or somewhat open; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish, emarginate, concave. Seeds numerous, medium or below, somewhat tufted, plump, acute to obtuse. Flesh yellow, very firm, tender, crisp, moderately coarse, moderately juicy, subacid, rich, aromatic, sprightly, very good to best. Season November to January or February. Commercial limit, December or January.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Grimes Golden.—Origin, Brooke Co., Virginia, on the farm of Thomas Grimes; tree vigorous, upright, spreading, a good early annual bearer. In the West this variety and Jonathan are the standard of high quality, nothing better is known.
Fruit above medium, regular, cylindrical, sometimes roundish oblate; surface rich golden yellow, sometimes with thin open net-veining of russet; dots obscure, many, white, minute, with a few russet dots; cavity regular, obtuse, slightly russeted; stem medium; basin deep, abrupt, uneven, somewhat wrinkled; calyx closed or half open; segments divergent. Core small, slightly open, pyriform, meeting; cells obovate; tube conical; stamens basal; seeds many, short, plump; flesh yellow, firm, compact, crisp, aromatic, rich, spicy subacid; quality best. December to March.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Grimes' Golden............... M | rob | gy | VG | f | W | 3* | 20* | 2*
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)GRIMES GOLDEN. Fig. 24. Grimes. Grimes Golden Pippin. In spite of several faults, Grimes Golden is a universal favorite wherever it can be grown. The outstanding merits of the fruits are: beautiful rich golden color, well-moulded form, firm but crisp and tender flesh, pleasantly acidulous flavor, and most pleasant aroma. Unfortunately, except in the Virginias and adjoining states, the variety has many faults. Thus, the apples do not develop size, color, or quality elsewhere than in a few regions, and, wherever grown, they scald badly in storage. The trees, too, are but moderately vigorous, and under most conditions must be classed with the "unmanageables." Grimes Golden originated in West Virginia more than a century ago; its culture is confined to the regions named, and Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, drooping, dense; branches short, stout, curved, crooked. Fruit medium to large, round-oblong, often flattened at the ends, sometimes conic, regular, sometimes obscurely ribbed; sometimes oblique, symmetrical, uniform, sides often unequal; stem short; cavity broad, deep, acute, often russeted; calyx large, closed; lobes long, reflexed, often separated at base; basin abrupt, deep, wide, furrowed; skin tough, deep yellow with scattering pale yellow or russet dots; calyx-tube yellow, very broad at the top, conical, deep; stamens basal; core small, abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or open; core-lines meeting; cells roundish, emarginate, concave; seeds numerous, tufted, plump, acute; flesh yellow, very firm, tender, crisp, coarse, juicy, subacid, rich, aromatic, sprightly; very good to best; November to January or February.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous but spreading grower, and very productive. Fruit of medium size, roundish oblong. Skin rich golden yellow, sprinkled with small gray dots. Flesh yellow, crisp, firm, juicy, with a rich pleasant flavour, quality very good. Season December to March.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)A transparent, golden-yellow apple; medium to large, cylindrical in shape. Flesh tender, juicy, spicy, and rich—an old-time favorite never losing its popularity. Tree is hardy, a vigorous grower, a hardy late bloomer, and comes into bearing young. A first-class, A 1 filler. Grimes Golden is a favorite on all markets and invariably brings highest prices—is a good cooking apple, but as Dr. Warder says in his great work on the apple, "It is too good for aught else but dessert." NCS