Hagloe
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
Hagloe originated in America, a conclusion reached by later pomologists (American Pomological Society catalogue, 1899; Budd-Hansen, 1903). Warder (1867), however, described it as "this foreign variety" with "the general aspect of a Russian apple both in tree and fruit" — a characterization at odds with the later consensus of American origin.
Coxe in 1817 was among the first to describe the variety in print, though he and some subsequent writers erroneously conflated it with the English cider apple known as Hagloe Crab. Elliott (1865) noted explicitly that Hagloe is "distinct from Hagloe Crab, a small, ovate, cider fruit." The error was discovered by Downing (Horticulturist, 3:249, 1848), after which the name Summer Hagloe came to be commonly accepted among pomologists. The American Pomological Society listed it under that name in 1862; in 1899 the catalogue changed the name back to plain Hagloe.
The variety was esteemed by market gardeners in New Jersey, where it was much grown (Warder). Beach (1905) noted it was but little known in New York by the time of his writing.
Tree
Sources offer partially conflicting accounts of tree vigor. Beach (1905) describes the tree as rather small, a slow grower, not a very good grower, coming into bearing rather young and yielding moderate to good crops annually or nearly annually. Coxe (1817, as quoted by Beach) similarly noted "the size of the tree small." Warder (1867), by contrast, characterized the tree as healthy, vigorous, round headed, and productive.
Form: Flat, spreading, rather dense (Beach). Round headed (Warder).
Branches: Moderately long, crooked (Beach).
Twigs/Shoots: Short, straight, stout with large terminal buds; internodes medium (Beach). Stout, blunt (Warder). Dark colored strong shoots (Elliott). Coxe described "thick strong shoots."
Bark: Brown with some olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips (Beach). Coxe noted the colour of the wood as dark.
Lenticels: Scattering, large to medium, oblong, raised (Beach).
Buds: Medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent (Beach). Particularly large at the extremity of the branches (Coxe, via Beach).
Foliage: Large, light green (Warder).
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium to large, pretty uniform (Beach; Warder). Coxe described the size as "about middling." Form roundish truncate to roundish conic, ribbed; sides often unequal (Beach). Warder described it as round, somewhat flattened. Elliott gives roundish flattened. Coxe noted round, flat at the ends.
Stem: Short to medium, rather thick (Beach). Short, thick (Warder). Coxe described the stalk as large.
Cavity: Acute, medium in width and depth, symmetrical, russeted and with rather irregular, outspreading russet (Beach). Warder described the cavity as wide and regular — in conflict with Beach's "medium in width."
Calyx: Below medium to above, closed or open; lobes often separated at the base, narrow, acuminate (Beach). Eye small, closed (Warder).
Basin: Moderately deep, narrow to medium in width, abrupt, nearly smooth (Beach). Small, regular (Warder).
Skin: Rather tender, smooth, somewhat glossy (Beach). Pale greenish-yellow washed and mottled with pinkish-red, marked with splashes and narrow stripes of bright carmine; dots light, inconspicuous; prevailing effect yellow, faintly striped (Beach). Warder described the surface as pale yellow, distinctly striped and splashed bright red or carmine, covered with white bloom. Elliott gives "bright red on yellow." Coxe described "a yellow ground streaked with bright red." Beach observed that the fruit is not sufficiently attractive for a good market sort, the color being predominantly pale yellow rather faintly striped with red.
Flesh and Flavor: White (Beach; Warder gives whitish). Moderately fine (Beach); not fine-grained and breaking (Warder). Tender (Beach; Elliott). Rather juicy (Beach). Sprightly subacid (Beach). Warder gives the flavor as acid. Coxe described the taste as "acid, but highly flavoured," and the flesh as "remarkably soft and woolly, but not dry." Quality good (Warder); good for culinary purposes (Beach).
Calyx Tube: Moderately long, wide, conical. Stamens basal (Beach).
Core and Seeds: Core usually small, axile to abaxile; cells usually open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly ovate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds rather light brown, small to medium, roundish, very plump, obtuse (Beach).
Season
Late August and September (Beach). August (Warder). Coxe gave August and September and noted it "keeps a long time without rotting." Elliott gives July — earlier than all other sources.
Uses
Valued chiefly for culinary use and market (Beach; Warder), both of whom restrict its quality assessment to kitchen use. Elliott rates it higher, noting it is "often fine for dessert." Coxe praised it as "an uncommonly fine cooking apple," and from "its great beauty and large size, added to its abundant bearing, is a valuable market fruit." Beach, by 1905, found it "not sufficiently attractive for a good market sort."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Coxe (1817) reported the tree "bears abundantly and early" — consistent with Beach's note that it comes into bearing rather young, though Beach qualifies the yield as only moderate to good rather than abundant.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Hagloe.
This foreign variety has the general aspect of a Russian apple both in tree and fruit.
Excellent for cooking, highly esteemed by the market gardeners of New Jersey, where it is much grown.
Tree healthy, vigorous, round headed, productive; Shoots stout, blunt; Foliage large, light green.
Fruit medium to large, round, somewhat flattened; Surface pale yellow, distinctly striped and splashed bright red or carmine, covered with white bloom.
Basin small, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, regular; Stem short, thick.
Flesh whitish, not fine-grained, breaking, juicy; Flavor acid; Quality good; Use, kitchen and market only; Season, August.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)HAGLOE.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:107. fig. 2. Thacher, 1822:126. 3. Fessenden, 1828:131. 4. Downing, Horticulturist, 3:249. 1848. 5. Thomas, 1849:141. 6. Downing, 1854:146. 7. Elliott, 1854:137. 8. Hooper, 1857:42. 9. Horticulturist, 14:425. 1859. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 11. Warder, 1867:596. 12. Barry, 1883:334. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:240. 14. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:17. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:96.
SYNONYMS. HAGLOE (7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). HAGLOE CRAB (1, 2, 3), but incorrectly. SUMMER HAGLOE (4, 5, 6, 9, 10). Summer Hagloe (7).
In 1817 Coxe gave the following description of this variety (1). "The fruit, when fully ripe, has a yellow ground streaked with bright red—the size about middling, the form round, flat at the ends; the stalk large—the flesh remarkably soft and woolly, but not dry—the taste acid, but highly flavoured. * * It ripens in August and September; keeps a long time without rotting—it bears abundantly and early: the growth of the tree is very uncommon; thick strong shoots; buds, particularly at the extremity of the branches, very large; the colour of the wood dark—the size of the tree small: the Hagloe is an uncommonly fine cooking apple; and from its great beauty and large size, added to its abundant bearing, is a valuable market fruit."
The tree is not a very good grower but comes into bearing rather young and yields moderate to good crops annually or nearly annually. The quality of the fruit is such that it is valued chiefly for culinary use and market. It is of good size and pretty uniform but the color is predominantly pale yellow rather faintly striped with red. It is not sufficiently attractive for a good market sort.
Historical. It is now held that Hagloe originated in America (14, 15). Coxe and some later writers confused this variety with the English cider fruit known as Hagloe Crab but eventually this error was discovered (4) and the name Summer Hagloe came to be commonly accepted among pomologists for this variety, under which name it was listed by the American Pomological Society in 1862 (10). In 1899 the name was changed to Hagloe (14) in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society. This variety is but little known in New York.
TREE. Tree rather small, a slow grower with moderately long, crooked branches. Form flat, spreading, rather dense. Twigs short, straight, stout with large terminal buds; internodes medium. Bark brown with some olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels scattering, large to medium, oblong, raised. Buds medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit medium to large, pretty uniform. Form roundish truncate to roundish conic, ribbed; sides often unequal. Stem short to medium, rather thick. Cavity acute, medium in width and depth, symmetrical, russeted and with rather irregular, outspreading russet. Calyx below medium to above, closed or open; lobes often separated at the base, narrow, acuminate. Basin moderately deep, narrow to medium in width, abrupt, nearly smooth.
Skin rather tender, smooth, somewhat glossy, pale greenish-yellow washed and mottled with pinkish-red marked with splashes and narrow stripes of bright carmine. Dots light, inconspicuous. Prevailing effect yellow, faintly striped.
Calyx tube moderately long, wide, conical. Stamens basal.
Core usually small, axile to abaxile; cells usually open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly ovate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds rather light brown, small to medium, roundish, very plump, obtuse.
Flesh white, moderately fine, tender, rather juicy, sprightly subacid, good for culinary purposes.
Season late August and September.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Hagloe. Summer Hagloe. Tree, medium bearer, dark colored strong shoots ; valued for cooking, often fine for dessert. Fruit, medium, roundish flattened, bright red on yellow ; flesh, tender. July. Distinct from Hagloe Crab, a small, ovate, cider fruit.