THE HUBBARDSTON NONSUCH APPLE.

Hubbardston Nonsuch. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1832.

The Hubbardston Nonsuch holds the same place among early winter apples, that the Baldwin does among the later ones, or the Porter among the autumn varieties. Of large size, beautiful appearance, and rich flavor, it possesses a combination of all the qualities of the finest apples. Nor does its excellence stop here; for the tree is a good grower, with large and handsome foliage, and in every stage of its growth, whether in the nursery row, or when it has attained a mature age, possesses a stately and symmetrical habit. It is also one of our hardiest sorts, surpassing, in this respect, the Baldwin; it thrives well in various parts of the country, and in the Western states, where some of our New England apples have been affected with what is called the bitter rot, the Hubbardston Nonsuch has been declared "first rate in every particular."

This fine apple was introduced to notice by Capt. Hyde, of Newton, one of our oldest nurserymen, upwards of thirty years ago, who procured scions, and distributed a great number of trees from his nursery long before its merits were generally known. It originated in the town of Hubbardston in this State, and was first described by Mr. Kenrick, in the first edition of the American Orchardist, nearly twenty years ago. It is not yet very extensively disseminated, but as it becomes better known, it will undoubtedly occupy a prominent place in every good orchard.

The Hubbardston Nonsuch in the orchard bears a full crop only in alternate, or what are usually termed bearing, years, and a small crop in the intermediate years. The fruit, though always handsome, is greatly improved by high cultivation, being then unusually large and brilliantly colored, as represented in our drawing. Its season of ripening is usually from November to February; but it may be kept in a cool cellar till March, in very good condition, though at the sacrifice of most of its fine flavor.

Tree. — Vigorous, upright, with regularly curved branches, the ends erect; when full grown, making a uniform and moderately spreading head.

Wood. — Brownish chestnut, sprinkled with whitish specks, moderately strong, and not very long-jointed; annual shoots rather slender, long, and very downy at the ends: Buds, rather small, short, and little flattened.

Leaves. — Rather large, ovate-oblong, broadest near the middle, narrowing little to the base, and tapering to the point, thick, deep shining green above, and covered with a whitish down beneath; deeply, coarsely, and unequally serrated, with prominent nerves, and folded inwards at the edges; petioles, medium length, about one inch long, and rather stout.

Flowers. — Medium size; petals oblong, nearly flat, thin, somewhat wavy, and tinged with pink.

Fruit. — Large, about three and a quarter inches broad, and three inches deep: Form, roundish, or roundish conical, largest near the middle, narrowing towards the crown, and slightly to the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, glossy, of a rich yellow, nearly covered with deep orange red, rather indistinctly striped with light crimson, often russetted around the base of the stem, and sparsely dotted on the surface with large russet specks: Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and moderately inserted in a broad, regular cavity: Eye, large, partially open, and little sunk in a broad, open, and ribbed basin; segments of the calyx broad and very short: Flesh, yellowish, rather fine, crisp and tender: Juice, tolerably abundant, with a rich admixture of sweet and acid, high-flavored and excellent: Core, small, nearly close: Seeds, medium size, plump.

Ripe in October, and keeps in good condition until February.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

HUBBARDSTON NONSUCH.

This fine apple originated in Hubbardston, Massachusetts. Tree vigorous, healthy, productive, early bearer, round-leaved, branching. At one time this and the Baldwin were confounded and mixed in some Western collections.

Fruit large, fair, handsome, round, somewhat ovate, tapering both ways from the middle, regular; Surface often uneven, yellow, covered with mixed red and broken stripes, presenting a rich brownish appearance; Dots scattered, gray, prominent.

Basin abrupt, wide, regular, leather-cracked, or russeted, or both; Eye medium or small, open.

Cavity wide, regular, brown; Stem medium or short.

Core large, heart-shaped, regular, sometimes partially open, clasping the eye; Seeds few, pointed; Flesh yellow, breaking, fine grained, juicy; Flavor acid, sub-acid, rich; Quality very good; Use, cooking early, table when perfectly ripe; Season, November, December.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Planted Spring 1893. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit of medium size, roundish, conical. Skin nearly covered with dark red, and sprinkled with whitish dots. Flesh white, juicy, tender, pleasant, mildly acid, quality good. Season January and February.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)