Hurlbut
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Hurlbut
Origin / History
Hurlbut originated on the farm of General Leonard Hurlbut at Winchester, Connecticut. Hedrick places its origin "nearly a century ago" and says it was first described by Cole in 1849. Beach quotes Cole's words of that year: "The original tree is still flourishing on the farm of General Leonard Hurlbut, Winchester, Conn."
Beach calls it long known in cultivation and quite widely disseminated, and says it has proved profitable with some fruit growers, yet has "nowhere gained prominence as a commercial variety." He adds that it was still quite frequently listed by nurserymen but was not being planted to any considerable extent. Hedrick writes that its cultivation "has not spread far from the place of its nativity." He calls it "one of the many mediocre apples having just sufficient merit to keep them in the limbo of the nurserymen's catalogs," and judges fruit and tree "good but in no case superior."
Tree
Tree rather large, a strong grower; very vigorous (Downing), vigorous or moderately vigorous (Beach). Form spreading or roundish and somewhat inclined to droop. Young wood dark brownish red, slightly downy. Twigs moderately long, slightly curved, moderately stout to rather slender; internodes below medium to short. Bark dark brown to clear brownish red, heavily mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, round, slightly raised. Buds prominent, medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
A great bearer. Beach says it comes into bearing moderately young and yields heavy crops biennially. The tendency to overproduce in bearing years in many cases reduces the size of the fruit, leaving a considerable portion too small to be marketable.
Fruit
Size: Medium in most accounts. Beach gives below medium to above, fairly uniform in size and shape; Hedrick's condensation of Beach reads medium to large.
Form: Roundish to oblate, slightly conic to conic, or inclined to oblate conic; angular to somewhat angular, rather symmetrical.
Stem: Medium to short, rather slender or small.
Cavity: Acute, symmetrical or compressed, surrounded by russet, which Beach describes as usually heavy and outspreading. Downing calls the cavity broad and deep, and Thomas large; Beach gives it shallow to medium in depth and medium in width.
Calyx: Medium or below, closed or usually closed; lobes medium to long, narrow, acute. Calyx tube very short, wide, truncate conical, with a fleshy pistil point projecting into the base; stamens marginal (Beach).
Basin: Shallow or rather shallow to medium in depth, narrow to nearly medium in width, somewhat abrupt, smooth or slightly wrinkled.
Skin: Thick, tough, smooth. Ground yellow to greenish yellow, striped and shaded with red, largely overspread with brownish red or dull red, and splashed and striped with darker red or carmine. Lowther gives the color as yellow-red. Beach calls the general appearance good, yet not particularly attractive in either size or color.
Dots: Light, thinly sprinkled, scattering, inconspicuous, usually submerged, sometimes russet.
Flesh and flavor: White or yellowish, moderately firm, rather fine, crisp, tender, juicy to very juicy. Flavor mild subacid, sprightly (Downing), aromatic (Beach). Quality "good to very good" (Downing, Beach); Lowther says "good."
Core and seeds: Core small (Downing), or of medium size and abaxile (Beach). Beach gives cells wide open to nearly closed, core lines meeting or slightly clasping, and carpels nearly round. Seeds numerous, rather large, moderately wide, long, rather plump, acute (Beach).
Season
The recorded season runs from early autumn into January. Most accounts place it in October or November through December. Beach calls the season variable, October to December or January. Lowther's table gives early autumn.
Uses
Used for both kitchen and market (Lowther). Beach says it does not take first rank for either home use or market.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
In Lowther's station table, the Northern and Central Divisions report none. The Southern Division reports 2, and the variety is also reported in another division.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1890–1913) from Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)HURLBUT. Hurlbut Stripe.
Origin, farm of Gen. Hurlbut, Winchester, Conn. Tree, very vigorous, and great bearer. Fruit, medium, oblate, slightly conic angular ; skin, yellow, shaded with red stripes, and splashed with darker red, and thinly sprinkled with light dots ; stalk, short, rather slender, inserted in a broad, deep cavity, surrounded by russet ; calyx, closed, basin rather shallow ; flesh, white, crisp, tender, juicy, with a mild sprightly sub-acid flavor. November, December. (Downing.)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)HURLBUT.
Hurlbut Stripe.
Origin, farm of General Hurlbut, Winchester, Conn. Tree very vigorous, and great bearer. Young wood dark brownish red, slightly downy. Buds prominent.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, angular. Skin yellow, shaded with red stripes, and splashed with darker red, and thinly sprinkled with light dots. Stalk short, rather slender, inserted in a broad deep cavity, surrounded by russet. Calyx closed. Basin rather shallow. Flesh white, crisp, tender, juicy, mild, sprightly subacid. Good to very good. Core small. October, December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Hurlbut. Size medium, oblate, conic; yellow striped with red; stalk small; cavity large; basin shallow; flesh white, crisp, tender, with a mild sub-acid flavor. Connecticut.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)HURLBUT.
REFERENCES. 1. Cole, 1849:118. fig. 2. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:31. 1851. col. pl. and fig. 3. Downing, 1857:155. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 5. Warder, 1867:722. 6. Thomas, 1875:201. 7. Barry, 1883:347. 8. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 9. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:241. 10. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:133. 11. Dempsey, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. 12. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:326. 1896. 13. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 18:89. 1902. 14. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:45. 1903. 15. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:126. 1904.
SYNONYMS. HURLBURT (2). HURLBUT (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). Hurlbut Stripe (3). HURLBUTT (5).
The general appearance of Hurlbut is good yet it is not particularly attractive either in size or color nor does it take first rank for either home use or market. The tree is a strong grower, comes into bearing moderately young and yields heavy crops biennially. Because of the tendency of the tree to overproduction in bearing years the size of the fruit is in many cases reduced and a considerable portion of it is too small to be marketable. Hurlbut has proved to be a profitable variety with some fruit growers but although it has long been known in cultivation and has been quite widely disseminated it has nowhere gained prominence as a commercial variety.
Historical. In 1849 Cole (1) wrote: "The original tree is still flourishing on the farm of General Leonard Hurlbut, Winchester, Conn." It is still quite frequently listed by nurserymen (9) but is not being planted to any considerable extent.
TREE.
Tree rather large, vigorous or moderately vigorous. Form spreading or roundish and somewhat inclined to droop. Twigs moderately long, slightly curved, moderately stout to rather slender; internodes below medium to short. Bark dark brown to clear brownish-red, heavily mottled with scarfskin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, round, slightly raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit below medium to above, fairly uniform in size and shape. Form roundish, slightly oblate or inclined to oblate conic, somewhat angular, rather symmetrical. Stem medium to short, rather slender. Cavity acute, shallow to medium in depth, medium in width, symmetrical or compressed, usually covered with heavy outspreading russet. Calyx medium or below, usually closed; lobes medium to long, narrow, acute. Basin shallow to medium in depth, narrow to nearly medium in width, somewhat abrupt, smooth or slightly wrinkled. Skin thick, tough, smooth, greenish-yellow largely overspread with brownish-red or dull red, splashed and striped with carmine. Dots scattering, inconspicuous, usually submerged, sometimes russet. Calyx tube very short, wide, truncate conical with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base. Stamens marginal. Core medium size, abaxile; cells wide open to nearly closed; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels nearly round. Seeds numerous, rather large, moderately wide, long, rather plump, acute. Flesh white or yellowish, moderately firm, rather fine, tender, crisp, very juicy, aromatic, mildly subacid, good to very good. Season variable; October to December or January (15).
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Hurlbut: size medium; form roundish (oblate); color yellow-red; quality good; use both kitchen and market; season early autumn; Northern Division reports none; Central Division reports none; Southern Division reports 2, also reported in another division.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)HURLBUT. Hurlbut Stripe. Hurlbut is one of the many mediocre apples having just sufficient merit to keep them in the limbo of the nurserymen's catalogs. It will be seen from the description that fruit and tree of Hurlbut are good but in no case superior. The variety originated at Winchester, Connecticut, nearly a century ago on the farm of General Leonard Hurlbut. Its cultivation has not spread far from the place of its nativity. It was first described by Cole in 1849.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading. Fruit medium to large, uniform in size and shape, round-oblate to oblate-conic, angular, symmetrical; stem short, slender; cavity acute, shallow, medium in width, symmetrical or compressed; calyx small, usually closed; lobes long, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, abrupt, smooth or wrinkled; skin thick, tough, smooth, greenish-yellow overspread with brownish-red or dull red, splashed and striped with carmine; dots scattering, inconspicuous, usually submerged, sometimes russet; calyx-tube very short, wide, truncate conical with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base; stamens marginal; core of medium size, abaxile; cells wide open to closed; core-lines meeting; carpels round; seeds numerous, large, wide, long, plump, acute; flesh white or yellowish, firm, fine, tender, crisp, very juicy, aromatic, mild subacid; good to very good; October to January.