Hyde King
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
HYDE KING
Origin & History
Hyde King appears as one of the most valuable of the newer varieties tested at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station during this period (documented from 1892 onward). The variety has been subject to extensive evaluation and testing, with records from multiple years of observation. Historical references sometimes conflate this variety with other names, particularly "Chase" and "Western Beauty," though these attributions are reported as incorrect.
Tree
Vigor & Growth: Tree is vigorous and almost an annual bearer.
Twigs: Medium to long, stout; internodes short.
Bark: Dull brown tinged with olive-green, somewhat streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent.
Lenticels: Quite numerous, medium to below medium in size, round, raised.
Buds: Medium, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
Bearing Habit: Not a very heavy cropper, but fruit is very uniformly large with a low percentage of culls.
Fruit
Size & Form: Large to very large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form nearly globular varying to slightly oblate or somewhat conic, often obscurely ribbed. Sometimes with sides unequal, but usually pretty symmetrical.
Stem: Short, stout.
Cavity: Acute to obtuse, moderately deep to deep, broad. Usually smooth and bright green with contrasting large white dots; sometimes partly russeted.
Calyx: Medium to large, closed or somewhat open. Lobes short, obtuse.
Calyx Tube: Usually short, cone-shaped, sometimes approaching funnel-form. Stamens median to basal.
Basin: Moderately deep, rather narrow, sometimes becoming broad. Somewhat furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Thin, tough, smooth, glossy. Light green shading to pale or whitish yellow. Often with a thin blush and sometimes faintly striped with darker red. Marked towards the cavity with broken stripes of whitish scarf-skin. Quite attractive for a green apple.
Dots: Numerous, sometimes with a russet point. Usually large about the cavity.
Core: Medium to rather large, somewhat abaxile. Cells open or partly closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping.
Carpels: Smooth, concave, roundish or very broadly elliptical.
Seeds: Above medium, wide, obtuse to acute.
Flesh & Flavor: Whitish, slightly tinged with yellow. Firm, rather coarse, breaking, rather tender, juicy. Mild subacid, somewhat aromatic. Good but not of high flavor. Although not high-flavored, it is good in quality and suitable for culinary use.
Season & Storage
Season: December to April or May.
Storage: Commercial limit in ordinary storage February or March; in cold storage, May. Evidently desirable for general market purposes, being a good keeper.
Uses & Qualities
Suitable for culinary use and evidently desirable for general market purposes. The variety combines the advantage of uniform, large fruit size with reliable production of low-cull apples, making it valuable for commercial cultivation despite its lack of exceptional flavor.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 20 catalogs (1893–1917) from Alabama, Missouri, Oregon, Washington
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- 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 — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)HYDE KING.
REFERENCES. 1. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:241. 2. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:592. 1894. 3. Ib., 14:265. 1895. 4. Ib., 15:284. 1896. 5. Beach, W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1900:37. 6. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:60. 1903. 7. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:114. 1904.
SYNONYMS. CHASE (7), but incorrectly. HYDE'S KING (OF THE WEST) (1). WESTERN BEAUTY (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), but incorrectly.
Hyde King appears to be one of the most valuable of the newer varieties of apples which have been tested at this Station. The fruit is large or very large, pretty uniform, smooth, glossy, pale green or yellow, often a little shaded with red. It is quite attractive for a green apple. Although not high-flavored it is good in quality, suitable for culinary use and evidently desirable for general market purposes being a good keeper. So far as tested here the tree is vigorous, and almost an annual bearer. It is not a very heavy cropper but the fruit is very uniformly large with a low percentage of culls.
TREE. Tree vigorous. Twigs medium to long, stout; internodes short. Bark dull brown tinged with olive-green, somewhat streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium to below, round, raised. Buds medium, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit large to very large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form nearly globular varying to slightly oblate or somewhat conic, often obscurely ribbed, sometimes with sides unequal but usually pretty symmetrical. Stem short, stout. Cavity acute to obtuse, moderately deep to deep, broad, usually smooth and bright green with contrasting large white dots, sometimes partly russeted. Calyx medium to large, closed or somewhat open; lobes short, obtuse. Basin moderately deep, rather narrow, sometimes becoming broad, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thin, tough, smooth, glossy, light green shading to pale or whitish yellow, often with a thin blush and sometimes faintly striped with darker red and marked towards the cavity with broken stripes of whitish scarf-skin. Dots numerous, sometimes with a russet point, usually large about the cavity. Calyx tube usually short, cone-shape, sometimes approaching funnel-form. Stamens median to basal. Core medium to rather large, somewhat abaxile; cells open or partly closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels smooth, concave, roundish or very broadly elliptical. Seeds above medium, wide, obtuse to acute. Flesh whitish, slightly tinged with yellow, firm, rather coarse, breaking, rather tender, juicy, mild subacid, somewhat aromatic, good but not of high flavor. Season December to April or May. Commercial limit in ordinary storage February or March; in cold storage, May (7).