Kentish Fillbasket
AppleOrigin/History
An old English variety. It has been sparingly cultivated in portions of New York state for many years and has been grown to some extent also in Ontario. According to Hogg (1884), the Kentish Fillbasket of Miller, Forsyth, and Rogers is a different variety, being evidently the Kentish Codlin or common old English Codlin, a lemon-yellow apple which is in season from August to October. The Kentish Fillbasket of Buel (1826) appears to be the same as that of Forsyth (1803).
Tree
A strong grower and a fair cropper (Beach). Downing describes the tree as growing strongly and bearing well. Not recommended for planting in New York (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Very large — Downing specifies frequently four and a half inches in diameter.
Form: Roundish, ribbed. Beach describes the form as oblate or roundish, ribbed broadly and obscurely if at all, irregular, fairly uniform. Downing says roundish, slightly ribbed or irregular.
Stem: Not exserted, short, medium in thickness (Beach).
Cavity: Acute to somewhat acuminate, deep, broad, symmetrical or somewhat furrowed, green or more often with outspreading russet (Beach).
Calyx: Small to rather large, closed or partly open; lobes broad, obtuse to acute (Beach).
Basin: Pretty abrupt, moderately deep to deep, medium in width to wide, sometimes a little furrowed or wrinkled (Beach).
Skin: Thin, tough, smooth, somewhat waxy (Beach). Color yellowish green in the shade, but pale yellow in the sun, with a brownish red blush on the sunny side, slightly streaked or spotted with darker red (Downing). Beach describes the skin as pale yellow with thin brownish blush often deepening to red, somewhat mottled and splashed with carmine. Dots small, usually not conspicuous, dark brown or grayish or submerged and whitish (Beach). Prevailing effect yellow somewhat striped with red (Beach).
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, rather tender, juicy, brisk subacid, good (Beach). Downing describes the flesh as tender, juicy, with a subacid, sprightly flavor, rated Good. Downing notes the flavor is "tolerable" for dessert purposes. Desirable for cooking but not for dessert use (Beach).
Calyx Tube: Wide, conical (Beach).
Stamens: Basal to nearly median (Beach).
Core/Seeds: Core abaxile, medium to large; cells often unsymmetrical and open, sometimes closed; core lines nearly meeting. Carpels broadly ovate, mucronate, not emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium or below, plump, acute (Beach).
Season
October to January (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Beach gives October to December.
Uses
An excellent cooking apple. Described as desirable for cooking but not for dessert use (Beach). Downing notes it is "much admired by those who like great size and beauty of appearance."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1900–1911) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Kentish Fill-Basket.
Potter's Large Seedling. Lady de Grey's.
An immense English fruit, properly named, and much admired by those who like great size and beauty of appearance. The flavor is tolerable, and it is an excellent cooking Apple. The tree grows strongly, and bears well.
Fruit very large —frequently four and a half inches in diameter— roundish, slightly ribbed or irregular. Color yellowish green in the shade, but pale yellow in the sun, with a brownish red blush on the sunny side, slightly streaked or spotted with darker red. Flesh tender, juicy, with a subacid, sprightly flavor. Good. October to January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)KENTISH FILLBASKET.
REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1832:95. 2. Downing, 1845:114. 3. Thomas, 1849:168. 4. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:62. 1851. 5. Elliott, 1854:172. 6. Hooper, 1857:49. 7. Warder, 1867:723. 8. Hogg, 1884:120. 9. Green, Country Gentleman, 1885:840. 10. Ib., Can. Hort., 11:8. 1888. 11. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:242. 12. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 4:3. 1897. 13. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354.
SYNONYMS. KENT FILLBASKET (13). KENTISH FILBASKET (3). KENTISH FILLBASKET (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Lady de Grey's (2, 5, 8). Potter's Large (8). Potter's Large Grey Seedling (5). Potter's Large Seedling (2).
A very large, handsome, late autumn apple, desirable for cooking but not for dessert use. Tree a strong grower and a fair cropper. Not recommended for planting in New York. According to Hogg (8) the Kentish Fillbasket of Miller, Forsyth and Rogers is a different variety being evidently the Kentish Codlin or common old English Codlin, a lemon-yellow apple which is in season from August to October. The Kentish Fillbasket of Buel¹ appears to be the same as that of Forsyth.²
Historical. This is an old English variety. It has been sparingly cultivated in portions of New York state for many years and has been grown to some extent also in Ontario (12).
FRUIT. Fruit very large. Form oblate or roundish, ribbed broadly and obscurely if at all, irregular, fairly uniform. Stem not exserted, short, medium in thickness. Cavity acute to somewhat acuminate, deep, broad, symmetrical or somewhat furrowed, green or more often with outspreading russet. Calyx small to rather large, closed or partly open; lobes broad, obtuse to acute. Basin pretty abrupt, moderately deep to deep, medium in width to wide, sometimes a little furrowed or wrinkled. Skin thin, tough, smooth, somewhat waxy, pale yellow with thin brownish blush often deepening to red, somewhat mottled and splashed with carmine. Dots small usually not conspicuous, dark brown or grayish or submerged and whitish. Prevailing effect yellow somewhat striped with red. Calyx tube wide, conical. Stamens basal to nearly median. Core abaxile, medium to large; cells often unsymmetrical and open, sometimes closed; core lines nearly meeting. Carpels broadly ovate, mucronate, not emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium or below, plump, acute. Flesh whitish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, rather tender, juicy, brisk subacid, good. Season October to December.
¹ Buel, N. Y. Bd. Agr. Mem., 1826:477. ² Forsyth, 1803:511.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Kentish Fill Basket. Potter's Large Grey Seedling, | Lady de Grey's. Foreign. Large, roundish, ribbed, yellowish, brownish blush; flesh, tender. October, January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Kentish Fill-Basket. Very large, roundish, yellow, slightly streaked; sub-acid—cooking. October, January. English.