King's Acre Pippin
AppleKing's Acre Pippin
Origin/History
Introduced by King's Acre Nursery in 1899. Parentage is reputed to be Stunner Pippin × Ribston. It is said by some to be a variety of much greater age, perhaps 100 years old at the time of its introduction. (Bunyard, 1920.)
Tree
Growth moderate; fertility moderate. (Bunyard.) Thomas Rivers (1914) describes it as "prolific rather," which is in mild tension with Bunyard's "moderate" fertility rating.
Leaf medium in size, rich green, nearly flat, markedly curved serrate. (Bunyard.)
Fruit
Size: Sources conflict. Veitch (1911) calls the fruit large. Rivers (1914) rates it large to medium. Bunyard (1920) describes it as medium, giving dimensions of 2¼ inches by 2 inches.
Form: Round-conical, irregular. (Bunyard.)
Stem: Rather long, set in a moderately deep cavity that is russeted. (Bunyard.)
Cavity (stem end): Moderately deep, lined with russet. (Bunyard.)
Calyx: Closed. (Bunyard.)
Basin (calyx end): Shallow, surrounded by five prominent ribs. (Bunyard.)
Skin: Sources give somewhat differing accounts. Veitch (1911) describes the color as clear golden-yellow. Bunyard (1920) describes it as yellow with a brown-red flush, netted with russet — a more complex picture than Veitch's plain golden-yellow.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh pale yellow, crisp, juicy, and highly aromatic (Bunyard). Veitch describes the flesh as rich flavored, hard when quite ripe, becoming mellow and improving with keeping.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
Sources conflict on season. Veitch (1911) gives September and October. Rivers (1914) extends this to September through December. Bunyard (1920) classifies it as a dessert apple usable until March, implying it is a long-keeping late variety. The flesh is hard at picking and mellows in storage (Veitch).
Uses
Dessert. Bunyard rates it "quite one of the best late dessert sorts." (Bunyard.)
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
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 (3)
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, clear golden-yellow, rich flavoured flesh, hard when quite ripe, becoming mellow and improving in keeping. Sep. & Oct.
— Thomas Rivers & Son, Thomas Rivers Catalogue of Fruits (1914) (1914)large, medium; prolific rather, mainly adapted - Sept.-Dec.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)KING'S ACRE PIPPIN. Dessert, till March, medium, 2¼ by 2, round-conical, irregular. Colour, yellow with brown-red flush netted with russet. Flesh, crisp, juicy, pale yellow, highly aromatic. Eye, closed, in a shallow cavity which is surrounded by five prominent ribs. Stem, rather long in a moderately deep, russet cavity. Growth, moderate ; fertility, moderate. Leaf, medium, rich green, nearly flat, markedly curved serrate. Origin, reputed Stunner Pippin x Ribston. Introduced by King's Acre Nursery, in 1899. Quite one of the best late dessert sorts. It is said by some to be a variety some 100 years old.