Loddington

Origin / History

Loddington takes its name from the village of Loddington, near Maidstone. The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) wrote that the original tree then grew on the farm of Mr. Stone, at Loddington. It says the tree was brought from a nursery garden at Bath about sixty years before by a niece of Mr. Robert Stone, who had accompanied her uncle there. Bunyard (1920) says instead that it was raised at Loddington by Mr. Stone.

Mr. Stone soon saw its great merit and gave grafts to his neighbors. The fruit thus got the name of Stone's Apple and spread through the orchards of the adjoining villages. In 1877 Mr. Lewis A. Killick, of Langley, exhibited it before the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and it was awarded a first-class certificate. It is figured in the "Florist and Pomologist," Plate 467, as Stone's Apple, and Bunyard (1920) describes it under that name.

In 1885 the Herefordshire Pomona wrote that its cultivation was "now becoming more and more extended through the country." Bunyard (1920) calls it "a useful fruit, but rather apt to canker and now little planted."

Tree

Habit compact; the tree is medium sized and makes a compact garden tree. Bunyard (1920) calls the growth vigorous. Bears early, freely, and well, every year; "very fertile" (Bunyard, 1920). When in bearing it keeps on forming an abundance of fruit spurs without making much wood. For these reasons the Herefordshire Pomona finds that it answers well grafted on the branches of large trees of unproductive kinds, and the George Bunyard & Co. catalogue (1901) says it does admirably grafted on old orchard standards. Leaf very large, dark, nearly flat, very boldly serrate (Bunyard, 1920).

Fruit

Size: Large; "very large" in the George Bunyard & Co. catalogue (1901). Three to three and three-quarter inches in diameter (Herefordshire Pomona); 3 by 2¾ inches (Bunyard, 1920).

Form: The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as roundish, slightly flattened, and narrowing abruptly toward the eye, with obtuse ribs on the sides that become more distinct toward the eye, where they form ridges round the crown. Bunyard (1920) calls it oblong conical, slightly irregular.

Stem: Half an inch to three-quarters long; slender for the size of the fruit (Herefordshire Pomona); rather thin (Bunyard, 1920).

Cavity: Deep to very deep, wide, funnel-shaped, lined with pale, thin, ashy russet that extends over the base of the fruit.

Calyx: Eye closed, large (Bunyard, 1920), with convergent leaf-like segments.

Basin: Deep to very deep, prominently plaited or ribbed.

Skin: Smooth and shining. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as grass-green at first with a brownish-red cheek. After gathering, it says, the skin becomes a fine lemon yellow with a pale crimson cheek, marked with broken streaks of dark crimson. Bunyard (1920) gives pale yellowish green with a brown-red flush and broad broken stripes. Veitch gives lemon yellow, flushed slightly with red on the side facing the sun. The George Bunyard & Co. catalogue (1901) gives yellowish with a pale red flush. "Large and handsome" (Veitch).

Dots: Minute russet spots, strewn more or less over the surface (Herefordshire Pomona).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, very juicy (Bunyard, 1920). The Herefordshire Pomona calls it very tender, with a "pleasant subacid flavour." Bunyard (1920) calls it crisp and acid.

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

The recorded season runs from September into January, centering on autumn into early winter. The Herefordshire Pomona brings it into use in September, after the early Codlins, Lord Suffield, and Yorkshire Beauty, and says it keeps till Christmas. Veitch gives October to December, and Bunyard (1920) extends it till January.

Uses

Culinary. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "an early culinary apple, of great excellence, and a good market variety." It is not so tender in the skin as Lord Suffield and does not bruise so readily in traveling.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.