Lord Suffield
Apple
Lord Suffield
Origin / History
Raised by Thomas Thorpe, a hand-loom weaver of Boardman Lane, Middleton, near Manchester, on the Middleton Hall Estate of the late Lord Suffield. The apple was named for his Lordship, "a very popular, benevolent man" (Herefordshire Pomona). In 1836 Thorpe sold the buds at threepence each, and trees so obtained were still living when the Herefordshire Pomona wrote in 1885. The Pomona puts the raising "about forty-five years ago"; Bunyard gives about 1820.
An English kitchen apple of the Keswick Codlin group. Downing calls it "valuable" and "described as an improvement on Keswick Codlin." Beach reports it "considered by some one of the best apples of the group." In 1885 the Herefordshire Pomona called it "the first favourite for early kitchen use," and said that "in all modern gardens" it "is rapidly displacing the early Codlins and the Hawthornden." By 1920 Bunyard wrote: "Now superseded by Early Victoria."
Tree
Hardy, a great bearer, very fertile, very productive. Beach says its productiveness "perhaps accounts in part for its being short-lived." Veitch's catalog calls it a "good heaver." The tree does not grow to a large size (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard gives growth moderate, making a compact, twiggy tree; the George Bunyard catalog calls it vigorous and says it does well as a dwarf.
Leaf medium, oval, held out, slightly upfolded, coarsely bi-serrate (Bunyard).
Bunyard says it cankers badly and is very apt to rot on the tree. As grown at Beach's Station it blighted so badly as to make it "an undesirable variety for the orchard."
Fruit
Size: Medium to very large; most give large. Bunyard gives medium to large, 3½ by 3. Downing gives above medium and Veitch's catalog very large.
Form: Ovate to oval, conical, with several obtuse angles on the sides. Beach gives roundish, varying from oblate to somewhat oblong. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "even in its outline"; Bunyard calls it irregular.
Stem: Slender. The Herefordshire Pomona gives it as over half an inch long; Beach calls it short.
Cavity: Deep (Herefordshire Pomona) or shallow (Beach). Bunyard calls it rather narrow, Beach moderately wide.
Calyx: Eye small, closed. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the segments as gathered together in a point.
Basin: Shallow, plaited or ridged.
Skin: Thin, smooth, pale greenish yellow to pale lemon-yellow, sometimes with a tinge of red next the sun; Beach calls it green. Veitch's catalog gives yellow with a pink flush and calls it handsome; the George Bunyard catalog gives pale red.
Dots: Clear light russet flecks and dots (Beach).
Flesh and flavor: White, tender and firm, rather fine (Beach), very juicy to moderately juicy, brisk subacid. Bunyard calls it acid. Beach rates it "good for culinary use," and the George Bunyard catalog calls the flavor "good."
Core and seeds: Core large, abaxile; cells open (Beach).
Season
The recorded season runs from the middle of July through September. Most authors give August and September. Beach finds it suitable for cooking as early as the middle of July, remaining in use till September. The George Bunyard catalog gives autumn and calls it "rather late coming." Veitch's catalog calls it "good keeping."
Uses
A kitchen apple. Beach rates it "good for culinary use," and the George Bunyard catalog says it "cooks well." The Herefordshire Pomona names its fault: the skin is too fine and the flesh too tender "to enable it to travel without being disfigured by bruises."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (6)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- LORD SUFFIELD.
This apple was raised about forty-five years ago, by Thomas Thorpe, a hand-loom weaver, of Boardman Lane, Middleton, near Manchester, on the Middleton Hall Estate of the late Lord Suffield, and the apple was named from his Lordship, who was a very popular, benevolent man. In 1836, Thorpe sold the buds at threepence each, and trees thus obtained are now living.
Description.—Fruit; large, ovate, even in its outline, with several obtuse angles on its sides. Skin; thin, smooth, pale greenish yellow, with sometimes a tinge of red next the sun. Eye; small, the segments being gathered together in a point, and placed in a plaited basin. Stalk; slender, over half an inch long, inserted in a deep cavity. Flesh; white, tender and firm, very juicy and briskly flavoured.
This apple has become the first favourite for early kitchen use, and in all modern gardens is rapidly displacing the early Codlins and the Hawthornden. Its fault is, that the skin is too fine and the flesh too tender to enable it to travel without being disfigured by bruises. It is in season in August and September.
The tree is hardy and a great bearer, but does not grow to a large size.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Lord Suffield.
A valuable English kitchen Apple, described as an improvement on Keswick Codlin. The tree hardy, and a great bearer.
Fruit above medium, conical, greenish yellow, with a tinge of red in the sun. Flesh white, firm, tender, brisk subacid. August and September.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)LORD SUFFIELD.
REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1869:257. 2. Ib., Tilt. Jour. Hort., 4:303. 1870. 3. Hogg, 1884:136. 4. Goff, Rural N. Y., 46:685. 1887. figs. 5. Can. Hort., 15:347. 1892. 6. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 7. Gaucher, 1894:No. 18. col. pl. 8. Dempsey, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. 9. Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:356.
SYNONYMS. Lady Suffield (7). Lady Sutherland (7). Livesley's Imperial (7). LORD SUFFIELD (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
This variety of the Keswick Codlin group is considered by some one of the best apples of the group. The fruit is suitable for cooking as early as the middle of July and remains in use till September. It is large, roundish, varying from oblate to somewhat oblong; green, marked with clear light russet flecks and dots; calyx closed; basin ridged, shallow; stem short; cavity moderately wide, shallow; core large, abaxile; cells open; flesh white, rather fine, moderately juicy, subacid, good for culinary use. The tree is very productive, which perhaps accounts in part for its being short-lived. As grown at this Station it has blighted so badly as to make it an undesirable variety for the orchard.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)LORD SUFFIELD. Her. Pom., p. 6. (Lady Suffield, Livesay's Imperial.) Culinary, August to September, medium to large, 3½ by 3, oval, conical, irregular. Colour, pale lemon-yellow. Flesh, tender, white, acid. Eye, small, closed, in a shallow plaited basin. Stem, slender, in a rather narrow cavity. Growth, moderate, making a compact twiggy tree; very fertile. Leaf, medium, oval, held out, slightly upfolded, coarsely bi-serrate. Origin, raised by Thomas Thorpe, Middleton, near Manchester, about 1820. It cankers badly and is very apt to rot on the tree. Now superseded by Early Victoria.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)(Very large, yellow with pink flush, handsome, good heaver, good keeping).
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Autumn; Pale red, large, rather late coming, cooks well; flavour good; vigorous, very productive, does well as dwarf.