Loudon Pippin

Origin / History

Originated in Loudon County, Virginia. Downing places the origin on the farm of Mr. White, Loudon County, and records it as "much cultivated and valued in that section." Elliott calls it most grown in Northern Virginia. Warder records it exhibited before the Ohio Pomological Society by Joseph Sigler, of McConnellsville, Ohio. Warder adds that the specimen, "a fine fruit from Washington County," was shown at the same time as the Lady Washington and "was thought to be the same."

Tree

Very vigorous, upright spreading (Downing), and productive (Elliott).

Fruit

Size: Large.

Form: Oblate, conic or approaching conic. Warder calls it angular, and Lowther's table gives it as flat. Elliott alone calls it roundish conical.

Stem: Short; Warder alone gives it as medium and red.

Cavity: Large, wide, not deep, regular, brown, surrounded by russet.

Calyx: Large. Warder gives the eye as closed; Downing gives the calyx as open.

Basin: Wide and rather deep. Warder calls it regular or folded; Downing calls it smooth and even.

Skin: Very smooth and waxy (Warder). Yellow to light yellow, greenish yellow in Elliott. Blushed with red in the sun, with bright red spots; Warder calls the blush handsome, while Downing says it occurs only sometimes. Beautiful in appearance (Warder).

Dots: Few, scattering, gray or grayish.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, compact, tender, breaking, juicy; Elliott alone gives it as greenish white. Flavor subacid, in Warder's words "rich sub-acid, aromatic." Quality is "Good to very good" in Downing and "very good" in Warder, while Elliott judges it "valued only for its size, where people know what apples should be."

Core and seeds: Core heart-shaped, regular, closed, clasping the eye; seeds numerous, medium (Warder).

Season

December to February; Lowther's table gives winter.

Uses

Dessert (Warder). Lowther's entry lists "market."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Lowther's entry reads "Size: large. Form: flat. Color: market. Quality: winter," and its labels appear shifted out of alignment with their values. Size (large) and form (flat) are taken as given. "Market" is taken as a probable use or market rating, and "winter" as a probable season; no color or quality value can be recovered from the entry.]