Mannington's Pearmain
Apple
Mannington's Pearmain
Origin/History
This apple originated about the year 1770 in a garden at Uckfield, in Sussex, which belonged at that time to a Mr. Turley, but which was later in the possession of his grandson, Mr. Mannington. The original tree grew up at the root of a hedge where refuse from the cider press had been thrown. It never attained any great size and died about the year 1820. The great merit of its fruit had been well recognized long before that time, and grafts had been freely distributed to many persons in the neighbourhood. It remained little known beyond its own locality until the autumn of 1847, when Mr. Mannington sent specimens of the fruit to the London Horticultural Society, where it was pronounced to be a dessert fruit of the highest excellence. It received its name from Mr. Thompson on that occasion. The variety is described as a dessert fruit of considerable esteem abroad, and fully sustaining its foreign character when grown in America.
Tree
Very hardy. Does not attain a large size. An early and excellent bearer, coming into production even at two or three years from the graft.
Fruit
Size and Form: The two sources disagree on size: the Herefordshire Pomona describes the fruit as medium sized; Downing gives it as below medium. Form is described as abrupt Pearmain-shaped (Herefordshire Pomona), and as roundish conical and truncated (Downing).
Stem: Three quarters of an inch long, obliquely inserted in a moderately deep cavity, with generally a fleshy protuberance on one side of it.
Cavity: Moderately deep.
Calyx/Eye: Partially closed, with broad flat segments.
Basin: Shallow and plaited.
Skin: Rich golden yellow ground colour. The shaded side is covered with thin brown russet; the side next the sun is covered with dull brownish red (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing describes the surface as yellow, partially russeted, shaded and splashed with red, with prominent, rough, light gray dots.
Flesh and Flavor: Yellow (Herefordshire Pomona) to yellowish (Downing); crisp (both sources). The Herefordshire Pomona describes the flesh as firm, juicy, very sugary, with a brisk and particularly rich flavour. Downing characterizes it as tender, with a brisk subacid flavor — rated Very Good.
Core: Medium (Downing).
Season
The two sources give partially differing seasons: Downing gives October to December; the Herefordshire Pomona places it from November through even to March, making it a notably long-keeping variety. The fruit should be allowed to hang late on the tree to secure its richness of flavour and good keeping properties; if gathered too soon it is apt to shrivel.
Uses
A dessert apple of the highest excellence; one of the best and richest flavoured dessert apples.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The only practical objection noted to leaving the fruit late on the tree is the difficulty of protecting it from birds.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1917) 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
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (2)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)PLATE XIV.
- MANNINGTON'S PEARMAIN.
This excellent apple originated about the year 1770, in a garden at Uckfield, in Sussex, which belonged at that time to Mr. Turley, but which is now in the possession of his grandson, Mr. Mannington. The original tree grew up at the root of a hedge where the refuse from the cider press had been thrown. The original tree never attained any great size, and died about the year 1820. The great merit of its fruit however had been well recognized long before, and grafts had been freely distributed to many persons in the neighbourhood. It does not seem to have been much known beyond its own locality, until the Autumn of 1847, when Mr. Mannington sent specimens of the fruit to the London Horticultural Society, where it was pronounced to be a dessert fruit of the highest excellence. It thus received the name from Mr. Thompson of Mannington's Pearmain.
Description.—Fruit, medium sized, abrupt Pearmain-shaped. Skin, of a rich golden yellow colour, covered with thin brown russet on the shaded side, but covered with dull brownish red on the side next the sun. Eye, partially closed, with broad flat segments, set in a shallow and plaited basin. Stalk, three quarters of an inch long, obliquely inserted in a moderately deep cavity, with generally a fleshy protuberance on one side of it. Flesh, yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, and very sugary, with a brisk and particularly rich flavour.
This is one of the best and richest flavoured dessert apples, in season from November even till March. The fruit should be allowed to hang late on the tree to secure its richness of flavour, and its good keeping properties, for if gathered too soon it is apt to shrivel. The only objection to this is the difficulty of protecting the fruit from the birds.
The tree is very hardy, but does not attain a large size. It is an early and excellent bearer, even at two or three years from the graft.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Mannington's Pearmain.
Origin, Sussex, England. A dessert fruit of considerable esteem abroad, and here fully sustains its foreign character. Tree hardy, and early bearer.
Fruit below medium, roundish conical, truncated, yellow, partially russeted, shaded and splashed with red, prominent, rough, light gray dots. Flesh yellowish, crisp, tender, brisk subacid. Very Good. Core medium. October, December.