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Monmouth Pippin

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Monmouth Pippin

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Monmouth Pippin

Origin / History

Monmouth Pippin is a native of Monmouth County, New Jersey (Elliott; Downing; Beach). It was first described in 1848 (Hedrick) and was long known in cultivation, being found in scattering localities from the Middle West to the Atlantic, though nowhere grown extensively (Beach). Hedrick reports it as grown sparingly in all apple regions east of the Mississippi. It was still offered by nurserymen at the turn of the 20th century and planted to a limited extent (Beach). Beach groups it with the Rhode Island Greening class of apples — not equal to that variety in quality but more attractive in color, being often distinctly blushed with a lively pinkish-red. Hedrick likewise calls it an apple of the Rhode Island Greening type, but distinguishable by a brighter cheek and a distinct flavor; he notes the apples are handsomer than Rhode Island Greening, keep as well in common storage, and do not scald so badly in cold storage, but are not so well flavored, and the crop runs more to low-grade fruit.

Tree

A tree of medium size (Beach; Hedrick). Downing describes it as of moderate upright growth and productive; Beach calls it moderately vigorous, and notes that under ordinary cultivation it is hardly as vigorous as could be desired. Hedrick describes the tree as vigorous, spreading, and open. Form roundish spreading, somewhat open (Beach); spreading, open (Hedrick). Branches short, stout, crooked (Beach; Hedrick). Twigs short to medium, straight, moderately stout or rather slender; internodes short to medium (Beach). Young shoots dark olive (Downing). Bark dark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent (Beach). Lenticels scattering, small to medium, oblong, slightly raised (Beach). Buds small to medium, obtuse to acute, appressed, very deeply set in the bark, somewhat pubescent (Beach).

The tree appears to be hardy and long-lived (Beach; Hedrick). It comes into bearing moderately young (Beach) / bears young (Hedrick), and is a reliable cropper, bearing good crops biennially or almost annually (Beach; Hedrick). Elliott reports it as very productive, of healthy, vigorous growth.

Fruit

Size

Rather large to large, above medium to large (Warder; Downing; Beach; Elliott; Thomas; Hedrick; Lowther).

Form

Roundish or flattened, regular (Warder); oblate, a little inclining to conic, obscurely five-angled, slightly flattened at base and crown (Downing); oblate to roundish, somewhat inclined to conic, flattened at the base, somewhat irregular, often obscurely ribbed; sides often unequal (Beach); oblate to round, somewhat conic, flattened at the base, irregular, obscurely ribbed, sides often unequal (Hedrick); roundish flattened, sometimes roundish conical (Elliott); roundish-oblate (Thomas); flat (Lowther).

Stem

Short, thick (Warder); rather short (Downing; Elliott); short to medium, rather thick (Beach); short, thick (Hedrick).

Cavity

Wide, regular or wavy, brown (Warder); large, slightly russeted (Downing); deep, regular (Elliott); moderately large, acute to sometimes acuminate, deep, rather broad, somewhat furrowed or compressed, smooth or russeted, sometimes with outspreading russet rays (Beach); large, acute, deep, broad, furrowed or compressed, smooth or russeted (Hedrick).

Calyx / Eye

Eye large, closed (Warder). Calyx partially closed (Downing); medium, segments woolly and often nearly closed (Elliott); large, leafy, pubescent, open or partly closed; lobes often reflexed and separated at the base (Beach; Hedrick).

Calyx tube large, wide, conical or urn-shape with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base (Beach); large, wide, conical, with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base (Hedrick). Stamens median to basal (Beach); median (Hedrick).

Basin

Shallow, regular (Warder); deep, abrupt, and corrugated (Downing); wide, abrupt, deep, much plaited (Elliott); large, rather wide and deep, abrupt, often distinctly furrowed and wrinkled (Beach; Hedrick). (Note: Warder calls the basin shallow, while Downing, Elliott, Beach, and Hedrick all describe it as deep and abrupt.)

Skin

Surface smooth, greenish yellow, blushed and marbled (Warder); pale yellow, with a beautiful warm cheek, and numerous russet dots (Downing); pale greenish yellow, with blush-red cheeks, small, raised, rough, brown specks, with a shade of light green suffused around them underneath the skin (Elliott); light greenish yellow, with a fine red cheek (Thomas); yellow-red (Lowther).

Beach describes the skin in more detail: moderately thin, tough, smooth toward the base, the upper half often roughened with russet dots or with capillary russet lines which become concentric toward the calyx, lively green marbled with yellow or becoming pale yellow as the season advances, faintly shaded with red or in highly colored specimens blushed with lively pinkish-red. Hedrick: thin, tough, smooth toward the base, the upper half often roughened with russet dots or with capillary russet lines which become concentric toward the calyx, green marbled with yellow or pale yellow blushed with lively red.

Dots: minute, green (Warder); numerous russet (Downing); small, raised, rough, brown specks with a shade of light green suffused around them underneath the skin (Elliott); variable, rather numerous, usually greenish and areolar with brown russet point, often elongated about the cavity (Beach); variable, numerous, green and areolar, with brown-russet points, often elongated about the cavity (Hedrick).

Flesh / Flavor

White, breaking, fine-grained, juicy; flavor acid (Warder); juicy, fine, brisk, aromatic subacid (Downing); yellowish white, rather coarse-grained, breaking tender, moderately juicy, sub-acid, with considerable aroma or perfume (Elliott); crisp, juicy, mild sub-acid, with a good rich flavor (Thomas); decidedly tinged with yellow, firm, moderately coarse, somewhat crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid but becoming mild, aromatic (Beach); yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, becoming mild, aromatic (Hedrick).

Quality: good for cooking only (Warder); very good to best (Downing); good rich flavor (Thomas); good to very good (Beach; Hedrick); very good (Lowther). (Note: Warder rates the quality as good only for cooking, while Downing, Thomas, Beach, and Hedrick rate it good to very good or better for general use.)

Core / Seeds

Core medium, closed, clasping (Warder); small, compact (Elliott); rather small, slightly abaxile with hollow cylinder in the axis; cells usually symmetrical and closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping (Beach); small, abaxile with hollow cylinder in the axis; cells symmetrical and closed; core-lines meeting or clasping (Hedrick).

Carpels roundish or inclined to roundish obcordate, mucronate, slightly tufted (Beach); round-obcordate, mucronate, tufted (Hedrick).

Seeds numerous, pointed, brown (Warder); oblong ovate, abundant (Elliott); few, long, somewhat acute, somewhat tufted (Beach); few, long, acute, tufted (Hedrick). (Note: Warder and Elliott describe the seeds as numerous/abundant, while Beach and Hedrick describe them as few.)

Season

December to February (Warder); November to March (Downing); December to February, and often till April (Elliott); keeps through winter (Thomas); winter (Lowther); November to February (Hedrick).

Beach reports that as grown at the New York Station its keeping quality varies much in different years. Sometimes it may be held in good condition through the winter or into the spring, but more often its commercial limit in ordinary storage hardly extends beyond November. When stored in good condition its season in cold storage may extend till June. In ordinary storage the percentage of loss often becomes high early in the winter, but sometimes not before March. It appears to be much less subject to scald than Rhode Island Greening. Hedrick concurs that it keeps as well as Rhode Island Greening in common storage and does not scald so badly in cold storage.

Uses

Warder: quality good for cooking only. Lowther: both kitchen and market. Beach: a good apple for the home orchard; not recommended for general commercial planting, but probably in favorable localities it would prove a profitable variety. The fruit of marketable grades is smooth and attractive in appearance, but there may be a considerable loss in low-grade fruit. Hedrick: the crop runs more to low-grade fruit.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Lowther's regional reporting data (Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture, 1914): Northern Division — 4 reporting stations (variety reported in more than one division); Central Division — 5 reporting stations (variety reported in more than one division).

Elliott (1865) notes: "We are conversant only with the fruit," indicating his description rests on examined fruit rather than firsthand tree observation.

Book Sources

Described in 8 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 21 catalogs (1864–1920) from Illinois, Oregon, Washington

View original book sources (7)

Monmouth Pippin.

RED CHEEK.

Fruit rather large, handsome, roundish or flattened, regular; Surface smooth, greenish yellow, blushed and marbled; Dots minute, green.

Basin shallow, regular; Eye large, closed.

Cavity wide, regular or wavy, brown; Stem short, thick.

Core medium, closed, clasping; Seeds numerous, pointed, brown; Flesh white, breaking, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor acid; Quality good for cooking only; Season, December to February.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

MONMOUTH PIPPIN. Red Cheek Pippin. A native of Monmouth Co., N. J., of moderate upright growth, and productive. Young shoots dark olive. Monmouth Pippin. Fruit large, oblate, a little inclining to conic, obscurely five-angled, slightly flattened at base and crown. Color pale yellow, with a beautiful warm cheek, and numerous russet dots. Stalk rather short, inserted in a large, slightly russeted cavity. Calyx partially closed. Basin deep, abrupt, and corrugated. Flesh juicy, fine, brisk, aromatic subacid. Very good to best. November to March.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

MONMOUTH.

REFERENCES. 1. Mag. Hort., 14:141. 1848. 2. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:74. 1851. col. pl. No. 57. 3. Barry, Horticulturist, 8:341. 1853. 4. Elliott, 1854:92. fig. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1854. 6. Downing, 1857:88. 7. Hooper, 1857:61. 8. Warder, 1867:577. fig. 9. Barry, 1883:349. 10. Thomas, 1885:245. 11. Wickson, 1889:246. 12. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:244. 14. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:49. 1903. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:131. fig. 16. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:133. 1904.

SYNONYMS. MONMOUTH PIPPIN (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13). Monmouth Pippin (16). Red Cheek (4, 8). Red Cheeked Pippin (10). Red Cheek Pippin (4, 7, 11, 12, 15).

An apple of the Rhode Island Greening class, not equal to that variety in quality but more attractive in color, being often distinctly blushed with a lively pinkish-red. As grown at this Station its keeping quality varies much in different years. Sometimes it may be held in good condition through the winter or into the spring, but more often its commercial limit in ordinary storage hardly extends beyond November. When stored in good condition its season in cold storage may extend till June (14, 16). In ordinary storage the percentage of loss often becomes high early in the winter, but sometimes not before March. It appears to be much less subject to scald than Rhode Island Greening. It is a good apple for the home orchard. It is not recommended for general commercial planting, but probably in favorable localities it would prove a profitable variety. The tree appears to be hardy and long-lived. It comes into bearing moderately young and is a reliable cropper, bearing good crops biennially or almost annually, but under ordinary cultivation it is hardly as vigorous as could be desired. The fruit of marketable grades is smooth and attractive in appearance, but there may be a considerable loss in low-grade fruit.

Historical. Monmouth is a native of Monmouth county, N. J. (4). It has long been known in cultivation and is found in scattering localities from the Middle West to the Atlantic, but in none of them is it grown extensively. It is still offered by nurserymen (13) and is planted to a limited extent.

TREE.

Tree of medium size, moderately vigorous; branches short, stout, crooked. Form roundish spreading, somewhat open. Twigs short to medium, straight, moderately stout or rather slender; internodes short to medium. Bark dark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, oblong, slightly raised. Buds small to medium, obtuse to acute, appressed, very deeply set in the bark, somewhat pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit above medium to large. Form oblate to roundish, somewhat inclined to conic, flattened at the base, somewhat irregular, often obscurely ribbed; sides often unequal. Stem short to medium, rather thick. Cavity moderately large, acute to sometimes acuminate, deep, rather broad, somewhat furrowed or compressed, smooth or russeted, sometimes with outspreading russet rays. Calyx large, leafy, pubescent, open or partly closed; lobes often reflexed and separated at the base. Basin large, rather wide and deep, abrupt, often distinctly furrowed and wrinkled.

Skin moderately thin, tough, smooth toward the base, the upper half often roughened with russet dots or with capillary russet lines which become concentric toward the calyx, lively green marbled with yellow or becoming pale yellow as the season advances faintly shaded with red or in highly colored specimens blushed with lively pinkish-red. Dots variable, rather numerous, usually greenish and areolar with brown russet point, often elongated about the cavity.

Calyx tube large, wide, conical or urn-shape with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base. Stamens median to basal.

Core rather small, slightly abaxile with hollow cylinder in the axis; cells usually symmetrical and closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish or inclined to roundish obcordate, mucronate, slightly tufted. Seeds few, long, somewhat acute, somewhat tufted.

Flesh decidedly tinged with yellow, firm, moderately coarse, somewhat crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid but becoming mild, aromatic, good to very good.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Monmouth (12): size large; form flat; color yellow-red; quality very good; use both kitchen and market; season winter. Northern Division: 4 reporting stations (variety reported in more than one division); Central Division: 5 reporting stations (variety reported in more than one division).

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

Monmouth Pippin.

Red Cheek, of some, | Red Cheek Pippin.

American. Native of Monmouth County, N. J. It is stated as very productive, and of healthy, vigorous growth. We are conversant only with the fruit.

Fruit, large; form, roundish flattened; sometimes roundish conical; color, pale greenish yellow, with blush-red cheeks, small, raised, rough, brown specks, with a shade of light green suffused around them underneath the skin; stem, rather short; cavity, deep, regular; calyx, medium, segments woolly and often nearly closed; basin, wide, abrupt, deep, much plaited; flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse-grained; breaking tender, moderately juicy, sub-acid, with considerable aroma, or perfume; core, small, compact; seeds, oblong ovate, abundant. December to February, and often till April.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Monmouth Pippin.* (Red-cheeked Pippin.) Rather large, roundish-oblate, light greenish yellow, with a fine red cheek; flesh crisp, juicy, mild sub-acid, with a good rich flavor. Keeps through winter. Fig. 462. New Jersey.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

MONMOUTH. Monmouth Pippin. Red Cheek. Red Cheek Pippin. Monmouth is an apple of the Rhode Island Greening type, but its fruits are easily distinguished by a brighter cheek and a distinct flavor. The apples are handsomer than those of Rhode Island Greening, keep as well in common storage, and do not scald so badly in cold storage; but they are not so well flavored, and the crop runs more to low-grade fruit. The trees are hardy, long-lived, and productive; bear young, almost annually; and fall short only in vigor. This apple is a native of New Jersey and was first described in 1848. It is grown sparingly in all apple regions east of the Mississippi. Tree of medium size, vigorous, spreading, open; branches short, stout, crooked. Fruit large, oblate to round, somewhat conic, flattened at the base, irregular, obscurely ribbed, sides often unequal; stem short, thick; cavity large, acute, deep, broad, furrowed or compressed, smooth or russeted; calyx large, leafy, pubescent, open or partly closed; lobes reflexed and separated at the base; basin large, wide and deep, abrupt, often distinctly furrowed and wrinkled; skin thin, tough, smooth toward the base, the upper half often roughened with russet dots or with capillary russet lines which become concentric toward the calyx, green marbled with yellow or pale yellow blushed with lively red; dots variable, numerous, green and areolar, with brown-russet points, often elongated about the cavity; calyx-tube large, wide, conical, with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base; stamens median; core small, abaxile with hollow cylinder in the axis; cells symmetrical and closed; core-lines meeting or clasping; carpels round-obcordate, mucronate, tufted; seeds few, long, acute, tufted; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, becoming mild, aromatic; good to very good; November to February.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
MONMOUTH Monmouth Red Cheek Red Cheek Pippin Red Cheeked Pippin Red-cheeked Pippin Pomme Grise Raspberry Red Cheek