Nansemond Beauty
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Nansemond Beauty
Origin/History
Origin somewhat uncertain, supposed to be Suffolk, Virginia.
Tree
Tree vigorous, rather spreading, bearing good crops annually. A good annual bearer. Fruit is of fair size and uniform.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium; roundish oblate, slightly conic.
Stem: Short, small.
Cavity: Quite large, with slight russet.
Calyx: Half open.
Basin: Large, deep, slightly corrugated.
Skin: Pale yellow, nearly covered with light and dark rich red, sometimes with rather obscure stripes and splashes of a darker hue.
Flesh/Flavor: Quite white, half fine, crisp, tender, juicy, vinous subacid.
Core/Seeds: Core small.
Season
January to April. A good keeper.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Nansemond (Nansemond Beauty)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1891–1901) from Illinois, Missouri, Virginia
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Nansemond Beauty.
Origin, somewhat uncertain, supposed to be Suffolk, Virginia; tree vigorous, rather spreading, bearing good crops annually of fair fruit of uniform size, and a good keeper.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic; skin pale yellow, nearly covered with light and dark rich red, sometimes rather obscure stripes and splashes of a darker hue; stalk short, small; cavity quite large, slight russet; calyx half open; basin large, deep, slightly corrugated; flesh quite white, half fine, crisp, tender, juicy, vinous subacid; core small. January, April.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Nansemond (Nansemond Beauty). — Supposed origin, Virginia; tree vigorous, rather spreading, a good annual bearer. Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic ; surface pale yellow, nearly covered with light and dark rich red, sometimes rather obscure stripes and splashes of a darker hue; cavity quite large, slight russet; stem short, small; basin large, deep, slightly corrugated; calyx half open. Core small; flesh quite white, half fine, crisp, tender, juicy, vinous subacid. January, April.