Newark King
Apple
Newark King
Origin / History
Newark King is an old variety from Newark, New Jersey. It was originally described by Coxe in 1817. Coxe records that it was called the Newark King in East Jersey. In Gloucester County, West Jersey, it was called the Hinchman apple, after the person who first brought it into notice there. Coxe called it "a large, fair, and handsome apple." Elliott notes that it was sometimes shown as the "King" of New Jersey, and for this reason he took it from his list of unworthy sorts. He judged it "unworthy attention along side of 'Tompkins County King.'"
Tree
Vigorous, strong, and thrifty, with a spreading habit; Coxe calls it "very spreading." Warder calls it upright as well as spreading, with dark foliage. Productive, bearing well to abundantly.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Coxe calls it large and Warder full medium to large; Elliott and Downing call it medium.
Form: Roundish conical, regular. Coxe says it is shaped like a Priestly and very much resembles a large late Pearmain, of very regular growth. Warder describes it as roundish, flattened or truncated conic, mostly regular, sometimes ribbed.
Stem: Rather long and slender (Warder); varying (Elliott).
Cavity: Medium (Elliott); acute, often lipped (Warder).
Calyx: Closed; the eye small (Warder).
Basin: Narrow (Downing), furrowed (Elliott). Warder describes it as deep, abrupt, folded or plaited, and covered with fine russet.
Skin: Smooth, though Warder calls the surface not very smooth. Red, streaked and striped on a yellow to rich yellow ground. Downing gives the ground as greenish, the red marked with "a few yellow streaks." The red is in two shades, striped and shaded (Elliott). Warder describes it as dull red mixed with darker stripes, nearly covering the fruit and giving it almost a mahogany color.
Dots: Coxe and Downing give yellow dots, Downing only "a few." Elliott and Warder give them gray. Warder calls them numerous, elongated at the extremities, and coalescing into russet about the blossom end.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white and firm (Elliott), or rich yellow, breaking, fine grained, and juicy (Warder); Downing calls it tender. Flavor pleasant, "rather rich" (Downing). Warder calls the flavor acid, rich, sprightly, high-flavored. Quality "good" (Elliott, Downing); Warder rates it "very good."
Core and seeds: Core small. Warder describes it as oval and closed, not clasping but meeting the eye, with numerous angular seeds.
Season
A fall and early winter apple (Coxe). The recorded season runs from October to February or longer and centers on early winter. Elliott begins it in October; Warder gives December, January, or longer.
Uses
Kitchen, table, and cider (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Warder classes Newark King in Class III, Ground Apples, with the notation I. II. II.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1913) from Illinois, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 32. NEWARK KING, OR HINCHMAN APPLE.
This is a large, fair, and handsome apple; called the Newark King in East-Jersey, and the Hinchman apple in Gloucester county, West-Jersey, where it was first brought into notice by a person of that name: it is shaped like a Priestly, and very much resembles a large late Pearmain, of very regular growth—the skin is smooth, red, streaked, with yellow dots—it is a fall and early winter apple—the tree is of vigorous growth—very spreading, and bears abundantly.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Newark King. Hinchman. An old variety from Newark, New Jersey ; originally described by Coxe. It is sometimes shown as "King" of New Jersey, and it is for this we have taken it from our list of unworthy sorts. It is unworthy attention along side of "Tompkins County King." Tree strong, spreading grower, productive. Fruit medium, roundish conical ; striped and shaded with two shades red on a yellow ground, grayish dots; stem, varying; cavity, medium; calyx, closed; basin, furrowed: flesh, white, firm, pleasant; core small ; "good." October to February.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Newark King.
CLASS III. — GROUND APPLES. — I. II. II.
Tree thrifty, upright, spreading, productive; Foliage dark.
Fruit full medium to large, roundish, flattened or truncated conic, mostly regular, sometimes ribbed; Surface not very smooth, rich yellow, nearly covered with dull red mixed, and darker stripes, giving the fruit almost a mahogany color; Dots numerous, gray, elongated at the extremities, and coalescing into russet about the blossom end.
Basin deep, abrupt, folded or plaited, covered with fine russet; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, often lipped; Stem rather long, slender.
Core small, oval, closed, not clasping but meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, angular; Flesh rich yellow, breaking, fine grained, juicy; Flavor acid, rich, sprightly, high-flavored; Quality very good; Use, kitchen, table and cider; Season, December, January, or longer.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Newark King. Hinckman. Origin, New Jersey. The tree is spreading, and bears well. Fruit medium, roundish conical, smooth, red, with a few yellow streaks and dots on a greenish ground. Calyx set in a narrow basin. Flesh tender, with a rather rich, pleasant flavor. Good. November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Newark King. Size medium, conical; skin smooth, red in streaks on yellow ground; flesh tender, rather rich, pleasant. Early winter. Origin, New Jersey.