NEWTON WONDER

Apple

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

NEWTON WONDER

Origin/History

NEWTON WONDER was raised by a Mr. Taylor of King's Newton, in Melbourne, Derbyshire, and introduced by Messrs. Pearson & Co. around 1887. The variety is recorded in the Gardeners' Chronicle (1900, p. 45). Bunyard considers it one of the best half-dozen cooking apples.

Tree

Growth is vigorous and the tree is fertile. NEWTON WONDER makes a fine spreading standard. The leaf is round, held stiffly outward, undulating, very thick, and deeply and doubly curved-serrate.

Fruit

Size and Form: Large, measuring 3½ by 2½ inches; round-flattened in form, regular.

Stem: Very short and stout.

Cavity: Shallow, almost level.

Calyx: Eye open.

Basin: Wide, rather ribbed.

Skin: Bright yellow with a slight scarlet flush and broad, broken stripes.

Flesh and Flavor: Crisp, juicy, yellow, and acid; cooks excellently.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Bunyard gives the culinary season as through March, noting NEWTON WONDER is also a welcome dessert fruit in March. The Rivers catalogue gives the season as October through February.

Uses

Primarily culinary; cooks excellently. Also serviceable as a dessert fruit in March. Described as an abundant cropper (Rivers). Bunyard ranks it among the best half-dozen cooking apples.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

The Rivers catalogue notes NEWTON WONDER received a P.C. (award designation as printed in the catalogue).

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 9 catalogs (1897–1917) from England, Illinois

Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
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
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917

View original book sources (2)

NEWTON WONDER. Gard. Chron., 1900, 45. Culinary, till March, large, 3½ by 2½, round flattened, regular. Colour, bright yellow with slight scarlet flush with broad, broken stripes. Flesh, crisp, juicy, yellow, acid ; cooks excellently. Eye, open in a wide rather ribbed basin. Stem, very short and stout in a shallow almost level cavity. Growth, vigorous ; fertile. Leaf, round, held stiffly out, undulating, very thick, deeply and doubly curved serrate. Origin, raised by a Mr. Taylor, of King's Newton, in Melbourne, Derby, and introduced by Messrs. Pearson & Co., about 1887. One of the best half-dozen cooking apples. Quite a welcome dessert fruit in March. Makes a fine spreading standard.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

large and very good; an abundant cropper - P.C. - Oct.-Feb.

— Thomas Rivers & Son, Thomas Rivers Catalogue of Fruits (1914) (1914)