Ornament
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Ornament
Origin and History
A European variety of uncertain origin, first documented in the Horticultural Society of London catalog (1842). The variety has been disseminated only sparingly in America, appearing in New York State records by the 1880s-1890s.
Tree Characteristics
Overall Form: Vigorous in growth habit. Form roundish or spreading, rather dense in branching.
Twigs and Wood: Below medium to short in length, straight and slender. Internodes medium or below. Bark dark brownish-red, partly streaked with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent.
Lenticels and Buds: Lenticels scattering, small, oblong or roundish, sometimes raised. Buds rather prominent, medium or below in size, broad, plump, and obtuse; free or nearly so from the twig, quite pubescent.
Bearing Habit: Comes into bearing rather young. Reliable annual cropper, productive or moderately productive.
Fruit Description
Size and Form: Medium or above; pretty uniform in shape and size. Form roundish inclined to conic or somewhat oblate, pretty regular and symmetrical.
Stem: Short and rather slender.
Cavity: Medium to rather small, acuminate or nearly so, rather deep, moderately narrow to rather wide. Often partly russeted.
Calyx: Medium in size, usually open, pubescent. Lobes long, acute, separated at the base, and reflexed. Calyx tube short funnel-form with moderately broad limb. Stamens below median to above.
Basin: Often somewhat oblique, shallow and obtuse to moderately deep and somewhat abrupt. Slightly furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Rather thin, tough, and smooth. Clear yellow or greenish washed and mottled with dull red or orange-red, and sparingly marked with narrow stripes of carmine. Dots numerous, small, gray or russet, not very conspicuous. Prevailing color effect red and yellow, the red usually predominating.
Core and Seeds: Core medium or below, axile or nearly so; cells usually closed; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish, obtusely emarginate, mucronate. Seeds few, dark, medium or above in size, wide, rather obtuse, often slightly tufted.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh whitish with slight yellow tinge, firm, fine-grained, tender, and moderately juicy. Flavor pleasant, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet. Quality good, though surpassed by other dessert apples of its season.
Season and Use
Season: October to February or March.
Classification and Value: A dessert apple of rather attractive form and fairly good color. The tree's early bearing and reliable annual cropping are assets, but the fruit is not deemed worthy of attention for commercial cultivation in New York, as superior dessert apples of comparable season are available.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)ORNAMENT.
REFERENCES. 1. Thompson, Cat. Hort. Soc. London, 1842:29. (cited by 2). 2. Leroy, 1873:520. fig. 3. Churchill, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 8:355. 1889. 4. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:590. 1894. 5. Ib., 14:254. 1895. 6. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:334. 1896. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:52. 1903.
SYNONYMS. ORNAMENT DE TABLE (4, 5, 6). Ornament de Table (7). ORNEMENT DE TABLE (2).
A rather attractive dessert apple of good form and fairly good color but hardly attractive enough for a good commercial variety. The flesh is tender, juicy and mildly subacid or nearly sweet; good in quality but surpassed by other dessert apples of its season. The tree comes into bearing rather young, is a reliable annual cropper and productive or moderately productive. It does not appear to be worthy of the attention of the fruit growers of New York.
Historical. This is a European variety of uncertain origin (1, 2). It has been disseminated but sparingly in America.
TREE.
Tree vigorous. Form roundish or spreading, rather dense. Twigs below medium to short, straight, slender; internodes medium or below. Bark dark brownish-red partly streaked with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, oblong or roundish, sometimes raised. Buds rather prominent, medium or below, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, quite pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium or above, pretty uniform in shape and size. Form roundish inclined to conic or somewhat oblate, pretty regular and symmetrical. Stem short, rather slender. Cavity medium to rather small, acuminate or nearly so, rather deep, moderately narrow to rather wide, often partly russeted. Calyx medium in size, usually open, pubescent; lobes long, acute, separated at the base, reflexed. Basin often somewhat oblique, shallow and obtuse to moderately deep and somewhat abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin rather thin, tough, smooth, clear yellow or greenish washed and mottled with dull red or orange-red and sparingly marked with narrow stripes of carmine. Dots numerous, small, gray or russet, not very conspicuous. Prevailing effect red and yellow, the red usually predominating.
Calyx tube short funnel-form with moderately broad limb. Stamens below median to above. Core medium or below, axile or nearly so; cells usually closed; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish, obtusely emarginate, mucronate. Seeds few, dark, medium or above, wide, rather obtuse, often slightly tufted. Flesh whitish with slight yellow tinge, firm, fine-grained, tender, moderately juicy, pleasant, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet, good.
Season October to February or March.