Palouse
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Palouse
Origin/History
Palouse originated in Whitman County, Washington, from seed brought from Illinois in 1879. The original tree is located five miles east of Colfax. The variety was introduced about 1892 by George Ruedy of Colfax, Washington. It is supposed to be a seedling of Tompkins King, which it closely resembles in tree and fruit. At the time of Beach's writing (1905), it was being much planted in commercial orchards in Washington, where many regarded it as one of the most valuable of the seedling varieties to have originated in that region; Beach considered it worthy of testing in New York. By Hedrick's account (1922), it was being planted only in the Pacific Northwest.
Tree
Both sources agree the tree closely resembles Tompkins King in its general character. Palouse is reported to be more productive than Tompkins King. Not otherwise described in sources.
Fruit
Size: Not described in sources.
Form: Conflicting accounts. Craig (cited in Beach) and others describe typical fruit as oblong. Hexamer and Macoun, however, describe it as oblate or roundish oblate. Beach regards the oblong form as the more accurate characterization of the variety, noting that it distinguishes Palouse clearly from Tompkins King.
Stem: Not described in sources.
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx: Not described in sources.
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: Not described in sources. In color and texture the fruit closely resembles Tompkins King.
Flesh/Flavor: In color, texture, flavor, and aroma it so closely resembles Tompkins King that some suppose it to be a seedling of that variety. Not otherwise described in sources.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
Late fall. In season from October to early winter. Not as good a keeper as Tompkins King.
Uses
Commercial orchard variety. Not otherwise described in sources.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 10 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Ballygreen Nurseries , Hanford , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish, Washington (on Yakima Indian Reservation) - [undated; companion to the 1912 "Sixth Edition" descriptive catalogue; same cover design and incorporated 1903 date; dated as c.1912]
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)PALOUSE.
REFERENCES. 1. Van Deman, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1891:390. 2. Rural N. Y., 50:815. 1891. 3. Hexamer, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1891:159. 4. Williams, Gard. and For., 5:11. 1892. 5. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246. 6. Craig, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1896:133. 7. Macoun, Ib., 1901:197.
SYNONYMS. None.
Palouse is a comparatively new variety which originated in Washington. In color, texture, flavor and aroma it is so much like Tompkins King that some suppose it to be a seedling of that variety. Its form, however, is quite different from that of Tompkins King, typical fruit being oblong, as described by Craig (6) and others (1, 2), rather than oblate or roundish oblate, as described by Hexamer (3) and Macoun (7). It is hardly as good a keeper as Tompkins King and would probably be classed as a late fall variety, being in season from October to early winter. It is, however, more productive than Tompkins King and is being much planted in commercial orchards in Washington where many regard it as one of the most valuable of the seedling varieties which have originated in that region. It appears to be worthy of testing in New York.
Historical. Palouse originated in Whitman county, Washington, from seed brought from Illinois in 1879. The original tree is located five miles east of Colfax¹. It was introduced about 1892 by George Ruedy, Colfax, Wash., whose
¹ Ruedy, Letter and Circular, 1904.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)PALOUSE. Palouse is supposed to be a seedling of Tompkins King, which it closely resembles in tree and fruit. The apples of parent and offspring are much alike in color, texture, flavor, and aroma, but those of Palouse are more oblong and do not keep so long. The variety is a comparatively new candidate for pomological honors and comes from Whitman County, Washington. Palouse is being planted only in the Pacific Northwest.