Peasgood's Nonsuch
ApplePeasgood's Nonsuch
Origin / History
An English apple, raised at Stamford by Peasgood. Downing, following Hogg, names the raiser as Mr. Peasgood of Stamford, England. Bunyard names Mrs. Peasgood of Stamford and gives the particulars: raised in 1858 from a seed of the Catshead Codlin, first fruited in 1872, the original tree still growing at Stamford. Downing calls it "this beautiful apple," like a handsome and highly colored Blenheim Pippin. Bunyard calls it "one of the most beautiful fruits grown." Beach calls it "an English culinary apple." In England it is regarded as one of the valuable varieties introduced in the last fifty years (Beach, citing Hogg and Bunyard). In America it "has been but little tested in this country" (Beach). At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, it was planted under test in spring 1894.
Tree
Vigorous. Bunyard adds that it is fertile and makes a flat, spreading tree, rather liable to canker. The Agassiz station records it as a vigorous grower. Leaf rather large, roundish, pea green, flat and lax, finely crenate; falls early and turns greenish yellow (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Large; very large (Beach). Bunyard gives 3½ by 2½.
Form: Roundish oblate, round flattened. Bunyard calls it remarkably regular.
Stem: Short, deeply inserted.
Cavity: Very wide, russet (Bunyard).
Calyx: Downing, after Hogg, gives the eye as very large and open. Bunyard gives it as nearly closed.
Basin: Deep, round, even.
Skin: Yellow to golden yellow; green or yellowish (Beach). Blushed and striped with red. Downing, after Hogg, describes the sunny side as overspread with red and copiously streaked with bright, darker crimson streaks. Bunyard gives a faint flush with a few broad, broken stripes, and the Agassiz station gives a pale blush.
Dots: Whitish, sprinkled over the skin (Agassiz).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy to very juicy, acid. Flavor "agreeable acid" (Downing, after Hogg); "pleasant" (Bunyard; Agassiz). Cooks frothily (Bunyard). Quality "good" (Agassiz).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September to November. Hogg, as given by Downing and repeated by Beach, places it in September and October. Bunyard extends the season to November. At Agassiz the season was October.
Uses
A culinary apple, also used for dessert and exhibition. Downing calls it "a fine culinary or dessert apple." Beach calls it "excellent for culinary use," and Bunyard calls it "first rate for cooking" and classes it for culinary use and exhibition.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard cites Her. Pom., 61. Beach's references are Downing, 1881:100 app.; Hogg, 1884:170; Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246; Can. Hort., 15:346, 1892; and Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:356.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Peasgood's Nonesuch
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1897–1917) from England, Illinois
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 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
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Peasgood's Nonesuch.
This beautiful apple was raised by Mr. Peasgood, of Stamford, England, and is a fine culinary or dessert apple, and is like a handsome and highly-colored Blenheim Pippin.
Fruit large, roundish oblate; skin yellow, overspread on the sunny side with red, and copiously streaked with bright darker crimson streaks; stalk short, deeply inserted; eye very large and open, set in a deep, round, and even basin; flesh yellowish, tender, very juicy, with an agreeable acid flavor. September, October (Hogg).
[Additional entry in this volume: "Peasgood's Nonsuch", pp. 1235–1235]
Peasgood's Nonesuch.
This beautiful apple was raised by Mr. Peasgood, of Stamford, England, and is a fine culinary or dessert apple, and is like a handsome and highly-colored Blenheim Pippin.
Fruit large, roundish oblate; skin yellow, overspread on the sunny side with red, and copiously streaked with bright darker crimson streaks; stalk short, deeply inserted; eye very large and open, set in a deep, round, and even basin; flesh yellowish, tender, very juicy, with an agreeable acid flavor. September, October (Hogg).
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)PEASGOOD NONSUCH.
REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1881:100 app. 2. Hogg, 1884:170. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246. 4. Can. Hort., 15:346. 1892. 5. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:356.
SYNONYMS. PEASGOOD'S NONESUCH (1, 2, 5). PEASGOOD NONSUCH (3, 4).
An English culinary apple, very large, green or yellowish, blushed and striped with red, excellent for culinary use. In season during September and October (1). In England it is regarded as one of the valuable varieties introduced in the last fifty years (2, 5). It has been but little tested in this country.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)PEASGOOD'S NONSUCH. Her. Pom., 61. F., Sanspareille de Peasgood. Culinary and exhibition, September to November, large, 3½ by 2½, round flattened, remarkably regular. Colour, golden-yellow with faint flush and a few broad broken stripes. Flesh, tender, yellowish, of pleasant flavour and cooks frothily. Eye, nearly closed in a deep round, even basin. Stem, short in a very wide russet cavity. Growth, vigorous; fertile. Leaf, rather large, roundish, pea green, flat lax, finely crenate, falls early, turns greenish-yellow. Origin, raised by Mrs. Peasgood, of Stamford, in 1858, from a seed of the Catshead Codlin. First fruited in 1872. The original tree is still growing at Stamford. One of the most beautiful fruits grown; first rate for cooking. It makes a flat spreading tree. Rather liable to canker.
Peter the Great: see Cardinal.
Phillip's Seedling: see Cellini.
Pilot Russet: see Cockle's Pippin.
Pine Apple: see Lucombe's Pine.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit large, roundish, oblate. Skin yellow with a pale blush and sprinkled with whitish dots. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season October.