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Peasgood's Nonsuch

Apple

Peasgood's Nonsuch

Origin / History

Peasgood's Nonsuch was raised by Mrs. Peasgood of Stamford, England (Downing attributes it to "Mr. Peasgood"; Bunyard specifies "Mrs. Peasgood"), in 1858, from a seed of the Catshead Codlin. It first fruited in 1872. The original tree was still growing at Stamford as of Bunyard's 1920 account. In England it was regarded as one of the valuable varieties introduced in the latter half of the 19th century (Beach, citing Hogg and Bunyard). It has been but little tested in the United States (Beach). At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC, trees were planted in the spring of 1894.

Tree

Growth vigorous; fertile. It makes a flat, spreading tree. Rather liable to canker (Bunyard). The Agassiz BC catalogue likewise describes the tree as "a vigorous grower."

Leaf rather large, roundish, pea green, flat and lax, finely crenate; falls early, turning greenish-yellow (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size and form: Large; Bunyard gives dimensions of 3½ by 2½ inches. Roundish oblate (Downing, Agassiz), round flattened and remarkably regular (Bunyard). Rivers' catalogue, however, describes it as "medium to large, angular and somewhat irregular."

Stem: Short, deeply inserted (Downing); short, set in a very wide russet cavity (Bunyard).

Cavity: Very wide and russeted (Bunyard); deep (Downing, by implication of "deeply inserted").

Calyx / Eye: Very large and open (Downing); nearly closed (Bunyard).

Basin: Deep, round, and even (Downing and Bunyard agree).

Skin: Yellow, overspread on the sunny side with red and copiously streaked with bright darker crimson streaks (Downing); golden-yellow with a faint flush and a few broad broken stripes (Bunyard); green or yellowish, blushed and striped with red (Beach); yellow with a pale blush and sprinkled with whitish dots (Agassiz BC).

Likened by Downing to "a handsome and highly-colored Blenheim Pippin." Described by Bunyard as "one of the most beautiful fruits grown."

Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, tender, very juicy, with an agreeable acid flavor (Downing); yellowish, tender, juicy, acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good (Agassiz BC); tender, yellowish, of pleasant flavour, and cooks frothily (Bunyard). First rate for cooking (Bunyard).

Core / seeds: Not described in source.

Season

September and October (Downing, Beach, Agassiz BC); September to November (Bunyard); September to January (Rivers).

Uses

A fine culinary or dessert apple (Downing); excellent for culinary use (Beach); culinary and exhibition (Bunyard); first rate for cooking, cooks frothily (Bunyard).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

French name given by Bunyard: Sanspareille de Peasgood. Figured in the Herefordshire Pomona, plate 61.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

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

View original book sources (5)

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).

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

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.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

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.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

medium to large, angular and somewhat irregular; - Sept.-Jan.

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

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.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
Peasgood's Nonesuch Sanspareille de Peasgood