Peck's Pleasant
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin and History
Peck's Pleasant originated in Rhode Island, where it was long cultivated along with the northern part of Connecticut. By 1845 Downing had expressed the opinion that it originated in Rhode Island and noted its long cultivation there (Beach). The variety belongs in the same group with Green Newtown, Rhode Island Greening, and Perry Russet (Beach). It has been compared to the Newtown Pippin by multiple authorities: Downing wrote that it "considerably resembles the Yellow Newtown Pippin, with more tender flesh, and is scarcely inferior to it in flavor," and Thomas described it as having "Newtown Pippin flavor." Warder, however, disagreed, writing that he had "never been able to trace any resemblance, except that both are green; at any rate there is no danger of the merest tyro in pomology confounding the two varieties."
The variety was pretty thoroughly disseminated throughout New York state but is found chiefly in the older orchards and was, by 1905, seldom or never planted (Beach). It was said to be known locally in some portions of New York state under the name Dutch Greening (Beach). In 1890 Lyon reported concerning its status in Michigan that it was "generally and deservedly popular, the fruit being beautiful and excellent, and the tree in habit like Rhode Island Greening but less vigorous" (Beach).
Warder noted a remarkable diversity in the fruit arising from different soils and climates in which it is cultivated, North and South: "while, like many other varieties, its size is greatly developed, its texture and flavor are depreciated in the migrations southward." Elliott observed that on sandy soils it is of firmer texture and keeps better but is not so large, while on clays the reverse holds. Thomas noted it was "tender far West."
Tree
The tree is medium in size and a moderate grower. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense (Beach). Warder described it as healthy and spreading; Downing as a "moderate, upright spreading grower." Elliott described the shoots as rather erect, slightly diverging, and vigorous; Thomas likewise noted the growth as rather erect with shoots somewhat diverging.
Bearing habit: Sources disagree. Warder called it "productive, and a regular bearer." Downing wrote that it "bears regularly and well, and the fruit commands a high price in the market." Elliott described it as productive, and Thomas wrote it was "a good bearer; fruit always fair." Beach, however, reported that "it has the reputation of being often a shy bearer. In some localities it may bear pretty regularly, but it is only occasionally that it gives full crops," adding that "there is apt to be a rather high percentage of loss from ill-shapen, undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit."
Health: Warder described the tree as healthy. Beach, however, noted that it is "somewhat subject to root-rot and canker and it is not considered as long-lived nor as healthy as either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening."
Twigs: Medium to short, nearly straight, moderately stout; internodes medium to short (Beach). Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing).
Bark: Brown tinged with red, often mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips (Beach).
Lenticels: Quite numerous, small, oblong or roundish, not raised (Beach).
Buds: Very deeply set in bark, medium to small, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, appressed to nearly free, pubescent (Beach).
Downing noted that the apples on the lower branches of old trees are flat, while those on the upper branches are nearly conical.
Fruit
Size: Variable. Warder described the fruit as large. Downing called it above medium size. Beach described it as medium to sometimes large, somewhat variable in shape and size. Elliott said medium to large. Thomas called it large, often quite large.
Form: Oblate to roundish, sometimes a little inclined to conic, often obscurely ribbed or irregularly elliptical, sometimes with a furrow on one side (Beach). Warder described it as flattened, globular, somewhat angular, sometimes having a shallow sulcus or furrow on one side. Downing called it roundish, a little ribbed, and slightly flattened, with an indistinct furrow on one side. Elliott described it as roundish, slightly (sometimes very much) flattened, with an indistinct furrow on one side. Thomas described it as roundish, sometimes remotely oblong, often a little oblique, usually slightly flattened, smooth and regular.
Stem: Medium to short, usually thick or fleshy (Beach). Warder described it as short, very thick, clubbed or knobby. Downing called it "peculiarly fleshy and flattened, short." Elliott said it varies, mostly short and fleshy. Thomas specified very short, one-fourth to one-half inch long, thick, rarely longer and somewhat slender.
Cavity: Variable, obtuse or sometimes acute, rather wide, shallow to deep, nearly symmetrical or a little furrowed, often lipped or compressed, sometimes partly russeted (Beach). Warder described it as wide, but often lipped, brown. Downing described the stalk as sunk in a wide, rather wavy cavity. Elliott called it broad, open, and almost always with a slight ridge or wave on one side connecting with the stem.
Calyx: Pubescent, medium to rather large; lobes long, open or closed, sometimes distinctly separated at the base, rather obtuse (Beach). Downing described it as woolly. Warder described the eye as small and open, with short calycinal segments. Elliott said medium size, usually segments half open. Thomas said open.
Basin: Varies from broad to rather narrow, from obtuse to abrupt, and from nearly symmetrical to irregular and furrowed or wrinkled (Beach). Warder described it as rather shallow and folded. Downing called it narrow, abruptly and pretty deeply sunk. Elliott described it as round and regular. Thomas called it abrupt, rather deep.
Skin: Moderately thick, tough, smooth (Beach). Green becoming bright waxen yellow with orange-red blush, sometimes partly deepening to pink; prevailing effect yellow (Beach). Downing described it similarly: smooth, and when first gathered green with a little dark red, but when ripe a beautiful clear yellow with bright blush on the sunny side and near the stalk, marked with scattered gray dots. Warder described the surface as smooth, yellow or orange, sometimes faintly blushed. Elliott's description closely follows Downing's, adding that the scattered gray dots become small and almost indistinct near the apex. Thomas described the color as light green becoming yellow with a brown blush, differing from other sources which describe the blush as bright, orange-red, or pink rather than brown.
Dots: Numerous, whitish and submerged or with russet point (Beach). Gray with white bases (Warder). Scattered gray dots (Downing, Elliott).
Flesh and Flavor: Yellowish, firm, tender, crisp, fine-grained, juicy, pleasant subacid, aromatic, very good to best (Beach). Downing described it as "yellowish, fine-grained, juicy, crisp and tender, with a delicious, high aromatic sprightly subacid. Very good or best." Warder called the flesh yellow, tender, breaking, fine-grained, with flavor sub-acid and somewhat aromatic, of first quality in the North. Elliott described the flesh as yellowish white, fine-grained, firm yet tender, juicy, mild, aromatic, sub-acid. Thomas called it compact, very tender, "with a mild, rich, fine, clear sub-acid, Newtown Pippin flavor." Beach noted that toward the close of the season the flesh becomes inferior in quality although it may appear to be still in good condition. Thomas similarly warned: "poor, if too ripe."
Calyx Tube: Funnel-form (Beach).
Stamens: Basal (Beach).
Core: Sources disagree on size: Warder described it as large, closed, clasping the eye. Beach described it as medium to rather small, abaxile to nearly axile; cells not uniformly developed, usually closed or slit; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Elliott called it medium.
Carpels: Rather tender, broadly roundish, often nearly truncate, emarginate, mucronate (Beach).
Seeds: Numerous (Warder, Beach, Elliott). Warder described them as angular. Beach described them as rather dark, long, narrow, acute, below medium or above, sometimes slightly tufted. Elliott described them as abundant, ovate, dark reddish brown.
Season
October to March for home use; February is the commercial limit in Western New York, but in cold storage it may be held till April (Beach). Downing gave the season as November to March. Warder gave December to January, or later. Elliott gave December to February, often keeping to April. Thomas described it as early winter, with the caveat "poor, if too ripe."
Uses
More highly esteemed for dessert than for culinary uses; an old favorite for home use in many parts of New York state (Beach). Warder listed it for table, kitchen, or market. Downing noted the fruit commands a high price in the market.
Storage
The fruit very often scalds in storage, but it is less apt to do so if placed in cold storage immediately after picking (Beach).
Other
Lowther (1914) lists the variety in a coded variety-characteristic table:
Peck's Pleasant............... M r yr VG b W 2*
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 13 catalogs (1845–1921) from California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Peck's Pleasant.
This fine fruit is credited to Rhode Island. The tree is healthy, spreading, moderately vigorous, but productive, and a regular bearer. This apple is said to resemble the Newtown Pippin, but I have never been able to trace any resemblance, except that both are green; at any rate there is no danger of the merest tyro in pomology confounding the two varieties. There is, however, a remarkable diversity in the fruit arising from the different soils and climates in which it is cultivated, North and South, and while, like many other varieties, its size is greatly developed, its texture and flavor are depreciated in the migrations southward.
Fruit large, flattened, globular, somewhat angular, or flattened, sometimes having a shallow sulcus or furrow on one side; Surface smooth, yellow or orange, being sometimes faintly blushed; Dots gray, with white bases.
Basin rather shallow and folded; Eye small and open, calycinal segments being short.
Cavity wide, but often lipped, brown; Stem short, very thick, clubbed or knobby.
Core large, closed, clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, angular; Flesh yellow, tender, breaking, fine-grained; Flavor sub-acid and somewhat aromatic; of first quality in the North; Use, table, kitchen or market; Season, December to January, or later.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Peck's Pleasant.
Waltz Apple.
A first-rate fruit in all respects, belonging to the Newtown Pippin class. It has long been cultivated in Rhode Island, where, we think, it originated, and in the northern part of Connecticut, and deserves extensive dissemination. It considerably resembles the Yellow Newtown Pippin, with more tender flesh, and is scarcely inferior to it in flavor
Peck's Pleasant.
The tree is a moderate, upright spreading grower, but bears regularly and well, and the fruit commands a high price in the market. The apples on the lower branches of old trees are flat, while those on the upper branches are nearly conical. Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy.
Fruit above medium size, roundish, a little ribbed, and slightly flattened, with an indistinct furrow on one side. Skin smooth, and when first gathered, green, with a little dark red; but when ripe a beautiful clear yellow, with bright blush on the sunny side and near the stalk, marked with scattered gray dots. The stalk is peculiarly fleshy and flattened, short, and sunk in a wide, rather wavy cavity. Calyx woolly, sunk in a narrow, abruptly, and pretty deeply sunk basin. Flesh yellowish, fine-grained, juicy, crisp and tender, with a delicious, high aromatic sprightly subacid. Very good or best. November to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)PECK PLEASANT.
REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1832:50. 2. Bull, Mag. Hort., 6:172. 1840. 3. Downing, 1845:126. fig. 4. Floy-Lindley, 1846:411 app. 5. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 14:249. 1848. 6. Thomas, 1849:183. 7. Horticulturist, 4:344. 1849. 8. Cole, 1849:125. 9. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Rpt., 1849:355. fig. 10. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:84. 1851. col. pl. and fig. 11. Elliott, 1854:97. fig. 12. Hooper, 1857:69. 13. Mag. Hort., 26:101. 1860. 14. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 15. Mag. Hort., 30:162. 1864. 16. Warder, 1867:641. fig. 17. Downing, 1869:301. 18. Fitz, 1872:168. 19. Barry, 1883:351. 20. Rural N. Y., 46:202. 1887. 21. Ib., 47:749. 1888. 22. Wickson, 1889:247. 23. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:296. 24. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246. 25. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 1893:133. 26. Taft, Mich. Sta. Bul., 105:109. 1894. 27. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:135. 1901. 28. Van Deman, Rural N. Y., 60:37. 1901. 29. Budd-Hansen, 1903:147. 30. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:52. 1903. 31. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:137. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Dutch Greening. PECK (26). PECK'S PLEASANT (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30). Waltz Apple (17). Watts Apple (12).
This variety evidently belongs in the same group with Green Newtown, Rhode Island Greening and Perry Russet. It is an old favorite for home use in many parts of the state. It is more highly esteemed for dessert than for culinary uses. The flesh is tender, pleasantly flavored and ranks very good to best in quality. The color is good for a yellow apple, being at first predominantly green, but as the fruit approaches full maturity it becomes waxen-yellow with an orange or pinkish blush. The fruit very often scalds in storage, but it is less apt to do so if placed in cold storage immediately after picking. Its season for home use extends from October to March. Ordinarily February is its commercial limit in Western New York, but in cold storage it may be held till April (31). The tree is somewhat subject to root-rot and canker and it is not considered as long-lived nor as healthy as either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening. It has the reputation of being often a shy bearer. In some localities it may bear pretty regularly, but it is only occasionally that it gives full crops. The better grades of the fruit are of good size and attractive appearance, but there is apt to be a rather high percentage of loss from ill-shapen, undersized or otherwise unmarketable fruit. It is said to be known locally in some portions of the state under the name Dutch Greening.
Historical. In 1845 Downing expressed the opinion that Peck Pleasant originated in Rhode Island and stated that it had long been cultivated in that state and in Northern Connecticut (3). It has been pretty thoroughly disseminated throughout New York state but it is found chiefly in the older orchards and is now seldom or never planted. In 1890 Lyon (23) reported concerning the status of this variety in Michigan that it was generally and deservedly popular, the fruit being beautiful and excellent, and the tree in habit like Rhode Island Greening but less vigorous.
TREE. Tree medium in size, moderately vigorous or a rather slow grower. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium to short, nearly straight, moderately stout; internodes medium to short. Bark brown tinged with red often mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, small, oblong or roundish, not raised. Buds very deeply set in bark, medium to small, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, appressed to nearly free, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit medium to sometimes large, somewhat variable in shape and size. Form oblate to roundish, sometimes a little inclined to conic, often obscurely ribbed or irregularly elliptical, sometimes with furrow on one side. Stem medium to short and usually thick or fleshy. Cavity variable, obtuse or sometimes acute, rather wide, shallow to deep, nearly symmetrical or a little furrowed, often lipped or compressed, sometimes partly russeted. Calyx pubescent, medium to rather large; lobes long, open or closed, sometimes distinctly separated at the base, rather obtuse. Basin varies from broad to rather narrow, from obtuse to abrupt, and from nearly symmetrical to irregular and furrowed or wrinkled. Skin moderately thick, tough, smooth, green becoming bright waxen yellow with orange-red blush, sometimes partly deepening to pink. Dots numerous, whitish and submerged or with russet point. Prevailing effect yellow. Calyx tube funnel-form. Stamens basal. Core medium to rather small, abaxile to nearly axile; cells not uniformly developed, usually closed or slit; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels rather tender, broadly roundish, often nearly truncate, emarginate, mucronate. Seeds numerous, rather dark, long, narrow, acute, below medium or above, sometimes slightly tufted. Flesh yellowish, firm, tender, crisp, fine-grained, juicy, pleasant subacid, aromatic, very good to best. Toward the close of the season it becomes inferior in quality although it may appear to be still in good condition.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Peck's Pleasant............... M r yr VG b W 2*
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Peck's Pleasant.
Waltz Apple.
American. Native of Rhode Island. Shoots, rather erect, slightly diverging, vigorous, productive. If on sandy soils, it is of firmer texture than on clays, and keeps better, but is not so large.
Fruit, medium to large; form, roundish, slightly (sometimes very much) flattened, with an indistinct furrow on one side; color, when first gathered, green, with a little dark red—when ripe, a beautiful clear yellow, with bright blush on sunny side, marked with scattered gray dots, which become small and almost indistinct near the apex; stem, varies, mostly short and fleshy; cavity, broad, open, and almost always with a slight ridge or wave on one side, connecting with stem; calyx, medium size, usually segments half open; basin, round, regular; flesh, yellowish white, fine grained, firm, yet tender, juicy, mild, aromatic, sub-acid; core, medium; seeds, abundant, ovate, dark reddish brown. December to February, often keeps to April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Peck Pleasant.* Large, often quite large, roundish, sometimes remotely oblong, often a little oblique, usually slightly flattened; smooth and regular; color light green, becoming yellow, with a brown blush; stalk very short, one-fourth to one-half an inch long, thick, rarely longer and somewhat slender; calyx open, basin abrupt, rather deep; flesh compact, very tender, with a mild, rich, fine, clear sub-acid, Newtown Pippin flavor. Early winter; poor, if too ripe. Growth rather erect. Shoots somewhat diverging. A good bearer; fruit always fair. Fig. 473. R. I. Tender far West.