Pilot

Origin/History

Pilot is an accidental seedling, found on the premises of John Robbins, at the foot of Pilot Mountain, Nelson County, Virginia. It is considered a valuable variety in its locality.

Tree

The tree is hardy, of moderate growth, forming a round head. It is rather slow coming into bearing, but when established produces large crops in alternate years, and a few fruit in the intervening ones. Young shoots are reddish brown.

Fruit

Size and Form

Sources differ slightly on size: Downing describes the fruit as large, and Lowther likewise gives the size as large; Thomas describes it as medium. Form is roundish oblate (Downing, Lowther), described by Thomas as round, regular, and smooth. Downing notes the fruit is slightly angular.

Stem

The stalk is short and small (Downing). Thomas also gives the stem as short. The cavity is described by Downing as rather large; Thomas describes the cavity as shallow and narrow, slightly russeted. These two accounts conflict on cavity depth and size.

Calyx

The calyx is half closed (Downing). Thomas describes the eye as small and closed.

Basin

The basin is large, deep, and smooth (Downing). Thomas describes the basin as deep and regular.

Skin

The skin is pale yellowish green, shaded, splashed and striped with pale dull red nearly over the surface, and thickly sprinkled with large areole dots (Downing). Thomas describes the ground color as yellow, covered by dull red, with brighter splashes of lighter red; dots numerous, large, gray, and sometimes star-shaped. Lowther gives the color simply as yellow. The two detailed accounts (Downing and Thomas) agree on a yellow-green ground color overlaid with dull red splashing and striping, with large, numerous dots, though Downing characterizes the dots as areole and Thomas specifies they are gray and sometimes star-shaped.

Flesh and Flavor

The flesh is yellowish white, fine, rather firm, tender, juicy, rich subacid, and slightly aromatic; rated very good (Downing). Thomas describes the flesh as yellow, fine-grained, firm, juicy, mild sub-acid, and rich; also rated very good. The core is small (Downing).

Core and Seeds

The core is small (Downing). Not further described in sources.

Season

December and January (Downing). Lowther gives the season as winter, consistent with Downing.

Uses

Suited for both kitchen and market use (Lowther).

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Thomas references a figure illustration: Fig. 440, in The American Fruit Culturist (1903), with the notation "Virginia" as the variety's origin. Lowther notes the variety is recorded in at least two northern divisions of his classification scheme.