Pine Apple Russet

Apple

Pine Apple Russet

Origin/History

Elliott (1865) identifies this variety as Foreign. Both Downing and Elliott record the alternate name Hardingham's Russet.

Tree

Downing describes the tree as of moderate growth, with fruit that is not fair or very valuable. Not described in source (Elliott, Thomas).

Fruit

Size: Downing and Thomas agree on medium. Elliott gives above medium.

Form: Downing describes the fruit as conic, angular; Thomas similarly as conic. Elliott, however, describes it as roundish ovate — a notable conflict in form.

Skin: Downing gives the skin as whitish yellow, faintly striped. Elliott gives greenish yellow, overspread with thin russet. Thomas gives whitish-yellow. Downing and Elliott thus disagree on both ground color and surface character; Downing notes striping where Elliott notes a russet overcast.

Stem/Stalk: Downing describes the stalk as rather long and slender. Elliott gives the stem as long. Sources agree it is long.

Cavity: Downing describes the cavity as uneven, and slightly russeted. Not described by Elliott or Thomas.

Calyx: Downing: closed. Elliott: small. Not described by Thomas.

Basin: Downing: shallow, corrugated. Elliott: shallow, plaited. Sources agree on shallow depth; Downing's "corrugated" and Elliott's "plaited" likely describe the same wrinkled surface character.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as whitish, juicy, tender, subacid, slightly aromatic, and rates it Very good. Elliott describes the flesh as yellowish white, juicy, crisp, spicy, sub-acid. The two sources conflict on texture (Downing: tender; Elliott: crisp) and on aromatic character (Downing: slightly aromatic; Elliott: spicy). Thomas gives only sub-acid, and characterizes the variety as of little value — in direct conflict with Downing's rating of Very good.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Downing: last of September and October. Elliott: October to November. Thomas: Autumn. Sources are broadly consistent, placing ripening in the autumn with some variation in the precise window; Elliott extends the season slightly later into November.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England

James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911

View original book sources (3)

Pine Apple Russet. Hardingham's Russet. Tree of moderate growth, fruit not fair or very valuable. Fruit medium, conic, angular. Skin whitish yellow, faintly striped. Stalk rather long and slender. Cavity uneven, and slightly russeted. Calyx closed. Basin shallow, corrugated. Flesh whitish, juicy, tender, subacid, slightly aromatic. Very good. Last of September and October.

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

Pine Apple Russet. Hardingham's Russet.

Foreign. Fruit above medium ; roundish ovate, greenish yellow, overspread with thin russet; stem, long; calyx, small ; basin, shallow, plaited; flesh, yellowish white, juicy, crisp, spicy, sub-acid. October to November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Pine Apple Russet. Medium, conic, whitish-yellow; sub-acid—of little value. Autumn.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Hardingham's Russet Pine Golden Pippin