Potts' Seedling
Apple
Potts' Seedling
Origin/History
Raised from the seed of an American apple at Ashton-under-Lyne, about 1849, by the late Mr. Samuel Potts of Robinson Lane, Ashton (Herefordshire Pomona). The variety is named after its raiser (Bunyard). It was first described and represented in the Herefordshire Pomona (1885). Bunyard (1920) also lists it under the names Dean's Codlin and Holland Pippin.
Tree
Very hardy, robust in growth, with heavy, roundish foliage (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard describes the growth habit as dwarf, with remarkable fertility; the leaf is pale, upfolded, undulating, rather large, and shallowly crenate. The tree bears abundantly and forms a beautiful bush or pyramid. From being so good a cropper, it was considered a potentially very profitable market apple (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard notes it is rather liable to canker.
Fruit
Size and Form
Large, full, round, and upright, but not conical; sometimes irregular in shape; approximately three inches broad and three and a half inches high (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard gives the dimensions as three inches by three inches, describing the form as round and regular.
Stem
The two sources conflict on stem character. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the stalk as long and deeply inserted, often connected with the apple by a fleshy protuberance on one side. Bunyard, by contrast, describes the stem as short and stout.
Cavity
The two sources also conflict on the cavity. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as narrow. Bunyard describes it as wide and rather deep.
Calyx/Eye
Shallow, with converging segments (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard describes the eye as closed.
Basin
Wrinkled, with prominent knobs at the top (Bunyard). Not described in the Herefordshire Pomona beyond the eye being shallow.
Skin
Light green, not unlike Lord Suffield in appearance, becoming very yellow when ripe, with numerous small golden spots on the sunny side (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard corroborates the color range as light green to chrome yellow and adds that the skin is very smooth.
Flesh and Flavor
White, with a very agreeable acidity (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard concurs: flesh firm, white, acid.
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
Best in October and November; will keep, with care, until January (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard gives the season as October to November.
Uses
An excellent cooking apple (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard terms it a useful kitchen fruit, most valuable for small gardens. The fruit should be gathered before it is too ripe, as — like Lord Suffield — it will be bruised in carriage if allowed to ripen fully on the tree (Herefordshire Pomona).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1900–1917) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Pott's Seedling
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Pott's Seedling
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Pott's Seedling
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Pott's Seedling
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Pott's Seedling
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Pott's Seedling
View original book sources (2)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- POTTS' SEEDLING.
This Apple was raised from the seeds of an American apple, at Ashton-under-Lyne, about the year 1849, by the late Mr. Samuel Potts, of Robinson Lane, Ashton.
Description.—Fruit, large, full, round, and upright, but not conical; sometimes irregular in shape, about three inches broad, and three and a half inches high. Skin, light green, not unlike Lord Suffield, becoming very yellow when ripe, with numerous small golden spots on the sunny side. Eye, shallow, with converging segments. Stalk, long, deeply inserted in a narrow cavity, and often connected with the apple by a fleshy protuberance on one side. Flesh, white, with a very agreeable acidity.
This is an excellent cooking apple. It is in its best flavour in October and November, but it will keep, with care, until January.
The tree is very hardy, robust in growth, with heavy roundish foliage, and bears abundantly. It forms a beautiful bush, or pyramid, and, from being so good a cropper, should become a very profitable market apple. The fruit should be gathered before it is too ripe, or, like the Lord Suffield apple, it will be bruised in carriage.
This apple is now described and represented for the first time.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)POTTS' SEEDLING. Her. Pom., 10. (Dean's Codlin, Holland Pippin.) Culinary, October to November, large, 3 by 3, round, regular. Colour, light green to chrome yellow ; skin very smooth. Flesh, firm, white, acid. Eye, closed, in a wrinkled basin with prominent knobs at top. Stem, short, stout, in a wide and rather deep cavity. Growth, dwarf ; fertility, remarkable. Leaf, pale, upfolded, undulating, rather large, shallow crenate. Origin, named after its raiser, who lived at Ashton-under-Lyme. Dates from 1849. A useful kitchen fruit. Most valuable for small gardens. Rather liable to canker.