Prolific Beauty
Apple
Prolific Beauty
Origin/History
Warder (1867) places this variety among the original Putnam list of Washington County, Ohio, noting it as one of the early introductions from the first good orchards of the West. He observes it is "somewhat singular that so few choice sorts are traceable to the seeds of these first good orchards," and that Rome Beauty is "almost the only one of great notoriety that is referable to this source." Downing (1900) lists the origin as unknown.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large, sometimes quite large (Warder). Both sources agree on an oblate form; Warder describes it as oblate and somewhat conic, regular; Downing describes it as roundish oblate.
Stem: Medium (Warder).
Cavity: Wide, wavy, green (Warder).
Calyx: Eye small, closed (Warder).
Basin: Medium, wide, regular (Warder).
Skin: Surface smooth (Warder). Warder describes the ground color as yellowish-green, partially covered with stripes of red, with minute gray dots. Downing describes the color as yellowish with dull stripes of red.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh whitish-yellow, tender, juicy (Warder; Downing agrees on whitish-yellow, tender). Flavor acid. Quality rated "scarcely good" by Warder and "Poor" by Downing.
Core/Seeds: Core large, regular, open, clasping; seeds numerous and plump (Warder).
Season
September to December (Warder). Downing gives September and December.
Uses
Kitchen and market (Warder).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Illustrated as Fig. 107 in Warder's American Pomology (1867).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Prolific Beauty.
This showy fruit is one of the original Putnam list of Washington County, Ohio ; it is somewhat singular that so few choice sorts are traceable to the seeds of these first good orchards of the West. Rome Beauty is almost the only one of great notoriety that is referable to this source.
Fruit large, sometimes quite large, oblate, somewhat conic, regular ; Surface smooth, yellowish-green, partially covered with stripes of red ; Dots minute, gray.
Basin medium, wide, regular ; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, wavy, green ; Stem medium.
Fig. 107.—PROLIFIC BEAUTY.
Core large, regular, open, clasping ; Seeds numerous, plump ; Flesh whitish-yellow, tender, juicy ; Flavor acid ; quality scarcely good ; Use kitchen, market ; Season September to December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Prolific Beauty. Origin unknown. Fruit large, roundish oblate, yellowish, with dull stripes of red. Flesh whitish yellow, tender, acid. Poor. September, December.