English Sweeting.

Ramsdell's Sweeting, | Ramsdell's Red Pumpkin Sweet, | Avery Sweeting. Ramsdell's Sweet, | Red Pumpkin Sweet, |

Foreign. Tree, vigorous, upright, early, prolific bearer. Fruit, medium to large, oblong, tapering to the eye, green and rough in shade, dark red dotted with fawn specks, and with a blue bloom in sun; stem, short; cavity, narrow, angular, often a fleshy knob; calyx, with short stiff segments; basin, round, regular; core, long, ovate; seeds, imperfect; flesh, yellowish white, sweet; "very good." October to February.

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

Ramsdell's Red.

Origin Connecticut. Tree vigorous, upright, many branches, productive, early bearer; Shoots slender, reddish; Foliage rather light green.

Fruit medium to large, oblong, regular, truncated; Surface smooth, yellow, hidden by bright red, mixed and striped; Dots numerous, yellow, distinct.

[Fig. 269.—Ramsdell's Red.]

Basin rather deep, abrupt, wavy; Eye small to medium, closed.

Cavity deep, acute, wavy; Stem medium to long, often red.

Core large, oval, closed, clasping the eye; Seeds large; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor very sweet, rich; Quality very good; Use, baking and stock; Season, September to December.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

English Sweet.

Ramsdell's Sweet. Ramsdell's Sweeting. Hurlbut Sweet? Ramsdell's Red Pumpkin Sweet. Red Pumpkin Sweet. Avery Sweet. Randall's Red Winter.

This old variety is esteemed where grown for the large crops which it bears, and as a showy sweet apple for market, and profitable for stock feeding, as well as superior for cooking.

The tree is very vigorous, grows remarkably straight and upright, comes early into bearing, and yields every year enormously. Young shoots clear reddish brown, slightly grayish.

Fruit rather above medium size, oblong, regularly shaped, and tapering slightly towards the eye, dark red, dotted with fawn-colored specks, and covered with a blue bloom. Flesh yellowish, very tender and mellow, unusually sweet and rich. Good to very good. In weight the apple is light. October to February.

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

Red Pumpkin Sweet. See Ramsdell's Sweet.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Ramsdell's Sweet", pp. 344–344]

Ramsdell's Sweet. (Ramsdell's Red Pumpkin Sweet.) Rather large, oblong, obscurely conical, regular; dark rich red, with a blue bloom; stalk short; basin rather deep, even; flesh yellowish, tender, sweet, rich, good second quality. Tree vigorous, upright, productive. Late autumn and early winter. Connecticut.

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

RAMSDELL SWEET.

References. 1. Mag. Hort., 4:47. 1838. 2. Manning and Ives, 1844:41. 3. Downing, 1845:137. 4. Mag. Hort., 12:475. 1846. 5. Thomas, 1849:161. 6. Cole, 1849:118. 7. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:76. 1851. 8. Elliott, 1854:131. 9. Hooper, 1857:74. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 11. Warder, 1867:664. fig. 12. Downing, 1869:163. 13. Fitz, 1872:121, 145. 14. Leroy, 1873:605. fig. 15. Barry, 1883:352. 16. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:296. 17. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:247. 18. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:337. 1896. 19. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:46. 1903. 20. Budd-Hansen, 1903:159. fig.

Synonyms. Avery Sweet (12, 14). Avery Sweeting (8). ENGLISH SWEET (12, 18). English Sweet (14, 15, 16, 20). ENGLISH SWEETING (4, 8). Hurlbut (14). Hurlbut Sweet (12). RAMSDALE'S SWEETING (9). RAMSDELL (14, 19). RAMSDELL'S RED (11). Ramsdell Red Sweet (18). RAMSDELL'S RED SWEETING (1). RAMSDELL SWEET (10, 15, 16, 17, 20). Ramsdell Sweet (3, 8, 12). RAMSDELL'S SWEETING (3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13). Ramsdell's Sweeting (8, 14). RAMSDEL'S RED PUMPKIN SWEET (2). Ramsdel's Red Pumpkin Sweet (3, 5, 7, 8, 12). Randall's Red Winter (12, 14). Red Pumpkin Sweet (3, 8, 12). Red Pumpkin Sweeting (9). Reindell's Large (14).

This is an attractive red apple of good size and very good quality, in season from midautumn to midwinter. The tree is a pretty good grower and an early bearer, yielding some fruit annually or nearly annually, but in many cases it is not satisfactorily productive and the fruit is not very uniform in size and quality, so that there is a considerable loss from unmarketable fruit. Not recommended for commercial planting in New York.

Historical. This variety was first brought to notice by being exhibited before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society by the Rev. H. S. Ramsdell, Thompson, Conn., and was named Ramsdell's Red Sweeting in compliment to him (1). Downing described it in 1845 (3) under the name Ramsdell's Sweeting, but in the 1869 edition (12) it was described under the name English Sweet, the name previously recognized by Elliott (8) but upon what authority we have been unable to learn. In 1862 (10) it was entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society under the name Ramsdell Sweet which name has been retained in that catalogue up to the present time. It is also commonly catalogued by nurserymen under the name Ramsdell or Ramsdell Sweet (17).

Tree. Tree medium size, vigorous or moderately vigorous. Form upright, open. Twigs long, curved, moderately stout; internodes medium. Bark brown, streaked with heavy scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, oval, raised. Buds medium size, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.

Fruit. Fruit above medium, sometimes nearly large, somewhat variable in size, fairly uniform in shape. Form oblong conic to roundish conic, often somewhat elliptical and faintly ribbed. Stem short to medium in length, moderately slender, often red. Cavity acuminate, deep, rather broad, quite symmetrical, often with some stellate russet. Calyx small to medium, closed or slightly open; lobes narrow, acute to acuminate. Basin rather small, sometimes oblique, medium to rather deep, narrow to medium in width, abrupt, faintly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thin, rather tough, smooth, yellow nearly overspread with attractive dark red, or entirely red with obscure splashes and stripes of carmine, overspread with blue bloom. Dots many, distinct, conspicuous, small to rather large, pale yellow or grayish, often submerged. Prevailing effect red, attractive. Calyx tube rather large, long, cylindrical to narrow funnel-shape. Stamens median. Core small to medium, axile to somewhat abaxile; cells symmetrical but not uniformly developed, closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels ovate to nearly roundish. Seeds below medium, rather narrow, plump, acute. Flesh tinged with yellow, firm, fine, tender, juicy, very sweet, good to very good. Season October to February.

[Additional entry in this volume: "ENGLISH SWEET", pp. 109–109]

ENGLISH SWEET.

Ramsdell or Ramsdell Sweet has been described by some leading pomologists under the name English Sweet. Ramsdell Sweet is the name accepted for this variety in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society, and it is generally known among nurserymen and fruit growers as Ramsdell or Ramsdell Sweet. For a description of this variety, the reader is referred to Ramsdell Sweet, page 175.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Ramsdell Sweet (English Sweet).—Origin, Connecticut; tree vigorous, upright, an early and heavy bearer.

Ramsdell Sweet.

Fruit above medium, regular, oblong, slightly tapering, truncated; surface smooth, yellow, almost wholly covered with solid dark red, with indistinct stripes and splashes, with blue bloom; dots many, large, gray, very conspicuous; cavity regular, deep, acute, with large stellate russet patch; stem short, medium or long, often red; basin narrow, abrupt, nearly smooth; calyx half open; segments erect convergent. Core closed, clasping; cells elliptical, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median or basal; seeds short, plump; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, firm, rich, very sweet, very good. October to February,

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Ramsdell's Sweet. Size: medium. Form: oblate. Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

RAMSDELL SWEET.

Hurlbut. Ramsdell's Red. Red Pumpkin Sweet.

Ramsdell Sweet was once popular because of the handsome red color and good quality of the apples, which, however, are not uniform in size or shape. The trees are not fruitful enough to give the variety value for commercial plantations. Ramsdell Sweet was brought to notice by Rev. H. S. Ramsdell, Thompson, Connecticut, about 1838. Its culture is confined to the East and North.

Tree vigorous, upright, open. Fruit medium or large, variable in size, uniform in shape, oblong-conic or round-conic, often elliptical and faintly ribbed; stem short, slender, often red; cavity acuminate, deep, broad, symmetrical, often russeted; calyx small, closed or open; lobes narrow, abrupt; basin faintly furrowed and wrinkled; skin thin, tough, smooth, yellow, overspread with dark red, with obscure splashes and stripes of carmine, overspread with bloom; dots many, distinct, conspicuous, large, pale yellow or gray, often submerged; prevailing effect red; calyx-tube large, long, cylindrical; stamens median; core small, axile or abaxile; cells symmetrical but not uniformly developed, closed or open; core-lines clasping; carpels ovate; seeds small, narrow, plump, acute; flesh yellow, firm, fine, tender, juicy, sweet; good to very good; October to February.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)