Red Winter Pearmain

Origin / History

Red Winter Pearmain is a favorite southern apple, widely diffused through the South and West, with many admirers owing to its good qualities (Warder, 1867). Its origin is uncertain (Warder).

The name "Winter Pearmain" has a long and tangled history: it is one of the oldest apples on record (Downing). Hogg (per Beach) states that this is the oldest English apple on record and that its cultivation in Norfolk can be traced back to the year 1200. Coxe (1817) notes that it is called in England the Hertfordshire Pearmain and is sometimes known by the name of the French Pearmain in America.

Several distinct varieties have been known under the name Winter Pearmain in both Europe and America, and the references in the older literature do not all refer to the same variety; in some cases it is impossible to determine which Winter Pearmain a given writer has in mind (Beach). Hogg observes that the Winter Pearmain of the London market is a different apple from the old English Pearmain.

Thacher (1822, quoted in Beach) gave the following account of the Winter Pearmain of the old Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts: "The winter pearmain is among the first cultivated apples by the fathers of the old Plymouth colony, and is, undoubtedly, of English descent. Many trees of this kind are now supposed to be more than one hundred years old, and grafted trees from them produce the genuine fruit in great perfection... It is not an early bearer, but when attained to about twelve years, from having been grafted, it produces more abundantly and uniformly than any other kind within our knowledge... There are two or three varieties of this apple, but rather of an inferiour quality."

Floy-Lindley (1833, quoted in Beach) described the Winter Pearmain mentioned by Ray in 1688 as "fruit medium, regular, tapering to the crown, grass-green with a little red on the sunny side; in season from November to March."

Downing further distinguishes two additional American apples sold under this name: one grown in Illinois and other Western States, "entirely distinct from the above," and another grown in Pennsylvania. Elliott (1865) likewise insists that the Winter Pearmain commonly grown in the West is "distinct from, and far inferior to the Herefordshire Pearmain."

Tree

Sources broadly agree that the tree is hardy, handsome, and productive, though they disagree on vigor and habit depending on which Winter Pearmain they describe.

• General / southern Red Winter Pearmain: Tree sufficiently vigorous, upright, productive, an annual bearer (Warder). Growth moderate, upright; a regular bearer (Thomas).
• Old English / Plymouth-colony type: The tree grows handsomely, with a large and regular form, and is supposed to be the most hardy and uniformly productive apple in our orchards, well adapted to light soils (Coxe). Tall and upright, forming a handsome regular top; hardy, and will flourish in a light soil; not an early bearer, but at about twelve years from grafting produces more abundantly and uniformly than any other kind within knowledge (Thacher per Beach). A free and healthy grower, and productive (Downing).
• Illinois / Western "Winter Pearmain or Red Pearmain" form distinguished by Downing: Tree vigorous, spreading, with slender branches; young shoots moderately slender, grayish reddish brown, with downy buds.

Fruit

Size and Form

• Moderate size, of an oblong form, very free from blemishes (Coxe).
• Medium to large, conic, regular (Warder).
• Medium, conical (Downing, for the old type).
• Medium, oblate, a little inclining to conic (Downing, for the Illinois/Western form).
• Below medium, oblate or roundish oblate (Downing, for the Pennsylvania form).
• Medium, oblong ovate (Elliott).
• Medium, oblong conical (Thomas).
• Of moderate size; fair and smooth (Thacher per Beach).

Surface / Skin

• Skin smooth, of a dull red, faintly streaked with green, which when exposed to the sun turns to a yellow, with indistinct russet spots (Coxe).
• Surface smooth, deep red, almost purplish on yellow, stripes nearly lost in the depth of coloring, whitish shading exteriorly, not a bloom (Warder).
• Greenish, with lively deep red in the sun, russety dots (Downing, old type).
• Yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with light and dark red (Downing, Illinois/Western form).
• Yellow, shaded and obscurely splashed with brownish red, few light dots (Downing, Pennsylvania form).
• Dull red on greenish yellow (Elliott).
• Dark purplish red on yellow, with numerous whitish dots (Thomas).
• Of a reddish colour, interspersed with green and yellow (Thacher per Beach).

Dots

Numerous, minute (Warder). Russety dots (Downing, old type). Few light dots (Downing, Pennsylvania form). Numerous whitish dots (Thomas).

Stem / Stalk and Cavity

• Stem medium length, thick, knobby (Warder).
• Cavity acute, regular, green (Warder).
• Stalk short (Downing, Illinois/Western form; Downing, Pennsylvania form; Thomas).
• Stem slender; cavity narrow (Elliott).
• Stalk short, cavity narrow (Thomas).

Calyx and Basin

• Basin regular, plaited or folded; eye long or large, open (Warder).
• Calyx closed (Downing, Illinois/Western form).
• Calyx open (Downing, Pennsylvania form).
• Basin small (Elliott; Thomas).

Flesh and Flavor

• Rich, breaking and sprightly, though not very full of juice; few apples surpass it for cooking (Coxe).
• Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; flavor mild sub-acid, almost sweet, rich, satisfying; quality good (Warder).
• Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, slightly aromatic (Downing, old type).
• Flesh yellowish, rather firm, crisp, juicy, rich subacid; good (Downing, Illinois/Western form).
• Flesh yellow, compact, moderately juicy, mild subacid; good (Downing, Pennsylvania form).
• Flesh greenish yellow, not juicy, tender, sub-acid; not quite "very good" (Elliott).
• Flesh whitish, very tender and juicy, with a mild, slightly sub-acid, slightly aromatic flavor (Thomas).
• The flesh a rich yellow; the flavour slightly aromatick, and agreeable (Thacher per Beach).

Sources broadly agree the flavor is mild subacid with an aromatic quality, but disagree on juiciness: Warder, Downing (old type), Downing (Illinois/Western form), and Thomas describe it as juicy; Coxe calls it "not very full of juice"; Downing (Pennsylvania form) says "moderately juicy"; and Elliott flatly calls it "not juicy."

Core and Seeds

Core medium, closed, clasping; seeds numerous, large, plump (Warder). Core small (Downing, Illinois/Western form; Downing, Pennsylvania form).

Season

Sources give varying seasons depending on the form:

• Ripens in October, and will keep through the winter (Coxe).
• December and January (Warder).
• November to March (Downing, old type; Floy-Lindley per Beach).
• November, February (Downing, Illinois/Western form; "November to February," Beach).
• January to May (Downing, Pennsylvania form).
• December to March (Elliott).
• Mid-winter (Thomas).

Uses

As a table fruit, rich, breaking and sprightly; few apples surpass it for cooking; produces excellent cider (Coxe). Use, table and kitchen (Warder). Scarcely excelled as a table apple or for cookery; the cider made from it is said to be inferior to none (Thacher per Beach).

Subtypes / Variants

Downing explicitly distinguishes three apples sold under the Winter Pearmain name:

1. The old / English Winter Pearmain (or Old Pearmain) — medium, conical, greenish with lively deep red in the sun, russety dots; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, slightly aromatic; November to March. This is the Pearmain d'Hiver of Leroy, the English Winter Pearmain of Mas, and the Pearmain or Old Pearmain of Hogg (per Beach).
2. The Illinois / Western Winter Pearmain (or Red Pearmain), "entirely distinct from above" — tree vigorous, spreading, with slender branches; young shoots moderately slender, grayish reddish brown, with downy buds; fruit medium, oblate a little inclining to conic, yellowish shaded splashed and striped with light and dark red; stalk short; calyx closed; flesh yellowish, rather firm, crisp, juicy, rich subacid; good; core small; November, February.
3. The Pennsylvania Winter Pearmain — fruit below medium, oblate or roundish oblate, yellow shaded and obscurely splashed with brownish red, few light dots; stalk short; calyx open; flesh yellow, compact, moderately juicy, mild subacid; good; core small; January to May.

Thacher additionally notes that within the old Plymouth-colony stock "there are two or three varieties of this apple, but rather of an inferiour quality."

Other

Coxe equates the variety with the English Hertfordshire Pearmain and the American "French Pearmain," but Elliott explicitly rejects this identification, calling the Western Winter Pearmain "distinct from, and far inferior to the Herefordshire Pearmain." Beach surveys the literature and concludes that the references to "Winter Pearmain" across pomological history do not all refer to the same variety, and in some cases it is impossible to determine which apple a given writer intended.