REV. W. WILKS

Apple

Rev. W. Wilks

Origin/History

Raised by Messrs. Veitch from a cross of Peasgood Nonsuch and Ribston. First described in The Garden, 1910, p. 572.

Tree

Growth stout and dwarf. Fertility extraordinary; very productive, a good market apple that has fruited well throughout the country. Leaf large, dark, lax, undulated, doubly curved serrate.

Fruit

Size and Form: Very large, measuring 3½ inches by 3 inches. Bunyard (1920) describes the form as flat conical, slightly irregular; the Bunyard catalog (1914) describes it as roundish.

Stem: Short, set in a deep, narrow, slightly russeted cavity.

Cavity: Deep, narrow, slightly russet.

Calyx/Eye: Closed or slightly open.

Basin: Wide, ribbed.

Skin: Pale creamy-white with slight flush and stripes (Bunyard 1920); the catalog (1914) describes the ground color as pale yellow, flushed in the manner of Morgan's Exalted.

Flesh and Flavor: White, sub-acid; cooks frothily to a pale yellow (Bunyard 1920). The two sources diverge on flesh quality: Bunyard (1920) describes the flesh as tender and the cooking qualities as excellent, while the catalog (1914) characterizes the flesh as rather coarse with moderate flavor.

Season

September to November (Bunyard 1920); October (Bunyard catalog 1914).

Uses

Culinary. Cooks frothily.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

View original book sources (2)

Culinary; Syn. Oct. Roundish; pale yellow; flushed by Morgan's Exalted. Rather coarse flesh and moderate flavour, but very productive; a good market apple and has fruited well all around the country.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)

REV. W. WILKS. The Garden, 1910, 572. Culinary, September to November, very large, 3½ by 3, flat conical, slightly irregular. Colour, pale creamy-white with slight flush and stripes. Flesh, tender, white, sub-acid, cooks frothily, pale yellow. Eye, closed or slightly open, in a wide ribbed basin. Stem, short, in a deep, narrow, slightly russet cavity. Growth, stout and dwarf; fertility extraordinary. Leaf, large, dark, lax, undulated, doubly curved serrate. Origin, raised by Messrs. Veitch, from Peasgood Nonsuch and Ribston. A very large and promising fruit, of excellent cooking qualities.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)