Rock Pippin
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Rock Pippin
Origin/History
From Ohio (Downing). Known under the alternate names Ridge Pippin, Lemon, and Walnut Stem.
Tree
Very thrifty, large, and productive. Branches open and spreading. Shoots stout, dark. Foliage large, scattered.
Fruit
Size and Form: Full medium in size (Warder) / medium (Downing). Form oblong, ovate, angular, often ribbed, truncate at the apex, sometimes unequal (Warder); Downing describes the form as oblong conical.
Stem: Medium.
Cavity: Acute, often lipped.
Calyx: Eye small, short, closed.
Basin: Shallow, plaited or folded.
Skin: Surface very smooth. Color very rich yellow, blushed bright carmine when ripe (Warder); Downing describes the same ground color as yellow but notes bronzing in the sun rather than a carmine blush. Dots few, small, dark.
Flesh and Flavor: Yellow, breaking, rather dry (Warder). Downing describes the flesh as firm — a minor conflict with Warder's "breaking." Flavor acid to sub-acid, rich. Quality rated only good.
Core and Seeds: Core medium, pyriform, open, somewhat clasping. Seeds numerous, long, brown.
Season
December through May. Of most value sold at the latter period of the season (Warder). Noted as a profitable spring market fruit (Downing).
Uses
Market and kitchen. Cooks well all winter. Most commercially valuable in spring, when its soundness and beauty distinguish it from other varieties that have declined in storage.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Described by Warder as an admirable long-keeper with strong claims on the attention of the commercial orchardist on account of its soundness and beauty in the spring.
Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914): Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Rock (Pippin) (20). M obr yr G f W
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1904) from Illinois
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Rock Pippin.
RIDGE PIPPIN, LEMON, &C.
This admirable long-keeper has claims upon the attention of the commercial orchardist, on account of its soundness and beauty in the spring. Tree very thrifty, large, productive; Branches open, spreading; Shoots stout, dark; Foliage large, scattered.
Fruit full medium, oblong, ovate, angular, often ribbed, truncate at the apex, sometimes unequal; Surface very smooth, very rich yellow, blushed bright carmine when ripe; Dots few, small, dark.
Basin shallow, plaited or folded; Eye small, short, closed. Cavity acute, often lipped; Stem medium.
Core medium, pyriform, open, somewhat clasping; Seeds numerous, long, brown; Flesh yellow, breaking, rather dry; Flavor acid to sub-acid, rich; Quality only good; Use, market and kitchen; Season, December to May; of most value to sell at the latter period.
Cooks well all winter.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Rock Pippin. Lemon. Walnut Stem. From Ohio. Fruit medium, oblong conical, yellow, bronzed in sun. Flesh firm, and a good keeper, and in spring profitable market fruit. (O. P. S.)
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Rock (Pippin) (20). M obr yr G f W