Rome Beauty*
Apple
Stark Bros. Year Book (1910)
Rome Beauty*
Origin / History
Originated with H. N. Gillet in Ohio shortly before 1845 (Zielinski). Long a popular commercial variety in all apple regions except the more northern ones, where it is not sufficiently hardy (Zielinski). When grown properly the fruit is prized for its attractive appearance and size and its excellent quality as a cooking and baking apple (Zielinski). Stark Bros. (1910) call it an old favorite that has not been planted as widely as it deserves to be but is coming rapidly into favor in all apple-growing regions; orchardists east and west are increasing their plantings of Rome Beauty* and discarding Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin, and New York state orchardists are planting fewer Baldwin and increasing on Rome Beauty*. In quality and market value it excels, though not in the class of Delicious, King David, Jonathan, Senator, and Grimes Golden. It has an established reputation on all markets and always brings good prices; its size and great beauty insure for it at all times a ready sale. "A fine apple with many good qualities and few faults" (Stark Bros.). In Oregon, few new orchards of standard Rome Beauty* have been planted within the past 20 years, growers showing a decided preference for several of the new red-colored strains (Zielinski, 1964).
Tree
Mature trees produce many pendulous, flexible, lateral branches that bear the crop. Comes into bearing early and usually produces a heavy crop (Zielinski). Blooms late; an annual bearer and one of the surest bearers (Stark Bros.). In Idaho, where frost often ruins the first bloom, it puts forth second blossoms, insuring a profitable crop, ofttimes when many other sorts are a failure. New Mexico reports it freezing-proof and "loaded with fruit while most varieties killed." In California the trees withstood 26 degrees at blooming time. Has produced well in Oregon. Limitations (Zielinski): late maturity, requiring a long growing season; susceptibility to apple scab and mildew; lack of color development some growing seasons; a tendency to overbear.
Fruit
Size: Large; uniform in size (Stark Bros.).
Form: Round or round conic.
Stem: Long, slender.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Thick, tough, smooth. Yellow mottled with bright red, which in highly colored specimens intensifies to a solid red on the exposed cheek and is striped with carmine on the remaining portion; shaded and striped with bright red (Stark Bros.). Attractive in appearance (Zielinski); of "great beauty" (Stark Bros.).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Light yellow, firm, fine grained to coarse, crisp, juicy, aromatic, mild, subacid. Excellent quality as a cooking and baking apple (Zielinski).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late maturing; a long-keeping winter apple (Zielinski).
Uses
Prized as a cooking and baking apple; lacks dessert quality (Zielinski). Market apple with an established reputation on all markets, always bringing good prices and a ready sale (Stark Bros.).
Subtypes / Variants
Red sports: Gallia Beauty, Cox Red Rome, C and O 262 Red Rome, Ruby Rome, and Law Red Rome, all of which performed satisfactorily in Oregon, though grower preferences vary from one district to another. Berkeley Red Rome, released in 1955, is distinctly striped with closely spaced narrow bands of dark red, introduced as an especially early coloring type. Various red sports have attained a high popularity with growers, and are preferred where Rome Beauty* does not color sufficiently or early enough but is otherwise satisfactory. Some of the so-called red strains do not color appreciably more than the original variety. There are indications that the fruit of the red sports may not retain its high quality in cold storage; those with the most intense color appear to develop skin disorders or spots. These observations are preliminary (Zielinski). Evaluation studies of all new red sports were in progress at the Oregon Experiment Station in 1964.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 73 catalogs (1881–1932) from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Hutchison Nursery , James Hutchison, Oakland , California — 1881
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- S.L. Watkins , Grizzly Flats, El Dorado County , California — 1901
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Forestville Nurseries , T.J. True, Forestville , California — 1902
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- J.B. Pilkington , Portland , Oregon — 1907
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Wapato Nursery , Wapato , Washington — 1910
- Cashmere Nurseries , Cashmere , Washington — 1910
- Milton Nursery Co./Montana Fruit Growers — 1910
- Quaker Nurseries (Patterson/Lansing) — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Ballygreen Nurseries , Hanford , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- J. B. Pilkington , Nurseryman, Portland, OR (nurseries near Newberg, forty miles from Portland) — 1913
- Samuel Fraser , Geneseo , New York — 1913
- Van Holderbeke Nursery Co. , Incorporated, Spokane, Washington (nurseries at Otis Orchards WA, Pasadena WA, Kennewick WA) — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Ornamental & Fruit Nursery Company , Wapato, County of Yakima , Washington — 1915
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Holsinger Bros. Nurseries (Holsinger Brothers Nursery) , Rosedale , Kansas — 1916
- Manalapan Nurseries , Englishtown , New Jersey — 1916
- Fancher Creek Nurseries , George C. Roeding, Fresno , California — 1918
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Christopher Nurseries / John Stewart & Sons , Christopher , Washington — 1920
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
- Fresno Nursery Co. , Fresno , California — 1924
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925
- Hudson's Wholesale Nurseries , Tangent , Oregon — 1926
- Stark Bro's Nurseries , Louisiana , Missouri — 1932
- Rich & Sons Nursery , Hillsboro , Oregon
- North-Western Nurseries , Walla Walla , Washington
View original book sources (2)
— Quentin B. Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964)Rome Beauty*
Rome Beauty originated with H. N. Gillet, in Ohio shortly before 1845. This variety has long been a popular commercial variety in all apple regions except the more northern ones, where it is not sufficiently hardy. When grown properly, the fruit is prized both for its attractive appearance and size and its excellent quality as a cooking and baking apple.
Characteristics
When Rome Beauty trees mature, they produce many pendulous, flexible, lateral branches that bear the crop. The variety comes into bearing early and usually produces a heavy crop. Apples are large, round or round conic with long, slender stems. Skin is thick, tough, smooth, yellow mottled with bright red which, in highly colored specimens, intensifies to a solid red on the exposed cheek and is striped with carmine on the remaining portion. Flesh is light yellow, firm, fine grained to coarse, crisp, juicy, aromatic, mild, and subacid. It is a long-keeping winter apple that has produced well in Oregon.
Limitations
Among the limitations of this variety are late maturity which requires a long growing season, susceptibility to apple scab and mildew, lack of color development some growing seasons, a tendency to overbear, and lack of dessert quality in the fruit.
Red sports
Within the past 20 years few new orchards of standard Rome Beauty have been planted in Oregon. Growers have shown a decided preference for several of the new red-colored strains. Some of the more prominent are Gallia Beauty, Cox Red Rome, C and O 262 Red Rome, Ruby Rome, and Law Red Rome. These red-colored sports have all performed satisfactorily in Oregon, but grower preferences vary from one district to another. Evaluation studies of all new Rome Beauty red sports are in progress at the Experiment Station, and information from these trials will be reported as it becomes available.
One new red sport was released in 1955 as Berkeley Red Rome. This variety is distinctly striped, with closely spaced narrow bands of dark red. It has been introduced as an especially early coloring type. Though various red sports have attained a high popularity with growers, there are some indications that the fruit may not retain its high quality in cold storage. Those sports having the most intense color appear to develop skin disorders or spots. These observations are only preliminary, and no conclusions can be drawn at this time. Some of the so-called red strains of Rome Beauty do not color appreciably more than the original variety. Where Rome Beauty does not color sufficiently or early enough but is otherwise satisfactory, the red sports are preferred.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)Uniform in size, large and smooth, shaded and striped with bright red. Blooms late and is an annual bearer; an old favorite that has not been planted as widely as it deserves to be but coming rapidly into favor in all apple-growing regions. Orchardists east and west are increasing their plantings of Rome Beauty and discarding Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin. New York state orchardists are planting fewer Baldwin and increasing on Rome Beauty. In quality and market value Rome Beauty excels, though not in the class of Delicious, King David, Jonathan, Senator, and Grimes Golden. It has an established reputation on all markets and always brings good prices; its size and great beauty insure for it at all times a ready sale. A fine apple with many good qualities and few faults. In Idaho where frost often ruins the first bloom, Rome Beauty puts forth second blossoms, insuring a profitable crop —ofttimes when many other sorts are a failure. New Mexico reports it freezing-proof and "loaded with fruit while most varieties killed." In California the trees withstood 26 degrees at blooming time. One of the surest bearers. NCS