Royal Russet
Apple
Royal Russet
Origin / History
An old variety, of foreign origin, probably English, first recorded in 1597 (Bunyard). Coxe published it in 1817 as "Royal Russet, or Leather-Coat." He says it was imported from England, where it is "highly esteemed as a valuable winter apple." Elliott described it under the name "Old Royal Russet," and Downing reprints that entry from him. Bunyard calls it "one of the best of its class."
Tree
Vigorous, hardy, productive, and fertile; it bears abundantly (Coxe). Grown as a dwarf, its habit is more that of a bush than a pyramid. It is suitable for orchard culture (Veitch). Leaf long oval, very dark, upfolded and undulated, broadly curved serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium to fairly large. Bunyard calls it fairly large and gives 3¼ by 2¼.
Form: Roundish to flat, roundish oblate conical (Downing) or flattened round and irregular (Bunyard). Of a flat form when ripe (Coxe).
Stem: Short and thick (Coxe); slender (Bunyard).
Cavity: Very wide (Bunyard), with small swellings in the parts surrounding the stem (Coxe).
Calyx: Closed (Bunyard).
Basin: Wide and shallow (Bunyard).
Skin: Green to yellowish green, covered or mostly covered with gray, brown, or brownish russet. Bunyard calls the color entirely green. The russet is bronzed in the sun (Downing), and the side next the sun is a rich red intermixed with russet (Coxe).
Dots: Spots of white (Coxe).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh greenish white to greenish yellow, firm to tender. Well flavored, sprightly, sharp subacid to rich acid. Bunyard alone calls the flesh sweet. Quality "Good" (Downing).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
A winter apple that keeps well. The recorded season runs from November into May. Most authors give November to February or March, and Veitch alone extends it to May.
Uses
Culinary. Coxe calls it "a fine cooking apple," and Veitch calls it "a first-class kitchen fruit."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard cites Ronalds, P. 29.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Old Royal Russet
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Royal Russet, Or Leather-Coat
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1845–1913) from England, Illinois, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Russet Royal
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 68. ROYAL RUSSET, OR LEATHER-COAT.
This is an apple of moderate size, and of a flat form when ripe, the side next the Sun is a rich red, intermixed with russet, with spots of white : the flesh is well flavoured, sprightly, and tender ; the stem short and thick, with small swellings in the surrounding parts it is a fine cooking apple, keeps well and bears abundantly. It was imported from England, where it is highly esteemed as a valuable winter apple.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Old Royal Russet. Leather Coat Russet. Foreign. Medium, roundish, gray russet on green; flesh, greenish white, sharp sub-acid. November, February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Royal Russet. Leathercoat Russet. Reinette de Canada Platte. Reinette de Canada Grise. Passe Pomme de Canada. An old variety. Tree hardy, vigorous, and productive. Fruit medium, roundish oblate conical, yellowish green, mostly covered with brownish russet, which is bronzed in the sun. Flesh greenish white, firm, rich acid. Good. November, February.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Old Royal Russet", pp. 318–318]
Old Royal Russet. Leather Coat Russet. Fruit medium, roundish, gray russet on green. Flesh greenish white, sharp subacid. November, February. (Elliott.)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)ROYAL RUSSET. Ronalds, P. 29. F., Reinette Grise Royale; G., Koeniglicher Russet. (Leather Coat (of some), Reinette de Canada Grise (an error), Rousette Royale.) Culinary, till March, fairly large, 3¼ by 2¼, flattened round, irregular. Colour, entirely green, covered with brown russet. Flesh, tender, greenish-yellow, sweet. Eye, closed in a wide and shallow basin. Stem, slender in a very wide cavity. Growth, vigorous; fertile. Leaf, long oval very dark, upfolded and undulated, broadly curved serrate. Origin, probably English. First recorded in 1597. One of the best of its class.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)medium size, a first-class kitchen fruit, its habit when grown as a dwarf is more that of a bush than a pyramid, suitable for orchard culture ... Nov. to May