Scarlet Nonpareil
AppleScarlet Nonpareil
Origin / History
Called foreign by Elliott and Downing, and English by Thomas. Bunyard says it was "probably raised at Esher, Surrey, about 1773, from a seed of the Old Nonpareil," and calls it "a good old sort worthy of retention."
Tree
Growth slender, a little upright, compact (Bunyard). The tree forms a medium-sized pyramid (Veitch). It is fertile and an abundant bearer. The George Bunyard catalog (1901) finds it too slender for standards, but prolific on Paradise as garden trees. Leaf very narrow, sharp-pointed, held out flat, light green, boldly crenate, and nearly smooth below (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Small to medium. Most authors call it medium. The George Bunyard catalog calls it small, and Bunyard gives small to medium, measuring 2½ by 2.
Form: Roundish to round conical, sometimes roundish oblate conical (Downing). Regular (Bunyard).
Stem: Rather long (Bunyard).
Cavity: Even, russet (Bunyard).
Calyx: Eye open (Bunyard).
Basin: Shallow, regular (Bunyard).
Skin: Ground yellowish green to yellow, or whitish (Downing). Striped and shaded with red; deep red (Elliott); covered with dull red and russet (Bunyard). Handsome; the George Bunyard catalog calls it "very handsome in colour and shape."
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white to pale yellow, firm. It is juicy (Downing). The George Bunyard catalog calls it tender. Flavor subacid; Elliott calls it acid, and Bunyard calls it sweet, with "rather good flavour." Downing rates it "Very good." The trade catalogs call it "delicious" (George Bunyard) and "well flavoured" (Veitch).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November into March. Three authors begin it in November, closing in November, December, or February; Elliott carries it latest of these, to February. Bunyard keeps it till March, and Veitch gives January to March.
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard). Veitch calls it "a valuable variety for the orchard."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard cites Ronalds, p. 34. Veitch's catalog marks it "A.M."
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1845–1917) from England, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)SCARLET NONPAREIL. New Scarlet Nonpareil. Foreign. Medium, roundish, deep red on yellowish green; flesh, firm, acid. November to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Scarlet Nonpareil.
New Scarlet Nonpareil.
Foreign; medium size, roundish oblate conical, whitish, striped and shaded with red. Flesh yellowish white, firm, juicy, subacid. Very good. November, December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Scarlet Nonpareil. Medium, roundish-conic, striped; sub-acid. November. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SCARLET NONPAREIL. Ronalds, P. 34. F., Nonpareil Ecarlate; G., Scharlachroter Nonpareil. Dessert, till March, small to medium, 2½ by 2, round conical, regular. Colour, yellow covered with dull red and russet. Flesh, firm, pale, yellow, sweet, rather good flavour. Eye, open in a shallow regular basin. Stem, rather long, in an even russet cavity. Growth, slender, a little upright, compact; fertile. Leaf, very narrow, sharp pointed, held out flat, light green, boldly crenate, nearly smooth below. Origin, probably raised at Esher, Surrey, about 1773, from a seed of the Old Nonpareil. A good old sort worthy of retention.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Small, very handsome in colour and shape, flesh tender and delicious; too slender for Standards, but prolific on Paradise as garden trees.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)medium size, handsome and well flavoured, the tree forms a medium-sized pyramid and is an abundant bearer, a valuable variety for the orchard. A.M. ... Jan. to Mar.