Scarlet Pearmain
Apple
Scarlet Pearmain
Origin/History
An apple of English (foreign) origin. Said to have been introduced to notice about the year 1800 by Mr. Bell, land steward (Bunyard: "Agent") to the Duke of Northumberland, at Sion. It is figured in Ronalds' Pyrus Malus Brentfordiensis, plate viii, fig. 2 (Herefordshire Pomona; Bunyard cites "Ronalds, P. 8"). Of its quality the Transactions of the London Horticultural Society (vol. vii, p. 335) remarks: "Its good qualities are not exceeded by its great beauty."
Tree
The tree grows well but slenderly, and requires a rich loamy soil, or it is apt to canker. It attains about middle size and bears well (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard describes the growth as slender, rather spreading, making a close twiggy tree; fertility good. Elliott notes it is a good bearer, valued on poor, light soils. Downing describes it as a plentiful bearer. It succeeds well on the paradise stock, on which it forms a good dwarf or espalier tree (Herefordshire Pomona).
Leaf: Long, narrow, upfolded, coarsely serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Herefordshire Pomona gives two and a half inches wide and two and a quarter inches high; Bunyard gives 2¼ by 2¼ inches.
Form: Conical, pearmain or conical shaped (Downing); regularly and handsomely shaped (Herefordshire Pomona); ovate conic (Thomas); square-conical, regular (Bunyard).
Stem/Stalk: From three quarters to an inch long, deeply inserted (Herefordshire Pomona); nearly an inch long, deeply set (Downing); medium, in a narrow cavity (Bunyard); slender (Elliott).
Cavity: Round, even, and funnel-shaped, generally russety at the insertion of the stalk (Herefordshire Pomona); narrow (Bunyard).
Calyx/Eye: Open, with long reflexed segments (Herefordshire Pomona); open (Elliott; Bunyard).
Basin: Round, even, and rather deep, marked with lines of russet (Herefordshire Pomona); deepish (Bunyard).
Skin: Smooth, tender and shining, of a rich deep bright crimson, with stripes of darker crimson on the side next the sun, and extending almost over the whole surface of the fruit, except where it is much shaded, and there it is yellow, washed, and striped with crimson, but of a paler colour, intermixed with a tinge of yellow, on the shaded side; the whole surface sprinkled with numerous grey russety dots (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing: light crimson or yellow is the shade, rich crimson on the sunny side. Elliott: red on yellow. Thomas: crimson. Bunyard: crimson scarlet flush with faint stripes. Veitch: a rich bright colouring.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, with a tinge of red under the skin, tender, juicy, sugary, and vinous (Herefordshire Pomona). White, stained with a tinge of pink, crisp, juicy, subacid; very good (Downing). White, crisp, juicy, sub-acid; "good" (Elliott). White, good (Thomas). Tender, yellow, red tinged, of crab apple flavour (Bunyard). Firm and juicy, with an agreeable flavour (Veitch). It has a delicious flavour when eaten ripe from the tree in September or October (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard calls it a useful fruit of distinct flavour, but says it should be eaten soon after gathering.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September to October (Elliott); from the last of August to the tenth of October (Downing); October to January (Herefordshire Pomona); autumn (Thomas); September to November (Bunyard); October and November (Veitch).
Uses
A beautiful well-shaped dessert apple, of first-rate quality (Herefordshire Pomona); a showy dessert apple (Downing); dessert (Bunyard). Best eaten ripe from the tree in September or October, and should be eaten soon after gathering (Bunyard).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1901–1913) from England, Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- 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 (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Scarlet Pearmain.
Bell's Scarlet Pearmain, | Oxford Peach.
Foreign. A good bearer, valued on poor, light soils Fruit, medium, conical, red on yellow ; stem, slender ; calyx, open ; flesh, white, crisp, juicy, sub-acid ; "good." September to October.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- SCARLET PEARMAIN.
[Syn: Bell's Scarlet Pearmain; Bell's Scarlet; Hood's Seedling; Oxford Peach Apple?]
This apple is said to have been introduced by Mr. Bell, land steward to the Duke of Northumberland, at Sion, about the year 1800. It is figured in Ronalds' Pyrus Malus Brentfordiensis, plate viii, fig. 2.
Description.—Fruit, medium sized, two inches and a half wide, and two inches and a quarter high; conical, regularly and handsomely shaped. Skin, smooth, tender and shining, of a rich deep bright crimson, with stripes of darker crimson on the side next the sun, and extending almost over the whole surface of the fruit, except where it is much shaded, and there it is yellow, washed, and striped with crimson, but of a paler colour, intermixed with a tinge of yellow, on the shaded side, and the whole surface sprinkled with numerous grey russety dots. Eye, open, with long reflexed segments, set in a round, even, and rather deep basin, which is marked with lines of russet. Stalk, from three quarters to an inch long, deeply inserted in a round, even, and funnel-shaped cavity, which is generally russety at the insertion of the stalk. Flesh, yellowish, with a tinge of red under the skin, tender, juicy, sugary, and vinous.
A beautiful well-shaped dessert apple, of first-rate quality; in season from October to January. "Its good qualities are not exceeded by its great beauty" (Transactions of London Horticultural Society, vol. vii, p. 335). It has a delicious flavour when eaten ripe from the tree in September or October. The tree grows well but slenderly, and require a rich loamy soil, or it is apt to canker. It attains about a middle size, and bears well. It succeeds well on the paradise stock, on which it forms a good dwarf or espalier tree.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Scarlet Pearmain. Bell's Scarlet Pearmain. Sigler's Red ? Oxford Peach. A showy dessert Apple, of English origin. Fruit medium sized, pearmain or conical shaped. Skin light crimson or yellow is the shade, rich crimson on the sunny side. Stalk nearly an inch long, deeply set. Flesh white, stained with a tinge of pink, crisp, juicy, subacid. Very good. In eating from the last of August to the tenth of October. A plentiful bearer.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Scarlet Pearmain. Medium, ovate conic, crimson; flesh white, good. Autumn. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SCARLET PEARMAIN. Ronalds, P. 8. F., Pearmain Ecarlate; G., Scharlach rote Parmane. (Bell's Scarlet, Melville Pippin, Oxford Peach.) Dessert, September to November, medium, 2¼ by 2¼, square-conical, regular. Colour, crimson scarlet flush with faint stripes. Flesh, tender, yellow, red tinged, of crab apple flavour. Eye, open, in a deepish basin. Stem, medium, in a narrow cavity. Growth, slender, rather spreading making a close twiggy tree; fertility good. Leaf, long, narrow, upfolded, coarsely serrate. Origin, introduced to notice about 1800, by Mr. Bell, Agent to the Duke of Northumberland. A useful fruit of distinct flavour, but should be eaten soon after gathering.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)medium size, handsome, of a rich bright colouring, flesh firm and juicy, with an agreeable flavour. Oct. & Nov.