Summer Golden Pippin
Apple
Origin/History
Probably English in origin, known before 1800 (Bunyard). Listed in Lindley's Pomona Britannica, p. 50 (Bunyard). Downing calls it "a nice little English dessert Apple, but inferior to many of our own." Elliott lists it as "Foreign"; Thomas lists it as "English." Bunyard notes it is "quite distinct from Yellow Ingestrie." Very frequently grown in Herefordshire, where it attains a larger size than it appears to do elsewhere (Herefordshire Pomona).
Tree
Small, about one-third of the ordinary size; succeeds well when grafted on the doucin or paradise stock; an early and abundant bearer; most prolific (Herefordshire Pomona). When grown on the "pomme paradis" of the French, it forms a beautiful little tree, which can be successfully cultivated in pots (Herefordshire Pomona). Growth moderate, upright spreading; fertility moderate (Bunyard). Leaf medium, oval, curved serrate, held flat (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Below medium; two inches and a quarter broad at the base, and two inches and a quarter high (Herefordshire Pomona). Small (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). 2 by 2 (Bunyard).
Form: Ovate, flattened at the ends (Herefordshire Pomona); ovate, flattened at the eye (Downing); roundish oblong (Elliott); ovate (Thomas); round, flattened each end, slightly conical (Bunyard).
Stem/Stalk: Thick, a quarter of an inch long, completely imbedded in a moderately deep cavity, which is lined with russet (Herefordshire Pomona). Stem medium, in a shallow sloping russet cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity: Moderately deep, lined with russet (Herefordshire Pomona); shallow, sloping, russeted (Bunyard).
Calyx/Eye: Open, set in a wide, shallow, and slightly plaited basin (Herefordshire Pomona). Eye open, in a very shallow, slightly ribbed basin (Bunyard).
Basin: Wide, shallow, slightly plaited (Herefordshire Pomona); very shallow, slightly ribbed (Bunyard).
Skin: Smooth and shining, pale yellow on the shaded side, but tinged with orange and brownish red on the side next the sun, and strewed over with minute russety dots (Herefordshire Pomona). Bright yellow, with a little orange next the sun (Downing). Yellow (Elliott, Thomas). Lemon-yellow with slight orange flush (Bunyard).
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, firm, very juicy, with a rich vinous and sugary flavour (Herefordshire Pomona). Yellow, firm, crisp, and rich; good to very good (Downing). Whitish, firm, sweet (Elliott). Rich (Thomas). Yellow, crisp, juicy, pleasantly flavoured (Bunyard). "One of the most delicious summer apples" (Herefordshire Pomona); "a delicious early fruit, worthy of extended cultivation" (Bunyard).
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripe the end of August and keeps about a fortnight (Herefordshire Pomona). August (Downing, Thomas). August, September (Elliott). Mid to end August (Bunyard). Dessert apple (Bunyard). Since the fruit quickly loses its freshness, storage life is short (Herefordshire Pomona).
Uses
Dessert apple (Bunyard). Ought to form one of every collection, however small (Herefordshire Pomona). When not sold or given away, it will make a delicious apple jelly, since the fruit so quickly loses its freshness (Herefordshire Pomona). Suitable for container cultivation when grown on paradise stock (Herefordshire Pomona).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
French name: Pepin d'Or d'Été; German name: Sommergold Pepping (Bunyard).
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1897–1901) from Arkansas, England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
View original book sources (5)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- SUMMER GOLDEN PIPPIN.
[Syn. : Summer Pippin; White Summer Pippin]
Description.—Fruit ; below medium size, two inches and a quarter broad at the base, and two inches and a quarter high ; ovate, flattened at the ends. Skin ; smooth and shining, pale yellow on the shaded side, but tinged with orange and brownish red on the side next the sun, and strewed over with minute russety dots. Eye ; open, set in a wide, shallow, and slightly plaited basin. Stalk ; thick, a quarter of an inch long, completely imbedded in a moderately deep cavity, which is lined with russet. Flesh ; yellowish, firm, very juicy, with a rich vinous and sugary flavour.
This is one of the most delicious summer apples, and ought to form one of every collection, however small. It is ripe the end of August, and keeps about a fortnight.
The tree is small, about one-third of the ordinary size ; it succeeds well when grafted on the doucin or paradise stock ; and is an early and abundant bearer. The Summer Golden Pippin is very frequently grown in Herefordshire, and attains a larger size than it appears to do elsewhere. It is most prolific, and since the fruit so quickly loses its freshness, it is well to remember that when not sold, or given away, it will make a delicious apple jelly.
When grown on the "pomme paradis" of the French, it forms a beautiful little tree, which can be successfully cultivated in pots.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Summer Golden Pippin.
A nice little English dessert Apple, but inferior to many of our own.
Fruit small, ovate, flattened at the eye, bright yellow, with a little orange next the sun. Flesh yellow, firm, crisp, and rich. Good to very good. August.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Summer Golden Pippin.
Foreign. Small, roundish oblong, yellow ; flesh, whitish, firm, sweet. August, September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Summer Golden Pippin. Small, ovate, yellow; rich. August. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SUMMER GOLDEN PIPPIN. Lind. Pom. Brit., 50. F., Pepin d'Or d'Été ; G., Sommergold Pepping. Dessert, mid to end August, small, 2 by 2, round, flattened each end, slightly conical. Colour, lemon-yellow with slight orange flush. Flesh, yellow, crisp juicy, pleasantly flavoured. Eye, open, in a very, shallow, slightly ribbed basin. Stem, medium in a shallow sloping russet cavity. Growth, moderate, upright spreading ; fertility, moderate. Leaf, medium, oval, curved serrate, held flat. Origin, probably English, known before 1800. A delicious early fruit, worthy of extended cultivation ; quite distinct from Yellow Ingestrie.
Summer Golden Pippin : see Yellow Ingestrie.