Summer Pound Royal

Origin / History

An old variety, the origin of which has not been traced (Downing). Warder described it in 1867 under the name "Pound Royale," calling it "this fine summer apple." His fruit was received from H. N. Gillett of Lawrence County, Ohio, and he wrote that it "has long been considered one of the very best summer apples along the Ohio River." Warder held it to be different from the Pound Royal of Downing, "which is a winter-keeping fruit." Downing called it pretty widely disseminated in some parts of Michigan and Ohio, and in the South and West; Thomas records it as grown in Ohio and Michigan. In Lowther's station table (1914), two stations in the Northern Division and two in the Central Division report it, both with cross-division reporting; the Southern Division does not report it.

Tree

A pretty good grower (Warder) to strong and vigorous (Downing), upright spreading and hardy (Downing). Shoots dark (Warder), the young shoots very dark brown (Downing); foliage dark (Warder). An early and constant bearer (Warder), productive to very productive.

Fruit

Size: Large.

Form: Roundish conical, sometimes roundish oblate conical (Downing). Warder calls it conical and slightly angular.

Stem: Medium (Warder) to rather short (Downing), sometimes knobby (Warder).

Cavity: Large, deep, acute, wavy, brown, slightly russeted.

Calyx: Eye medium (Warder), closed. Warder calls the segments long and reflexed; Downing calls them medium and erect.

Basin: Medium and folded (Warder); abrupt, rather deep (Downing).

Skin: Smooth, glossy (Warder), greenish to greenish white. Lowther's table gives the color as yellow, with color codes "f" and "u" that its legend leaves undefined.

Dots: Small, green, indented (Warder). Downing has the fruit moderately sprinkled with green and light dots.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, fine-grained (Downing, Thomas), tender to very tender, juicy. Flavor mild to very mild subacid, "sprightly" (Downing), "delicious" (Warder). Quality runs from good to best, centered on very good: Thomas calls it "very good" and Warder "very good to best." Downing gives "good to very good," and Lowther's table only "good."

Core and seeds: Core small, closed or slightly open, meeting the eye (Warder). Seeds numerous, pointed, dark (Warder).

Season

August to September, the end of summer into early autumn. Warder gives August alone. Downing extends it into September, and Lowther's table gives early autumn.

Uses

Table and kitchen (Warder). A profitable orchard and market variety (Downing; Thomas also calls it profitable), with market as its primary use in Lowther's table.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Warder illustrates the fruit as Fig. 171.