Sutton Beauty

Origin and History

Originated in Sutton, Massachusetts. Warder (1867) describes it as "an old Massachusetts apple, occasionally found in the West, where it attains increased size and beauty," noting his specimens came from William Hampton, who grew many sorts of interest in Northwestern Ohio. Warder adds that it was "thought by Mr. Hamilton to be a seedling brought from Southern Ohio." Thomas (1903) notes it was "coming to be one of the most profitable market varieties in the East."

Tree

Upright, thrifty grower, and very productive. Thomas (1903) describes it as "a free grower and productive."

Fruit

Size: Medium or above to large. Elliott (1865) and Downing (1900) say medium; Warder (1867) and Thomas (1903) say large. Warder notes it attains increased size in western growing regions.

Form: Roundish to roundish oblate conic, very handsome, fair, and regular in form. Warder describes it as globular and regular; Elliott as roundish conical; Downing as roundish oblate conic; Thomas simply as roundish.

Skin: Waxen yellow ground, shaded, mottled, and striped with fine crimson. Warder describes the surface as smooth, yellow, mottled and splashed carmine. Downing specifies waxen yellow, shaded, mottled, and obscurely striped with fine crimson, thinly sprinkled with whitish dots. Elliott says yellow, shaded and striped with fine crimson, slightly sprinkled with whitish dots. Thomas says waxen yellow, striped and shaded with crimson, very handsome.

Dots: Warder describes scattered, brown, vein-reflexed dots. Downing and Elliott describe thinly or slightly sprinkled whitish dots.

Stem: Warder says the stem is long and inclined. Elliott says medium. Downing says rather short, inserted in a medium cavity slightly surrounded by greenish russet.

Cavity: Wide, acute, wavy, brown (Warder). Elliott notes a slight greenish russet in the cavity. Downing describes a medium cavity slightly surrounded by greenish russet.

Calyx: Downing says partially closed, set in a moderate, uneven basin. Elliott says closed. Warder describes the eye as large and open, with segments reflexed.

Basin: Warder describes it as wide, regular, and russety. Downing says moderate and uneven. Elliott says open and round.

Flesh and Flavor: Whitish, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid. Warder describes the flesh as whitish, tender, breaking, juicy, with flavor acid to sub-acid, agreeable, rating quality as good. Downing says whitish, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, rating it "very good." Elliott says whitish, crisp, tender, juicy, sub-acid, also "very good." Thomas says white, tender, sprightly, very good.

Core and Seeds: Elliott describes the core as small. Warder says core medium to large, closed, clasping; seeds numerous, pointed, angular, dark.

Season

December to March (Warder). November to February (Downing and Elliott). Thomas describes it as "a late keeper."

Uses

Table, kitchen, and market (Warder). Thomas emphasizes its value as one of the most profitable market varieties in the East.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Other

The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists the variety in a coded characteristic table only:

Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.

Sutton (Beauty). M | rob | rs | VG | b | W | ....... | ....... | .......