Tom Putt

Origin / History

An old English variety. According to the Herefordshire Pomona (1885), the origin of this "well-known apple" has been lost. Bunyard (1920) states that it was raised by the Rev. Tom Putt, Rector of Trent, Somerset, at the end of the eighteenth century.

It is called "Tom Putt" in Herefordshire and "Tom Potter" in Devonshire, and it is very generally cultivated in both counties. Ronalds described it from Devonshire under the name Tom Potter, and Downing reports it under that name as a Devonshire, England, apple. Beach cites its listing in the London Horticultural Society Catalogue of 1831 as "Tom Put" and its description by Hogg in 1884. Bunyard calls it "a great favourite in the Western counties." The Herefordshire Pomona says that in Herefordshire cottage gardens it is "perhaps an equal favourite with the Blenheim Orange."

In 1892 it was received for testing in New York from W. and T. Smith, Geneva, N. Y. Beach judged that "as compared with standard varieties of its season it does not appear to be worthy of the attention of New York fruit growers."

Tree

The tree is moderately vigorous (Beach) to vigorous and robust in growth. Downing, after Ronalds, calls it healthy. The leaf is broad, round, upfolded, sharply crenate or serrate, and very large (Bunyard).

Bearing is very prolific and annual in Herefordshire, where the Herefordshire Pomona says it "certainly bears more regularly" than the Blenheim Orange. In Devonshire, as Tom Potter, Ronalds speaks of it as "uncertain in bearing," and Downing's account repeats this. Beach says it comes into bearing rather early and yields full crops annually or nearly annually. Bunyard rates its fertility fair.

Fruit

Size: Medium, broad (Veitch), "of good size" (Beach). About three inches wide and two and a quarter inches high (Herefordshire Pomona); 3 by 2½ inches (Bunyard).

Form: Roundish to round, conical, ribbed on the sides and much ribbed around the eye. Toward the eye it terminates abruptly in a narrow puckered apex. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it roundish ovate; Downing calls it roundish oblate conical.

Stem: Short and stout (Bunyard), from a quarter to half an inch long (Herefordshire Pomona).

Cavity: Medium, uneven, funnel-shaped, slightly russety to russet.

Calyx: Eye closed; segments connivent. Tube funnel-shaped; stamens median inclining to marginal (Herefordshire Pomona).

Basin: Puckered and much ribbed. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it narrow; Bunyard calls it medium.

Skin: Smooth and shining. Lemon yellow on the shaded side. The skin is almost entirely covered with a red flush, broad broken stripes, and mottled blotches of deep bright crimson, which becomes paler toward the shaded side. Downing describes it as yellow, shaded and striped with red in the sun. It is a rather attractive red apple (Beach), with "usually a beautiful colour" (Herefordshire Pomona). Veitch calls it an "excellent fruit coloured variety."

Dots: Not described in source.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white to greenish white, juicy, and high-flavored. When ripe the fruit exudes "a pleasant and powerful fragrance" (Herefordshire Pomona). The Herefordshire Pomona calls the flesh very tender, "sweet and with a pleasant acidity." Bunyard calls it crisp and acid. Beach calls it moderately coarse and subacid.

Core and seeds: Cells of the core all quite open (Herefordshire Pomona).

Season

September to November (Herefordshire Pomona, Bunyard). Downing and Veitch give September and October.

Uses

A culinary apple. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "an excellent culinary apple," and Bunyard says it is "cooking excellently." Beach rates it only "fair to good for culinary uses."

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Bunyard writes of Hogg's account: "The fruit described by Hogg is not, I think, the true variety."