Townsend
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Townsend
Origin / History
Townsend is from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Downing (1900) records it as found "over one hundred years ago" in an Indian clearing by Stephen Townsend, when he first settled in that then wild country.
The earliest account is B. Desportes's in The Horticulturist (1856). Grafts had been sent "some years ago" under this name by a friend in Pennsylvania. They were taken from a tree that sprang up on the site of an Indian clearing in that state. The tree had borne abundantly in the writer's own garden, and so far as Desportes was aware the variety had not yet been described. Desportes called it "one of the most delicious late summer and early autumn apples."
Elliott (1865) gives it simply as from Pennsylvania. Warder (1867) was disappointed in trees obtained for this variety, which proved to be Rawle's Janet, and so quoted Downing's description rather than his own. Lowther (1914) records Townsend as reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, 4 in the Central Division, and 2 in the Southern Division.
Tree
Healthy and vigorous. Desportes calls it a moderately luxuriant grower. Upright spreading to moderately spreading. Young wood reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing). An abundant bearer, productive to very productive, and an early bearer (Elliott).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Budd and Hansen alone call it rather large.
Form: Roundish to oblate, slightly conic. Desportes gives it as roundish and usually flattened, smooth and regularly formed.
Stem: Rather long, slender; nearly an inch long (Desportes).
Cavity: Medium to deep. Desportes and Elliott call it deep, Downing medium.
Calyx: Closed; woolly (Desportes). Segments narrow, in divisions (Elliott).
Basin: Of moderate depth; abrupt, medium (Elliott). Budd and Hansen alone call it rather shallow and slightly ribbed.
Skin: Pale to very pale yellow, striped, streaked, and splashed with red, overspread with red in the sun (Elliott). Desportes gives the color as purple-red. Marblings of russet at the stem (Elliott).
Desportes calls the fruit smooth and covered with a dense white bloom, "(like the Astrachan.)" Elliott calls the skin rough, with a blue bloom. Downing gives a thin bloom.
Dots: Grayish white (Elliott).
Flesh and flavor: White, or yellowish white (Elliott); fine-grained. Very mild, agreeable, subacid.
Tender (Desportes, Downing); Desportes calls it "remarkably tender." Elliott alone calls it breaking, rather dry.
Downing rates it "good to very good," Elliott "very good," and Lowther good. Desportes writes: "To our own taste, it has no superior among tender, delicate dessert apples of its season."
Core and seeds: Core medium; seeds ovate (Elliott).
Season
A late summer and early autumn apple, from the middle of August to the middle of September.
Uses
A dessert apple (Desportes). Lowther gives market as its primary use.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Elliott (1865) wrote that it "may prove same as Hocking." Downing's description, as quoted by Warder, likewise says "Hocking of the West may prove to be the same." Warder adds that the apple he himself had fruited and described as the Hocking may prove to be the same. By 1903 Thomas entered Townsend only as a cross-reference to Hocking. Lowther lists Townsend under the number 27.
Book Sources
Described in 7 period pomological works
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- The Horticulturist (1855) — listed as The Townsend Apple
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (7)
— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)IV. The Townsend Apple. One of the most delicious late summer and early autumn apples. It has borne abundantly in our own garden, and has not, so far as we are aware, yet been described. Grafts were sent to us some years ago under this name, by a friend in Pennsylvania, as having been taken from a tree which sprung up on the site of an Indian clearing in that state. To our own taste, it has no superior among tender, delicate dessert apples of its season.
Fruit of medium size, roundish and usually flattened, smooth and regularly formed. Skin very pale yellow, splashed and streaked with purple-red, and covered with a dense white bloom, (like the Astrachan.) Stalk nearly an inch long, slender, inserted in a deep cavity; calyx wooly, set in a basin of moderate depth. Flesh white, fine-grained, remarkably tender, and of very mild and agreeable sub-acid flavor. Tree, a moderately luxuriant grower and abundant bearer. Season, middle of August to middle of September.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)TOWNSEND.
From Pennsylvania. Tree, moderately spreading growth, abundant early bearer. Fruit, medium, roundish, pale yellow, overspread and streaked with red in sun, marblings of russet at stem, grayish white dots, rough, blue bloom; stem, slender ; cavity, deep ; calyx, closed ; segments, narrow, in divisions ; basin, abrupt, medium : core, medium ; seeds, ovate ; flesh, yellowish white, breaking rather dry, sub-acid ; "very good." September. This may prove same as Hocking.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Townsend.
Having been disappointed in my trees obtained for this variety, which proved to be Rawle's Janet, I prefer to quote from Mr. Downing. What I have fruited and described as the Hocking may prove to be the same.
" Origin Pennsylvania. Tree healthy, vigorous, very productive.
" Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic. Skin pale yellow, striped and splashed with red, and covered with a thin bloom. Stalk rather long, slender, inserted into a medium cavity. Calyx closed, set in a basin of moderate depth. Flesh white, tender, very mild, agreeable, sub-acid flavor. Ripe middle of August to middle of September. Hocking of the West may prove to be the same."
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Townsend.
Hocking. Heager.
Originated in Bucks Co., Pa., found over one hundred years ago, in an Indian clearing by Stephen Townsend, when he first settled in that then wild country. Tree healthy, vigorous, upright spreading, productive. Young wood reddish brown, slightly downy.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, pale yellow, striped and splashed with red, and covered with a thin bloom. Stalk rather long, slender, inserted in a medium cavity. Calyx closed, set in a basin of moderate depth. Flesh white, tender, very mild, agreeable, subacid. Good to very good. Ripe middle of August to middle of September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Townsend. See Hocking.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Townsend. — Found by Stephen Townsend, over one hundred years ago, in an Indian clearing in Bucks Co., Pennsylvania; tree vigorous, upright, spreading, productive.
Fruit rather large, oblate, slightly conic; surface pale yellow, striped and splashed with red, with thin bloom; cavity medium; stem rather long, slender; basin rather shallow, slightly ribbed; calyx closed; flesh white, fine-grained, tender, very mild, agreeable subacid, good to very good. Middle of August to middle of September.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Townsend (27) is a medium-sized apple of roundish oblate form with red striped or splashed skin. Quality is good; primary use is market. Season is summer. Reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, 4 stations in the Central Division, and 2 stations in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division total indicates the variety is reported in more than one division.