Walbridge
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
WALBRIDGE
Origin and History
The first documented description of this variety appeared in the Rural New Yorker in 1870 under the name Walbridge, disseminated from Wisconsin where it had long been in cultivation under that name. The American Pomological Society listed it as Walbridge in 1873. However, at the Society's 1875 meeting in Chicago, Walbridge was determined to be identical with Edgar Red Streak, a variety that originated with Joseph Curtis of Paris, Edgar County, Illinois, in 1818. The variety was accordingly entered into the Society's Catalogue as Edgar Red Streak with Walbridge as a synonym, a designation it retained until 1897, when the popular name Walbridge was finally accepted and became the official listing.
Tree Characteristics
Size and vigor: Medium-sized tree, moderately vigorous.
Form and structure: Upright form becoming roundish or spreading as it matures; open growth habit.
Twigs: Medium to long, usually curved, moderately stout, with large terminal buds. Internodes short to medium.
Bark: Moderately dark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; heavily pubescent.
Lenticels: Scattering, small to medium, round to oblong, not raised.
Buds: Prominent, medium to rather large, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so; pubescent.
Bearing characteristics: Makes good growth in the nursery. In the orchard, moderately vigorous with early entry into bearing. Yields full crops biennially.
Fruit
Size and Form
Usually medium or below, occasionally nearly large. Form roundish conic flattened at the base, varying to roundish or oblate conic, often one-sided.
Stem
Short to medium.
Cavity
Medium in size, acute to acuminate, deep to moderately deep, rather narrow to broad, symmetrical. Furrowed gently if at all. Sometimes partly covered with fine russet.
Calyx
Small, usually closed, pubescent.
Basin
Small, characteristically shallow or scarcely at all depressed, often oblique. Somewhat furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin
Moderately thin, tough, smooth. Ground color green becoming clear pale yellow or whitish, washed with red, conspicuously mottled and striped with bright carmine, and overspread with thin bloom. Dots numerous, often submerged; sometimes whitish and rather conspicuous; a few are russet. In well-colored specimens, the prevailing effect is distinctly striped red.
Interior Structure
Calyx tube: Long, narrow, cone-shaped to truncate funnel-form, with fleshy pistil point projecting into the base. Stamens median to marginal.
Core: Small to medium, abaxile with a wide hollow cylinder in the axis, or sometimes axile. Cells symmetrical, closed or sometimes partly open. Core lines clasping the funnel cylinder.
Carpels: Broadly roundish, emarginate, mucronate.
Seeds: Few, dark, below medium to rather large, moderately wide, obtuse to somewhat acute.
Flesh and Flavor
Whitish, a little tinged with yellow. Firm texture, moderately fine to a little coarse, crisp, moderately tender, and juicy. Flavor sprightly, rather mild subacid, slightly aromatic, with fair to good flavor and quality overall.
Season and Storage
Ripens November to February or March. In ordinary storage, maintains commercial condition until February; in cold storage, extends to April or May.
Cultivation and Use
Fruit hangs well to the tree with little loss from drops, though often a considerable amount of the crop is undersized, misshapen, or otherwise unmarketable. Red-striped and rather attractive when well colored. Good for culinary purposes, but not equal to standard varieties of its season for dessert use.
Has been planted extensively in Wisconsin, Iowa, and adjacent portions of the Mississippi Valley, where it has grown quite successfully in many localities. Appears to be less well adapted to New York conditions and is of comparatively little value for planting in that state.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 15 catalogs (1884–1912) from Alabama, California, Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Palouse Nursery and Pleasant Dale Fruit Farm , Colfax, Washington Territory (situated two miles northeast of Colfax) - undated (single-page broadside flyer; "Washington Territory" suggests pre — 1889
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)WALBRIDGE.
REFERENCES. 1. Rural N. Y., 1870:204, 205. fig. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1875:136, 68, 124; Cat.: 8. 4. Downing, 1876:150 app. fig. 5. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1877:213. 6. Burrill, Ib., 1878:226. 7. Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1882:343. 8. Gibb, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1883:124. 9. Thomas, 1885:527. 10. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:252. 11. Ib., 1892:238. 12. Craig, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1894:126. 13. Can. Hort., 17:69, 70. 1894. 14. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:592. 1894. 15. Maynard, Putnam and Fletcher, Mass. Sta. Bul., 44:4. 1897. 16. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:15. 17. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:311. 1901. 18. Craig, Can. Hort., 24:76. 1901. fig. 19. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1902:96. 20. Dickens and Greene, Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:56. 1902. 21. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:112. 1902. fig. 22. Budd-Hansen, 1903:196. fig. 23. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:59. 1903. 24. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:149. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Edgar County Red Streak (7, 8). EDGAR REDSTREAK (2, 11). Edgar Redstreak (9, 17, 21, 22). EDGAR RED STREAK (4). Edgar Red Streak (16). Kentucky Red Streak (7). Walbridge (4). WALLBRIDGE (13, 20).
The accompanying colored plate shows the whole fruit of Walbridge. The section is shown on the same plate as that which shows the whole fruit of Rambo. Fruit red-striped, rather attractive when well colored, good for culinary purposes, but not equal to standard varieties of its season for dessert use. Season, November to February or March. Commercial limit, in ordinary storage, February; in cold storage, April or May (23, 24). The fruit hangs well to the tree so that there is little loss from drops, but often a comparatively large amount of it is undersized, misshapen or otherwise unmarketable. This variety has been planted to a considerable extent in Wisconsin, Iowa and adjacent portions of the Mississippi valley and has been grown quite successfully in many localities in that region. It appears to be less well adapted to New York conditions and is of comparatively little value for planting in this state. The tree makes a good growth in the nursery. In the orchard it is moderately vigorous, comes into bearing rather young and yields full crops biennially.
Historical. The first description of this variety which we have been able to find is a very good one which appeared in the Rural New Yorker for 1870 under the name Walbridge (1). It was disseminated from Wisconsin under the name Walbridge and has long been in cultivation under this name (4, 6). The American Pomological Society listed it as Walbridge in 1873 (2), but at the following meeting of the Society in Chicago, in 1875, it was decided that it was identical with Edgar Red Streak which originated with Joseph Curtis, Paris, Edgar county, Ill., in 1818 (3), and accordingly it was entered on the Society's Catalogue as Edgar Red Streak with Walbridge as a synonym. It continued to be thus listed until 1897 when the popular name Walbridge was finally accepted by the Society (16).
TREE. Tree medium in size, moderately vigorous. Form upright becoming roundish or spreading, open. Twigs medium to long, usually curved, moderately stout, with large terminal buds; internodes short to medium. Bark moderately dark reddish-brown, mingled with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, round to oblong, not raised. Buds prominent, medium to rather large, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit sometimes nearly large but usually medium or below. Form roundish conic, flattened at the base, varying to roundish or to oblate conic, often onesided. Stem short to medium. Cavity medium, acute to acuminate, deep to moderately deep, rather narrow to broad, symmetrical, furrowed gently if at all, sometimes partly covered with fine russet. Calyx small, usually closed, pubescent. Basin small, characteristically shallow or scarcely at all depressed, often oblique, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Skin moderately thin, tough, smooth, green becoming clear pale yellow or whitish, washed with red, conspicuously mottled and striped with bright carmine and overspread with thin bloom. Dots numerous, often submerged, sometimes whitish and rather conspicuous; a few are russet. Prevailing effect in well-colored specimens, striped red. Calyx tube long, narrow, cone-shape to truncate funnel-form with fleshy pistil point projecting into base. Stamens median to marginal. Core small to medium, abaxile with a wide, hollow cylinder in the axis, or sometimes axile; cells symmetrical, closed or sometimes partly open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish, emarginate, mucronate. Seeds few, dark, below medium to rather large, moderately wide, obtuse to somewhat acute. Flesh whitish a little tinged with yellow, firm, moderately fine to a little coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, sprightly, rather mild subacid, slightly aromatic, fair to good in flavor and quality.