Waxen Apple

Apple

Waxen Apple

Origin / History

An American apple, its origin supposed to be Virginia (Downing). Coxe, writing in 1817, called it "much esteemed in Virginia." By 1865 Elliott described it as "formerly much grown and esteemed in Virginia." The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, British Columbia, planted it for test in the spring of 1890.

Tree

Thrifty (Downing). At Agassiz a vigorous grower and a regular bearer. Young wood dark (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Medium to above medium in the later accounts. Coxe alone calls it large.

Form: Oblate, roundish and slightly oblate (Downing). Coxe calls it flat, its transverse shape "rather eliptical, like the Pennock." The Agassiz report gives roundish, slightly conical.

Stem: Slender and short (Coxe).

Cavity: Deep; narrow (Elliott).

Calyx: Closed.

Basin: Shallow. Coxe calls the eye deep.

Skin: Yellow to pale yellow, oily. Coxe: "the skin has much the appearance of a large Newton Pippin."

Dots: Few, sprinkled over the surface.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh whitish to whitish yellow, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, mild subacid. Coxe describes it as "rich, sprightly, juicy, firm, and yet breaking." Every author who gives a verdict rates it good. Elliott writes "'good,' or 'very good.'"

Core and seeds: Core small (Elliott).

Season

November and December. Coxe has it ripening in December.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Elliott warns that the Waxen Apple "must not be confounded with 'Belmont,' which is sometimes grown under the erroneous name of Waxen."

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 21 catalogs (1892–1920) from Oregon, Washington

Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
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
Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
OSU Bulletin 81 — 1904
Henderson Luelling / Traveling Nursery (historical recall) , Oregon — 1904
Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1910
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920

View original book sources (4)

NO. 131. WAXEN APPLE.

Is a large, flat, yellow apple; its transverse shape rather eliptical, like the Pennock: the skin has much the appearance of a large Newton Pippin—the stem short; the eye deep; the flesh rich, sprightly, juicy, firm, and yet breaking—ripens in December; much esteemed in Virginia.

— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

Waxen.

American. Fruit, above medium, oblate, pale yellow, oily skin, sprinkled with a few dots; stem, slender ; cavity, narrow, deep; calyx, closed; basin, shallow; flesh, whitish yellow, crisp, tender juicy, mild sub-acid; core, small; "good," or "very good." November, December. Formerly much grown and esteemed in Virginia. This must not be confounded with "Belmont," which is sometimes grown under the erroneous name of Waxen.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Waxen.

Origin, supposed to be Virginia. Tree thrifty. Young wood dark.

Fruit medium, roundish, slightly oblate, pale yellow, oily, sprinkled with a few dots. Stalk slender, in a deep cavity. Calyx closed. Basin shallow. Flesh whitish yellow, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, mild subacid. Good. November, December.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous grower, and regular bearer. Fruit of medium size, roundish, slightly conical. Skin yellow, with a few dots. Flesh whitish, crisp, juicy, sprightly, quality good. Season November.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)