Winter Pearmain

NO. 47. WINTER PEARMAIN.

Is called in England, the Hertfordshire Pearmain, and is sometimes known by the name of the French Pearmain in this country---it is one of the most estimable apples of the season: as a table fruit, it is rich, breaking and sprightly, though not very full of juice---few apples surpass it for cooking, and it produces excellent cider---it ripens in October, and will keep through the winter. The fruit is of moderate size, of an oblong form, very free from blemishes; the skin is smooth, of a dull red, faintly streaked with green, which when exposed to the sun, turns to a yellow, with indistinct russet spots: the tree grows handsomely, with a large and regular form, and is supposed to be the most hardy and uniformly productive apple in our orchards, well adapted to light soils.

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

Winter Pearmain.

Old Pearmain. Parmain d'Hiver. Pommarin. Great Pearmain. Pepin Parmain d'Hiver. Pepin Parmain d'Angleterre. Peremenes.

This is one of the oldest Apples on record. The tree a free and healthy grower, and productive.

Fruit medium, conical greenish, with lively deep red in the sun, russety dots. Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, slightly aromatic. November to March.

There is grown in Illinois, and other Western States, an Apple under the various names of Winter Pearmain and Red Pearmain, entirely distinct from above. The tree is vigorous, spreading, with slender branches. Young shoots moderately slender, grayish reddish brown, with downy buds.

Fruit medium, oblate, a little inclining to conic, yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with light and dark red. Stalk short. Calyx closed. Flesh yellowish, rather firm, crisp, juicy, rich subacid. Good. Core small. November, February.

There is another Winter Pearmain, grown in Pennsylvania, the fruit of which is below medium, oblate or roundish oblate, yellow, shaded and obscurely splashed with brownish red, few light dots. Stalk short. Calyx open. Flesh yellow, compact, moderately juicy, mild subacid. Good. Core small. January to May.

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

WINTER PEARMAIN.

REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:51. 2. Thacher, 1822:131. 3. Forsyth, 1824:118. 4. Ib., 1824:130. 5. Floy-Lindley, 1833:62. 6. Cultivator, 3:36. 1846. 7. Thomas, 1849:175. fig. 8. Gregg, 1857:60. 9. Mas, Le Verger, 4:19. 1865. 10. Warder, 1867:736. 11. Downing, 1869:413. 12. Fitz, 1872:167. 13. Leroy, 1873:541. fig. 14. Hogg, 1884:169. 15. Ib., 1884:246. 16. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:253.

SYNONYMS. Autumn Pearmain, erroneously (7). Ducks Bill (15). Germaine (13). Great Pearmain (11). Green Winter Pearmain (12). HEREFORDSHIRE PEARMAIN (6). HERTFORDSHIRE PEARMAIN (1). Hertfordshire Pearmain (4). OLD ENGLISH PEARMAIN (3). Old English Pearmain (14). Old Pearmain (5, 7, 11, 14, of Lindley 13). Parmain d'Angleterre of Knoop. Parmain d'Hiver (5, 11). Parmain-Pepping (13). PEARMAIN (2). In Pearmain (11). Pearmain Herefordshire (12). PEARMAIN D'HIVER. Pepin Parmain d'Angleterre (5, 11). Pepin Parmain d'Hiver (11). Percmenes (11). Permaine (13). Permein (13). Platarchium (13). Scarlet Pearmain (15). Winter Pearmain (2, 6, of Ray 13).

Several different varieties have been known under the name Winter Pearmain both in Europe and in this country. The references given above do not all refer to the same variety and in some cases it is impossible to determine which Winter Pearmain the writer has in mind.

In 1822 Thacher (2) gave the following account of the Winter Pearmain of the old Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. "The winter pearmain is among the first cultivated apples by the fathers of the old Plymouth colony, and is, undoubtedly, of English descent. Many trees of this kind are now supposed to be more than one hundred years old, and grafted trees from them produce the genuine fruit in great perfection. The tree is tall and upright, forming a handsome regular top: it is hardy, and will flourish in a light soil. It is not an early bearer, but when attained to about twelve years, from having been grafted, it produces more abundantly and uniformly than any other kind within our knowledge. The fruit is scarcely excelled as a table apple or for cookery; and the cider, made from it, is said to be inferior to none. The apple is of a moderate size; fair and smooth; of a reddish colour; interspersed with green and yellow; the flesh a rich yellow; the flavour slightly aromatick, and agreeable. There are two or three varieties of this apple, but rather of an inferiour quality."

The following is the description given by Floy-Lindley (5) of the Winter Pearmain mentioned by Ray in 1688: "fruit medium, regular, tapering to the crown, grass-green with a little red on the sunny side; in season from November to March."

Downing (11) remarks that the tree of this variety is a free and healthy grower and productive. This is the Pearmain d'Hiver of Leroy (13), the English Winter Pearmain of Mas (9), the Winter Pearmain or Old Pearmain of Downing (11) and the Pearmain or Old Pearmain of Hogg (14). Hogg (14) states that this is the oldest English apple on record and that its cultivation in Norfolk can be traced back to the year 1200. He says that the Winter Pearmain of the London market is a different apple (15).

An apple is grown in the Middle West under the name of Winter Pearmain which is of medium size, oblate inclined to conic, yellowish, shaded and striped with light and dark red, subacid, good; in season from November to February (11).

There is a Winter Pearmain of Pennsylvania which is below medium, oblate to roundish oblate, yellow splashed and shaded with brownish-red, mild subacid, good; in season from January to May (11).

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Winter Pearmain. This is distinct from, and far inferior to the Herefordshire Pearmain. Fruit, medium, oblong ovate ; dull red on greenish yellow; stem, slender; cavity, narrow ; basin, small ; flesh, greenish yellow, not juicy, tender, sub-acid ; not quite "very good." December to March.

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

Winter Pearmain. See Autumn Pearmain. Some other sorts of the name.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)