Yellow Newtown
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Yellow Newtown
Origin/History
The origin of the Yellow Newtown is very uncertain (Warder). The distinction between this variety and the Green Newtown was well known to Coxe (Warder). In pomological literature it is often called Newtown Pippin, Yellow Newtown Pippin, and Albemarle Pippin (Lowther). Beach states: "It is now believed that Albemarle Pippin is Yellow Newtown, and Brooke Pippin is identical with Green Newtown" (as quoted in Lowther). It is impossible with available information to tell which — Yellow or Green Newtown — was the original (Lowther).
The variety obtained world-wide notoriety as the "American Apple" (Warder). It is one of the best, if not the best, commercial yellow apples (Lowther). Its greatest commercial success has been in the Piedmont section of Virginia, the high lands of California, the Rogue River and Hood River districts of Oregon, and the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys of Washington; there are doubtless other sections where it can be as successfully grown, but in these it has been tested and proven commercially very successful (Lowther). Both Yellow and Green Newtown differ greatly in size, color, and quality in different locations (Lowther). From some cause, however, the orchards of both varieties are much less satisfactory in their results than formerly in many parts of the country; still the variety is often seen in great perfection (Warder).
Tree
A slow grower in the nursery (Warder; Lowther). The form is spreading or roundish, rather dense (Lowther). Bark is rough when old (Warder); described separately as clear, dark, brownish red, lightly streaked with scarf skin (Lowther). Not an early bearer, but eventually large, spreading, and productive; in suitable soils, profitable (Warder).
Compared to Green Newtown, the tree is more vigorous and more erect (Beach). The branches grow more freely, the laterals show less tendency to droop, and the twigs average somewhat longer than is the case with the Green Newtown; otherwise, as Downing says, "the two varieties grow alike" (Beach). Twigs are medium in length and thickness, pubescent near the tips (Lowther).
Fruit
Size: Large (Warder). Lowther describes it as medium to very large, pretty uniform in size.
Form: Round, more or less modified by being cylindrical, truncated, lop-sided, ribbed, and irregular, sometimes even conic (Warder). Lowther describes the form as roundish oblate and more or less angular.
Stem: Medium or short, rarely long (Warder).
Cavity: Deep, acute, brown (Warder).
Calyx: Eye medium, rather open (Warder).
Basin: Large, folded, ribbed or plaited (Warder).
Skin: Smooth (Warder; Lowther); rather tough (Lowther). In color, yellowish-green, sometimes bronzy, becoming yellow when ripe; while green it is marked with gray stripes near the base (Warder). At harvest the skin is yellowish with a tendency to a pinkish blush on the sunny side (Lowther). At fruit harvest the Yellow Newtown is distinguishable from the Green Newtown because both the yellow and the pink tones are more highly developed (Beach). When fully mature, the more highly colored apples are bright yellow, often with a distinct pinkish blush especially about the base (Beach). Less highly colored fruit is greenish-yellow shaded more or less with duller brownish-pink, through which narrow streaks of the ground color often appear, combining with streaks of whitish scarf-skin to give a somewhat striped effect (Beach). In general appearance it is decidedly more attractive than the Green Newtown (Beach). Coloring is rather variable across different locations; in the Pacific Northwest, however, the coloring is more uniform (Lowther). Dots minute, scattered, with whitish bases (Warder).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, juicy; not crisp like the Green variety (Warder). The flesh is apt to be more distinctly tinged with yellow than that of Green Newtown, and is milder, less sprightly, and more highly aromatic (Beach). Flavor acid, aromatic, rich, very agreeable (Warder). Quality: best (Warder).
Core and Seeds: Core medium, oval, regular, closed, meeting or clasping the eye (Warder). Seeds pointed, brown, sometimes imperfect (Warder).
Season
Season March (Warder). Lowther gives the season as February to May.
Uses
Table, kitchen, market, and cider (Warder). One of the best, if not the best, commercial yellow apple (Lowther).
Subtypes/Variants
The Yellow and Green Newtown are so closely similar in all respects except color that it is difficult if not impossible to distinguish between them in any other way (Lowther). The Green Newtown is not as deep a yellow as the Yellow Newtown at the time of picking, but later it takes on a rather deep yellow (Lowther). The flesh of the Yellow Newtown is milder, less sprightly, more tinged with yellow, and more highly aromatic than that of the Green Newtown (Beach); additionally it is not crisp in the way the Green Newtown is (Warder). Both varieties differ greatly in size, color, and quality in different locations (Lowther).
Other
The description compiled by Warder is drawn from notes and outlines of a large number of specimens that were considered very fine. The technical fruit description of Green Newtown applies well to Yellow Newtown in all points excepting the color of the fruit and the color and flavor of the flesh (Beach).
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Generally known in Virginia as Albemarle.
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)YELLOW NEWTOWN.
The origin of this variety of the Newtown Pippin, which has obtained such a world-wide notoriety as the "American Apple," is very uncertain. The distinction between this and the Green Newtown, as described under Class III, I, 2, 1, was well known to Coxe.
Tree resembling that of the Green variety, slow grower in the nursery, having rough bark when old, not an early bearer, but large, spreading, and productive, and in suitable soils profitable. From some cause, however, the orchards of both these apples are much less satisfactory in their results than formerly in many parts of the country. Still it is often seen in great perfection, and I am compiling this description from outlines and notes of a large number that were very fine.
Fruit large, round, more or less modified by being cylindrical, truncated, lop-sided, ribbed, and irregular, sometimes even conic; Surface smooth, yellowish-green, sometimes bronzy, becoming yellow when ripe, like the White Pippin, it is marked with gray stripes near the base while green; Dots minute, scattered, whitish bases.
Basin large, folded, ribbed or plaited; Eye medium, rather open.
Cavity deep, acute, brown; Stem medium or short, rarely long.
Core medium, oval, regular, closed, meeting or clasping the eye; Seeds pointed, brown, sometimes imperfect; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, juicy, not crisp like the Green variety; Flavor acid, aromatic, rich, very agreeable; Quality best; Use, table, kitchen, market and cider; Season, March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)YELLOW NEWTOWN.
TREE.
Tree more vigorous and more erect than that of Green Newtown the branches growing more freely, the laterals showing less tendency to droop and the twigs averaging somewhat longer than is the case with the Green Newtown, otherwise we find that the two varieties, as Downing says (10) "grow alike."
FRUIT.
The technical description of the fruit of the Green Newtown applies well to the Yellow Newtown in all points excepting the color of the fruit and the color and flavor of the flesh. At fruit harvest the Yellow Newtown is distinguishable from the Green Newtown because both the yellow and the pink tones are more highly developed. When they are fully mature the more highly colored apples are bright yellow often with distinct pinkish blush, especially about the base. Less highly colored fruit is greenish-yellow shaded more or less with duller brownish-pink through which narrow streaks of the ground color often appear, combining with the streaks of whitish scarf-skin to give a somewhat striped effect. In general appearance it is decidedly more attractive than the Green Newtown, and its flesh is apt to be more distinctly tinged with yellow, milder, less sprightly and more highly aromatic.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Yellow Newtown
The Yellow Newtown is one of the best, if not the best, commercial yellow apples. In pomological literature it is often called Newtown Pippin, Yellow Newtown Pippin and Albemarle Pippin. There is also a Green Newtown, which resembles the Yellow Newtown so closely in all except color that it is difficult if not impossible to distinguish between them in any other way. As its name indicates, the Green Newtown is not so deep a yellow as the Yellow Newtown, especially at the time of picking, but later it takes on a rather deep yellow. It is impossible with the information we have to tell which was the original. Beach says: "It is now believed that Albemarle Pippin is Yellow Newtown, and Brooke Pippin is identical with Green Newtown." Both varieties differ greatly in size, color and quality in different locations. The Yellow Newtown has been most successful in the Piedmont section, Virginia, in the high lands of California, Rogue River, Oregon, Hood River, Oregon, and Yakima and Wenatchee valleys, Washington. There are doubtless other sections where it can be as successfully grown as in the places named, but in these sections it has been tested and proven commercially very successful.
Tree rather a slow grower. Form spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium in length and thickness, pubescent near the tips. Bark clear, dark, brownish red, lightly streaked with scarf skin. Fruit medium to very large, pretty uniform in size but rather variable in coloring. This rule, however, does not apply in the Pacific Northwest, where the coloring is more uniform. Form of fruit roundish oblate and more or less angular. Skin rather tough, smooth, yellowish at harvest with a tendency to a pink blush on the sunny side. Season from February to May.