Fruit, below medium size, two inches and a quarter broad at the base, and two inches and a quarter high; ovate, flattened at the ends. Skin, smooth and shining, pale yellow, on the shaded side; but tinged with orange and brownish-red on the side next the sun, and strewed over with minute russety dots. Eye, open, set in a wide, shallow, and slightly plaited basin. Stalk, thick, a quarter of an inch long, completely imbedded in a moderately deep cavity, which is lined with russet. Flesh, yellowish, firm, very juicy, with a rich, vinous, and sugary flavor.
This is one of the most delicious summer apples, and ought to form one of every collection, however small. It is ripe in the end of August, and keeps about a fortnight.
The tree is a small grower, and attains about the third size. It is an early and abundant bearer, and succeeds well when grafted on the doucin or paradise stock. When grown on the pomme paradis of the French, it forms a beautiful little tree, which can be successfully cultivated in pots.
350. SUMMER PEARMAIN.—Park.
- Identification.—[Park. Par.] 587. [Aust. Or.] 54. [Raii. Hist.] ii. 1447. [Mill. Dict.] [Fors. Treat.] ed. 7, 126. [Lind. Guide], 34. [Rog. Fr. Cult.] 72.
- Synonymes.—Autumn Pearmain, [Hort. Soc. Cat.] ed. 3, n. 531. American Pearmain, acc. [Hort. Soc. Cat.] Gestreifte Sommerparmäne. Drue Summer Pearmain. [Diel Kernobst.] vi.129.
- Figures.—[Pom. Mag.], t. 116. [Ron. Pyr. Mal.] pl. xxii. f. 1.
Fruit, medium sized, two inches and three quarters wide at the base, and the same high; conical, or abrupt pearmain-shaped, round at the base, and tapering towards the apex. Skin, yellow, streaked all over with large patches, and broken streaks of red, mixed with silvery russet, strewed with numerous russety dots, and covered with large patches of rough russet on the base. Eye, closed, half open, with long acuminate segments, placed in a wide, shallow, and plaited basin. Stalk, half-an-inch long, obliquely inserted under a fleshy protuberance on one side of it, which is a permanent and distinguishing character of this apple. Flesh, deep yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, richly, and highly perfumed.
An excellent apple, long cultivated, and generally regarded as one of the popular varieties of this country, it is suitable either for culinary purposes, or the dessert, and is in use during September and October.
The tree is a good grower, and healthy; of an upright habit of growth, and forms a fine standard tree of the largest size. It succeeds well grafted on the paradise stock, when it forms handsome espaliers, and open dwarfs.
This is what in many nurseries is cultivated as the Royal Pearmain, but erroneously. It is one of the oldest English varieties, being mentioned by Parkinson, in 1629.