Fruit, large, three inches and a quarter wide, and two inches and three quarters high; round, narrowing a little towards the eye, and obscurely ribbed. Skin, dull yellow tinged with green, but changing to clear yellow as it ripens; marked with russet in the basin of the eye, and strewed over its surface with large russety dots. Eye, small and closed, with long acuminate segments, set in a narrow, deep, and even basin. Stalk, short, inserted in a moderately deep cavity. Flesh, yellowish, tender, crisp, juicy, sugary, and perfumed.
An excellent apple, either for culinary purposes, or the dessert. It is in use from October to January.
This was raised by Michael Bland, Esq., of Norwich. The seed was sown, on the day of the jubilee which celebrated the 50th year of the reign of George III., in 1809, and the tree first produced fruit in 1818. It is not a variety which is met with in general cultivation, but deserves to be more extensively known.
35. BLENHEIM PIPPIN.—Hort.
- Identification.—[Hort. Soc. Cat.] ed. 3, n. 70. [Lind. Guide], 38. [Down Fr. Amer.] 81.
- Synonymes.—Blenheim, Acc. [Hort. Soc. Cat.] Blenheim Orange, Ibid. Woodstock Pippin, Ibid. Northwick Pippin, Ibid. Kempster’s Pippin.
- Figure.—[Pom. Mag.] t. 28. [Ron. Pyr. Mal.] pl. xxxi. f. 2.
Fruit, large, the average size smaller than represented in the accompanying figure, being generally three inches wide, and two and a half high; globular, and somewhat flattened, broader at the base than the apex, regularly and handsomely shaped. Skin, yellow, with a tinge of dull red next the sun, and streaked with deeper red. Eye, large and open, with short stunted segments, placed in a round and rather deep basin. Stalk, short and stout, rather deeply inserted, and scarcely extending beyond the base. Flesh, yellow, crisp, juicy, sweet, and pleasantly acid.
A very valuable and highly esteemed apple, either for the dessert or culinary purposes, but, strictly speaking, more suitable for the latter. It is in use from November to February.
The common complaint against the Blenheim Pippin is, that the tree is a bad bearer. This is undoubtedly the case when it is young, being of a strong and vigorous habit of growth, and forming a large and very beautiful standard; but when it becomes a little aged, it bears regular and abundant crops. It may be made to produce much earlier, if grafted on the paradise stock, and grown either as an open dwarf, or an espalier.