TOWER OF GLAMIS Grown since the eighteenth century, and widely planted and popular in the Carse of Gowrie and Clydesdale in the 19th century. Large fruit, crispy and juicy with a distinct scent and a rich flavour, that is mild rather than sharp. It might behave differently in Scotland but in middle England it is ripe in late October and is sweet and very juicy with a good flavour. It could certainly be eaten raw with pleasure, being refreshing with good acid.The texture is light but the flesh is quite crisp. Cooked slowly the flesh will keep its shape, but would mash. The flavour is now sweet with a delicate taste and mild acid. It is possibly better as eating apple. The apples will store until February. Heavy cropping and spreading trees. T*. Pollination Group 2
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

TRANSPARENT CODLIN Not the one noted in early literature, since this apple is an early season apple, and the older recorded one is middle to late season. This might be the Early Transparent Codlin, listed by nurserymen John Jefferies, of Siddington, near Cirencester Gloucestershire in the 1930s, without description. It was collected from near Minsterworth, Glos. in 1993 by the Gloucestershire Orchard Group. A culinary and dessert apple, medium sized, yellow skinned, ribbed and irregular. It is ripe from August onwards though some apples stay on the tree for weeks after. The apples do not keep. To eat raw, it is sweet and juicy, the flesh being a little soft, and when cooked it keeps its shape and sweetness. Pretty pale blossom. Pollination Group 4
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

  

TRIXIE’S BLUSHER Beryl Moffat of Headington, Oxford, has helped us with our fruit tree discoveries and investigations and she brought this apple to our attention. The tree is growing in the garden of her neighbour, Fiona Livingstone, who showed it to Beryl, believing it to be a bit out of the ordinary. Mr and Mrs Livingstone’s relatively modern house was built within an older orchard. The early/midseason moderately sized apple is pale cream with pretty flecks of pink and has crisp juicy flesh when ripe, with a sweet pleasing flavour. Ripe usually in August, the apples do not keep for long, as with many early apples, but are still good in September. The flesh has pink patches within. The main part of now suburban Oxford seems to have been largely orchards 150 years ago and several old trees inhabit back gardens now, yet to be surveyed.

    
 

TUN APPLE A very old Essex dessert apple, with little known history, first sent to the RHS in 1927. It has a quite distinct, tall, conical shape and green skin, heavily flushed red, with some russeting. The flesh is firm, sweet and juicy. It can be stored until December. Pollination Group 5

    
 
TUPSTONES First recorded when it was received by the National Fruit Trials in 1945, from Worcestershire. Perhaps an old variety, it has a longish oval shape, though sometimes round, and its name is, perhaps, not something to dwell on in polite society. Rams are still called ‘tups’ in many areas. It is a brightly coloured, medium sized, dessert apple ripe in late October, often November, and storing to January or longer. The green yellow skin is almost covered with orange russet and bright and dark red, breaking through, speckled with russet dots. The flesh is firm, fine, subacid and sweet. The apples sometimes dwell late on the tree, and develop the most intense of flavours. Pollination Group 4
    
 
TYDEMAN’S EARLY WORCESTER An early dessert apple, introduced in 1945, and raised by H.M. Tydeman at East Malling Research Station. A cross between Worcester Pearmain and Mackintosh Red. The fruit is slightly larger than that of Worcester Pearmain. It has full red, streaked skin and white, juicy flesh which can develop a strawberry flavour. It is ripe a little before Worcester Pearmain, at the beginning of September. Trees have a spreading habit, with good crops. Part tip-bearing. Pollination Group 4
   
  TYDEMAN’S LATE ORANGE A cross between Laxton’s Superb and Cox’s Orange Pippin, raised by H.M. Tydeman at East Malling Research Station and introduced in 1949. The fruit has a very rich flavour, slightly sharper than Cox. The trees have pretty blossom and readily form fruiting spurs. Good crops. Pick October and store until March, though the fruit softens on storage. Fruit is best thinned, as otherwise it tends to be small. Pollination Group 4    
 
UNDERWOOD PIPPIN A very old tree found in an ancient orchard, full of intriguing fruits, in Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire. A mid season dessert apple that seems to ripen over a period. In 2002 it ripened from the 12th September to the middle of November, though each apple does not keep long. The apples are crisp, juicy and sweet. The round apples are middle sized, green with amber, maroon and red streaks, with a translucent quality, sometimes russeted near the stalk or eye. The name has been given by us, the original name lost. Pollination Group 3
    
  UPRIGHT FRENCH Mentioned by Hogg in 1884, it is a cider bittersweet. A small mid to late season apple, flat, round to tall and conical, with a long stalk. Green, becoming yellow, sometimes with a few stripes. The flesh is juicy and bitter, but sweet and rich. It keeps into December. Pollination Group 6    
 
UPTON PYNE A dual purpose late apple from Devon, raised by Mr Pyne of Topsham, and introduced around 1910, according to Bunyard, in 1920. However, this provenance is questionable. Upton Pyne is a village north of Exeter so the apple might have been named from the village. Topsham is now part of Exeter. Good friends, John and Josephine Riley, in Canada, inform us that the Manor at Upton Pyne has been owned by the Pyne family from the early 12th century and for 10 generations, so perhaps there was a distant family member living in Topsham, who raised the apple. Dark buds are followed by very large, pretty pink blossom. Pale yellow fruit, boldly striped with deep pink and red, has juicy flesh and a pleasant flavour. It purées well when cooked. An impressive looking and often very large apple. Pollination 4
    
 
VANDEVERE An American apple, first recorded in 1802, but older and probably originating with the Vandiver family in Wilmington, Delaware. The name was corrupted before 1817. It was in England, in the collection of the London Horticultural Society in 1826 and remained popular over the 19th century, but was barely known in the 20th century. Old trees will surely still be growing in England. Ripe from late October, the flesh is dense, crisp, very juicy and with a good sweet, rich flavour, only a little acidic. It can also be cooked and remains firm. It retains its character and flavour to the year end and beyond. Pollination Group 3