York Imperial
| Malus pumila 'York Imperial' | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genus | Malus |
| Species | Malus pumila |
| Hybrid parentage | Unknown |
| Cultivar | 'York Imperial' |
| Origin | York, Pennsylvania, USA |
The 'York Imperial', or 'York', is a cultivar of apple (Malus pumila) from which a number of other valuable strains and cultivars have arisen, including four sport varieties: Commander York, Ramey York, Red Yorking, and Yorking.
In 1820, Quaker nurseryman Jonathan Jessop (also Jessup) developed this variety of apple on his "Springwood Farm" near York, Pennsylvania, United States, from grafts of a tree from John Kline's farm at Hellam, Pennsylvania. Some sources have reported that Jessop had noticed school children selectively choosing leaf-covered apples that were in a well preserved in the early spring, and later grafted another variety onto it. Though lop-sided, this new cultivar quickly became popular because of its taste and long keeping properties—which were especially important in the era before refrigeration. This cultivar was originally known as 'Jonathan’s Fine Winter' (sometimes reported as 'Johnson’s Fine Winter'), after Jonathan Jessop. Some sources credit John Kline of Hellam and some say it was William Johnson, nearer to York. Kline was reported to be the one who found the apples under the leaves and took them to Jessop, yet Jessop got the credit for the continued development of the apple. Scientific publications credit the long keeping trait to the density of the apple.
In the early 1850s, Andrew Jackson Downing called this apple the “Imperial of Keepers” due to its excellent storage ability. From this moniker, this apple became better known as the 'York Imperial'. Jessop carried the tree to the Friends’ yearly meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, and from there the tree first spread into Virginia. Jessop carried York Imperial trees to several other Friends’ meetings.
A distinct yet closely related variety, the 'Spencerville Red', was discovered in 1992 growing in a field in Spencerville, Maryland. The 'Spencerville Red' ripens about a week after the 'York Imperial' and is also lop-sided. The 'Spencerville Red' is thought to be a cross between the 'York Imperial' and a crab apple.
The 'York Imperial' is easily identified by its lop-sided shape. It is consistently one of the top-ten-selling apple varieties. The fruit is medium to large, and varies from an oblate-oblique shape to an oval-oblong shape, and the skins are deep red with greenish-yellow streaks and specks, as well as occasional patches of yellow or green. It can be streaked with grayish scarfskin. 'York Imperial' apples ripen in October and are harvested through December.
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Wikipedia