Dumelow's Seedling is a

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

of domesticated

apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

that originated at

Shackerstone Shackerstone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal and the River Sence. According to the 2001 census the parish, which also includes the ...

in Leicestershire where it was grown by Richard Dumeller in 1800. It is known by many other names including 'Dumelow's Crab', 'Wellington', 'Doncklaer', 'Beauty', and 'Belle de Vennes'. The fruit is not ready for harvest until October, being one of the last of the season, and keeps well into the next year. Though inferior for use as a dessert apple it cooks well and in early-20th century England was one of the most valuable varieties of

cooking apple A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a '' dessert apple'', which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a fi ...

History

The variety was first raised by Richard Dumeller (or Dumelow) of Hop John's Hill near

in Leicestershire. The original tree had been growing there since at least 1800. It was first exhibited under the name Dumelow's Crab in 1818 and had become known as the Wellington by 1820 when it was exhibited at the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

. The alternative name is believed to have arisen from its cultivation at

Wellington, Shropshire Wellington is a market town and a civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. It is situated northwest of Telford and east of Shrewsbury, near the western terminus of the M54 motorway. The summit of The Wrekin lie ...

though it was later incorrectly attributed to the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

under which name it has also been known. The apple is derived from the Northern Greening crossed with an unknown variety. Dumelow's Seedling is parent to the Hounslow Wonder, Cottenham Seedling, Baron Ward, Newton Wonder, Belvoir Seedling, Monarch and Lane's Prince Albert. Dumelow's Seedling is known by more than 50 alternative names that include 'Dumelow's Crab', 'Wellington', 'Doncklaer', 'Beauty', and 'Belle de Vennes'.

Description

The fruit is described as a medium "flat-round" and is typically around in height and in width. The apples are whiteish-yellow with red mottling and the skin is tough. The fruit is very firm with a crisp, juicy flesh that is slightly yellow. As a

it is suited to culinary dishes but for eating fresh is inferior to red apples such as Baldwin or Sutton. It was regarded in early 20th-century England as one of the most valuable varieties of cooking apple. Dumelow's Seedling apples typically contain around 12% sugar, 12g per litre of acid and 4mg per 100g of vitamin C. Dumelow's Seedling flowers in mid-May and is ready for harvest in early October. The tree is most productive in alternate years. It is one of the last apples of the season and keeps well; retaining its flavour in storage until April and sometimes until the first rhubarb and gooseberry harvest is ready (May in the United Kingdom). The young wood of the tree is speckled and is resistant to

canker A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

. The tree is a strong grower, with an upright, round spread of somewhat drooping branches. The bark is a light-brownish red with olive green and the leaves are relatively large and broad.

References

External links

* {{Apples, state=collapsed British apples Cooking apples Apple cultivars Shackerstone