Vintage Virginia Apples

GOLDEN RUSSET may be a seedling of English Russet. There are a number of strains and cultivars. It was known in the 18th century, and was described by Downing in Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, 1859. A medium-size apple, its russet skin varies from grey-green to a golden bronze with a bright coppery-orange cheek. Under favorable conditions, the skin is smooth and the shape uniform. The fine-grained, yellowish flesh is crisp with an exceptionally sugary juice. It is a tip bearer with a tendency toward biennial bearing, and for heavy crop production, cross-pollination is necessary. It exhibits resistance to scab and other fruit tree diseases. The dark, reddish-olive bark has prominent whitish lenticels, and the dull leaves are dark-green and sharply serrated. Properly stored, it will keep until April. It ripens the first week in October in Central Virginia, unless hot and dry weather accelerates ripening. Fruit will hang on the tree after leaf fall. Still considered to be one of the best cider apples of all time, but is also a tasty dessert apple.