On March 9, 1835, Ira Cole wrote to the Yankee Farmer about three varieties of apple. We provide his description of the “Black Russet”:
The Yankee Farmer
No. 6, Vol. 1
Cornish, Maine, March 16, 1835
Mr. Cole, - Agreeably to your request, I improve the first opportunity in describing a few varieties of apples, which I consider among the most valuable.
Black Russet. - This is a very fine fruit, of a large size, good flavor, and keeps a year; it is a good bearer, but to flourish well, requires a strong rich soil. It is unquestionably among the first apples of our country, but will not cook. I have been informed by an intelligent orchardist, that it originated in the orchard of one Esq. Plummer of N.H.
Yours Respectfully,
IRA COLE
Limerick, Maine, March 9, 1835.
Ira doesn’t give much of a description of the Black Russet. This is because he doesn’t need to. The name tells it all. In Ira’s day, both “black” apples and “russeted” apples were common. They still are…amongst heirloom varieties. The old orchardists growing apples knew intuitively what a Black Russet would look like. Here’s a quick primer on these two terms:
Black: An apple is said to be black when it displays a color so darn deep red/blue/purple, that it almost looks black. An artist or someone accustomed to looking at paint chips will tell you it’s not really black. But to someone who breeds plants for their colors, it is. Think of the “black” tulips that are available nowadays…they’re not really black, but boy…that’s about as black as any plant is really gonna get.
Russet: Simply put, this is rough skin. It has been described as similar to the skin of a potato. Perhaps you’ve seen a patch of russeting on a McIntosh you picked-up at the supermarket. And what did you do? You put that apple back on the pile, and picked another. That’s why we don’t see many apples in the supermarket with this naturally occurring condition. Commercially, russeting is considered today to be undesirable. (There are other reasons. Russeting can cause the skin to crack, which is a BIG problem to a grower.) But russeting is frequently found in the Heirloom Orchard.
I haven't been able to find any other reference to the "Black Russet" apple. It may not have spread far beyond the orchard of “one Esq. Plummer” of New Hampshire. But it’s also possible that some clever orchardist re-named it, and we know this apple today as an heirloom variety with a catchier name.
