GOLDEN NOBLE.
Illustrations 106a, 106b, 106c.
Golden Noble (Beschrijving der vruchtsoorten [Description of fruit varieties], second series, N°. 112); Handbuch, I, page 377; oberdieck, page 118; l. müller, Obstkunde, N°. 52, page 52; Catalogue of the Fruits, N°. 230, page 17; hogg, the Fruit Manual, 3rd. ed., page 20).
Gelber Edelapfel.
Waltham abbey Seedling (Catalogue of the Fruits, N°. 853, page 44; rivers, (Catalogue).
Doctor Harvey; occasional synonym, according to the Handbuch (HOgg).
The Handbuch mentions England as the origin of this variety; we received the same apple from various sources; according to RIVERS the Waltham abbey Seedling is a synonym; the Apple of Rosande, distributed by the late Mr. wttewaal from Voorst, might be an other synomyn: we can not discover any differences, either in apple or in vegetation.
SHAPE: regular, seldom showing some flat rises.
SIZE: second grade, third grade on older trees.
EYE: closed and small, with small, pointed, green-grey sepals with a black tip, in a narrow, shallow basin, surrounded by little folds and some wool.
STALK: hardly 10 mms long, woody, green with brown, a bit woolly, in a narrow, shallow cavity covered with a green-grey russeting which spreads out of the cavity to some extent.
The COLOUR is greenish yellow, at the sun side often golden yellow, no red, with occasional small grey-brown or green lenticels in a white ringlet; russeting is very rare. The skin is thin, smooth and glossy.
The FLESH is white, with some green-yellow veins, rather fine, soft, juicy, rather sour, in our country not so pleasant and aromatic as the Handbuch claims. The core is rather large, open, with spacious cells and light brown, often imperfect pips.
TIME OF USE: October - December, the apple does not keep well; first grade for the kitchen, very good for apple sauce.
The TREE is a strong grower, makes a nice crown and is very fertile. The twigs are strong, brown with olive-green, with small, round lenticels; the buds stand off; the shoots are violet-brown, woolly; the leaf stalks are 15 - 25 mms long; the leaves are large, oval, sharply and deeply serrated, short tip.
This variety is well suited for the standard tree-form, but susceptible to cancer in peaty soil; it is a good market apple, because of its attractive shape and colour.