CHOICE VARIETIES OP APPLES. 
345 
CHOICE VARIETIES OF APPLES. 
The Baldwin Apple.— This justly esteemed fruit originated in Wilmington, near Boston, in that 
part which now makes a portion of the new town of Sommerville, in the county of Middlesex. 
The original tree grew on the farm of a°Mr, Butters, and was known for the time as the. Butters apple. 
This tree was frequented and pecked by the woodpecker, and Mr. Butters called it the “ Woodpecker 
apple,” which vras soon abbreviated to the " Pecker apple.” 
My trees, which I set out twenty-eight years since, are registered “ Peckers.” This fruit must have 
been known about a century. Orchards were propagated from Mr. Butters’ tree pretty freely, about 
seventy-five years since, by Dr. Jabez 
Brown, of Wilmington, and Col. Bald¬ 
win, of Woburn, and their sons, to 
whom the public are principally indebt¬ 
ed for bringing the fruit so generally 
into notice. From Col. B. and his 
family, who introduced it largely into 
public notice, it took the name of 
“ Baldwin,” by which the fruit is now 
everywhere known. 
I am informed that Major Samuel 
Jacques, of Sommerville, eminent as an 
agriculturist, breeder, and horticulturist, 
as well as a public benefactor of his age, 
now owns that part of the farm on which 
the original Baldwin tree grew, and has 
placed a monument on the site where it 
once flourished. 
It has been thought by some, that 
there were three varieties of the Baldwin, 
as some fruited annually, some every odd 
numerical year, and some on the even 
years, which (as this, 1846) is the gene¬ 
ral fruiting year. But on a careful in¬ 
vestigation, they are found to be identical 
The tree with us, for thriftiness, for 
fine form and vigorous strength—for its 
abundant bearing and the beauty and 
long keeping of its fruit, is placed at the 
head of all other New England winter 
apples. The fruit is always fair, above 
medium size, of a fine rich and yellow 
color. The flesh nearly tender; in color, 
yellowish, rich—juicy and fine flavored ; 
excellent for the table or cooking, and is 
in use from November till May. 
I have given the Baldwin a thorough 
trial in my own orchard. This year is 
the bearing year with me, and I have 
taken ninety barrels of Baldwins from 
trees planted twenty-eight years ago in 
grass-land, and kept in that state ever 
since. 
You may judge how superior to the 
Newtown pippin this apple is for New 
England orchard-culture, when I inform 
you that from four yellow Newtown pip¬ 
pin trees, in the same orchard, planted at 
the same time with the Baldwins, I ga¬ 
thered only one and a half barrels of 
apples; while from two Baldwins ad¬ 
joining, in the same row, I took seven 
barrels. 
The Baldwin is preferred in Boston, 
to any other variety for shipping. I have 
been credibly informed, that one person 
engaged in shipping fruit from this port, 
has this autumn purchased twelve hun¬ 
dred barrels of Baldwins for this pur¬ 
pose.— Horticulturist. B. V. French 
