PLATE LXXII. 
6. COCCAGEE. 
[Syn : Cocko Gee ; Cockageei] 
A very old variety, believed to be of Irish origin, but its-real history seems lost. It is said 
to have been “ brought into Somersetshire by Counsellor Pyne, a gentleman, who resided near 
Exeter, and who had the care of Mr. William Courtenay’s Estates in Ireland.” Treatise on Cyder 
Making , by Hugh Stafford, of Pynes (1753). 
Description. —Fruit: medium size, very variable in shape, but usually ovate. Skin : yellow 
in the shade, marked with green specks, with a deep blush of red next the sun. A reddish tint is 
often spread over the whole fruit and not unfrequently patches of thin russet. Eye : small and 
closed, set in a narrow plaited basin. Stalk : short, inserted in a narrow but rather deep cavity, 
frequently lined with russet. Flesh : yellowish white, firm and crisp. Juice : moderately plentiful, 
of an amber colour, and a harsh austere taste. 
A very old and highly esteemed variety for culinary purposes, and especially for baking, 
when it possesses a peculiarly rich flavour. “ This apple ” says Brookshaw, “ triumphs over all others 
in sauce, tarts and pies, as much as its juice does in cider. No cook would ever make use of any 
other apple if he could get this. It is so extremely rough and tart that it would be almost 
impossible to eat one raw.” It is in season from October, to February and March. 
The chemical analysis of the juice (1880) by Mr. G. H. With, F.R.A.S., gave the following 
results :— 
Density of the fresh filtered juice ... ... ... 1*052 
Ditto ditto after 24 hours’ exposure .. .. 1*058 
One hundred parts of the juice by weight yielded of— 
Sugar ... .... ... ... ... 9*080 
Tannin, Mucilage, Salts, &c. ... ... ... 7*820 
Water ... ... ... ... ... 83*100 
As a cider fruit, it has long possessed the highest repute. The Coccagee apple was the 
