Description
This variety was recorded in 1883 in Carse of Gowrie in Scotland, but probably much older. This very red heavily ribbed fruit is sweet, crisp and juicy, and is reputed to have got its name from a ploughman who was caught stealing apples on the Megginch estate and was shot by the gamekeeper. His wife got the bag of apples and threw them on the compost heap where a seedling then grew and was given its name.
"One of the most intensely coloured apples in cultivation, so striking as to catch the eye from way across the other side of the orchard, not only for the luminous depth of its colour but also for the smoothness of its beautiful skin.
Bloody Ploughman originated at the Carse of Gowrie, and was known long before it was first officially recorded in 1883. It will be found in the collection in the walled garden at Fyvie Castle, (Aberdeenshire. National Trust for Scotland). Old enough to have its own legend, being said to take its name from the ploughman who was allegedly shot by the gamekeeper of the Megginch Estate, when apprehended in the act of stealing apples. His widowed wife got the apples, but she flung them on the rubbish tip; one of the seedlings that germinated was rescued and named after the egregious event." © Lin Hawthorne - 'The Northern Pomona'.
For help with choosing the correct rootstock for your needs, please click here A Guide to Rootstocks
For help with choosing the correct size and shape, please click here A Guide to Fruit Tree Shapes
