Description
This is a very significant, historical variety, which we are delighted to be able to offer direct from its source, and named after the hamlet of Hunt House near Goathland, on the North York Moors. This and other local apples were taken on board Captain Cook's voyages out of nearby Whitby in the 1760s, when it became known that something in them staved off the dreaded scurvy. The apple itself is hardy, yellow-green with bold red markings on the ribs, and (thankfully) stores well!
"This is how an apple romance is born. In the mid-1700s, the Scottish Naval Surgeon, James Lind, demonstrated conclusively that a nutrient in citrus fruit, (which we now know as vitamin C) was an antiscorbutic; it prevented scurvy. In the latter half of that century, Captain James Cook, who almost certainly knew Lind's work, and took the good ship Endeavour out of Whitby, earned a great reputation for the safety of his crews in general and in particular with regard to their healthy lack of scurvy. We know that small orchards in the dales of the North Yorkshire Moors supplied long-keeping apples to the shipping that operated out of ports such as Whitby. The variety 'Hunthouse,' named after the nearby North Yorkshire village of that name, was one such apple, and the Whitby nurseryman, Alexander Willison, lists 'Hunt House', 'Summer Hunthouse' or 'Large Hunt House' and 'Danby Hunt House' in his 1834 catalogue. It was extensively grown in one form or another in that region. The vital documentary evidence that links the elements of the story is missing, but conclusions were drawn, and Hunthouse became the legendary apple taken by Captain Cook as he sailed from Whitby on the Endeavour. No doubt one day the paper proof will turn up, we know well the value of oral evidence in the histories of old apples.
Hunthouse is a modestly sized, but vigorous tree, well adapted to difficult conditions, and is very productive. Medium sized apples are conical, ribbed, prominently so at the apex, very bright green at first, then becoming greenish yellow, beautifully marked with broken rich red-crimson stripes and dots. At first the rather coarse, firm flesh is greenish white, and rather harshly acidic, but mellows considerably in storage and is used between December and March. The old adage that one bad apple spoils the barrel is, incidentally, a phrase of naval origin." © 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
