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Unbelievably, over the past three years I have not once written about one of the finest apples in the World. In the article below I remedy this oversight.
The most famous apple in the world was raised by Richard Cox. Originally a brewer from Bermondsey, he retired and moved to Colnbrook in Berkshire to pursue his hobby of horticulture. He lived there with his wife, two maid servants, a boy servant and three gardeners on two acres of land.
In 1825 Richard Cox planted two seeds from a Ribston Pippin which he is thought to have pollinated with a Blenheim Orange. Some years later, when the trees had fruited, he realised they had potential. These were later to become known as the Cox's Orange Pippin and Cox's Pomona. In 1836 he supplied some grafts to R. Small & Son, a local nurseryman who sold the first trees in 1840. The varieties remained nationally unknown until Charles Turner of the Royal Nurseries, Slough, started to promote them in 1850. The original Cox's Orange Pippin tree is thought to have blown down in a gale in 1911, but two sixty year old trees were still standing in the garden in 1933, presumably direct grafts from the original.
Richard Cox died in 1845 aged 79 so he did not see the full fruits of his labour. Other nurserymen began to sell Cox's Orange Pippin trees and by 1883 it was already one of the most popular apples in the United Kingdom, being voted best dessert apple at the Horticultural congress that year. Now it is well known all over the world - and all the Cox's Orange Pippin trees ultimately derive from grafts from the original tree. Like so many varieties, it favours its own locality and it is said to 'grow of its best not much more than 100 miles from its birthplace in Colnbrook'.
Although our farm is located about 300 miles (and across the sea) from Colnbrook, we believe that the flavour of an Irish Cox is difficult to beat. We invite you to test this claim, as we will have our crop on sale shortly. While the apples are small this year, and the skin a bit rough, the flavour should be just as good as Richard Cox tasted around 1830.
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