Bloody Ploughman

The Bloody Ploughman is a domesticated apple cultivar. The cultivar originated in Scotland.

Malus domestica[1] 'Bloody Ploughman'
Bloody Ploughman apples
Species	Malus domestica
Cultivar	'Bloody Ploughman'
Origin	, Carse of Gowrie, Scotland, 1883[2]

Characteristics

• The cavity is deep, narrow, is mostly lined with russet which can spread out over the shoulder.
• The stalk is sturdy.
• The basin varies, but is ribbed and irregular.
• The eye is open or partly open.
• The sepals are broad and reflexed.
• The flesh is pink when ripe, sweet, juicy and crisp.
• The tube is broad cone, the stamens are basal and the core is situated away from the axis.
• The tree is vigorous.
• The season is September to November.
• The flowering is just before Cox's Orange Pippin. Pollination Group D.
  1. On May 8, it is 10% flowering.
  2. On May 12, it is full (80%) flowering.
  3. On May 19, it has 90% petal fall.
• Picking time: mid-September.^[3]

Name

The story is that a gamekeeper shot dead a ploughman caught stealing apples from the Megginch Estate. When his body was returned to his wife, she found stolen apples in his pockets and threw them onto a rubbish heap. One of the resulting seedlings bore apples of a deep, blood red. This tree gave rise to the cultivar that was named after the unfortunate ploughman.^[2]