Styre
Encyclopedia
The Styre or Stire, also known as the Forest Styre, was an old English
variety of cider apple
which was formerly common in the Forest of Dean
. It is currently thought to be extinct, but may still survive in old orchards or gardens.
soils: in common with a handful of other old apple varieties, it could be simply propagated without grafting
, by striking root from branches pulled from the tree's crown. Although the variety's age is unknown, it was clearly very old, its name having a possible Anglo-Saxon root. The Styre had a reputation for producing a valuable, exceptionally flavoursome and unusually strong cider
. John Philips
, in his 1708 poem Cyder, refers to it as "Stirom, firmest fruit", and describes it as making a long-lasting, smooth, yet deceptively strong drink.
The pioneer American pomologist and politician William Coxe, Jr.
grew a number of specimens of the Styre in his orchard in Burlington
, New Jersey
, and commented in 1817 that the variety was even then "supposed to have passed the zenith of its perfection, and to be rapidly declining [in Herefordshire]", though his own trees attracted attention for their luxuriant growth. A number of other authors in this period commented that the Styre's productiveness and quality was in decline. It has been retrospectively suggested that this was because the Styre was a triploid apple, and in later years lacked suitable cross-pollinators, meaning that it fruited poorly. Older apple varieties may also suffer from a build-up of viruses in their tissues over time.
By the mid 19th century, the variety was already becoming uncommon, replaced by more modern cultivars. Writing in 1858, H. G. Nicholls commented "Cider obtained from the styre apple used to be a common beverage; but that fruit has long been extinct". By 1898 another writer stated it was "almost extinct", commenting that old writers reported it yielded a "rich, full-flavoured and strong cider", commanding a high price, on the right soils. In fact, the Forest Styre seems to have survived for many years afterwards in some areas, the last known tree of the variety, at Halmore in the Vale of Berkeley, having been cut down in 1968.
Pomologists are currently searching for any surviving specimens of the Forest Styre.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
variety of cider apple
Cider apple
Cider apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for their use in cider production. In the UK the Long Ashton Research Station categorised Cider apples in 1903 into four main types according to the nature of their flavour components. For Cider production it is important that the fruit contains...
which was formerly common in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
. It is currently thought to be extinct, but may still survive in old orchards or gardens.
History
The Styre originated in the Forest of Dean, where it grew well on the local thin limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
soils: in common with a handful of other old apple varieties, it could be simply propagated without grafting
Grafting
Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...
, by striking root from branches pulled from the tree's crown. Although the variety's age is unknown, it was clearly very old, its name having a possible Anglo-Saxon root. The Styre had a reputation for producing a valuable, exceptionally flavoursome and unusually strong cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
. John Philips
John Philips
John Philips was an 18th century English poet.- Early life and education :Philips was born at Bampton, Oxfordshire, the son of Rev. Stephen Philips, later archdeacon of Salop, and his wife Mary Wood. He was at first taught by his father and then went to Winchester College...
, in his 1708 poem Cyder, refers to it as "Stirom, firmest fruit", and describes it as making a long-lasting, smooth, yet deceptively strong drink.
The pioneer American pomologist and politician William Coxe, Jr.
William Coxe, Jr.
William Coxe, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from New Jersey.Born in Burlington, New Jersey, Coxe served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly 1796–1804 from 1806 to 1809, and again in 1816 and 1817....
grew a number of specimens of the Styre in his orchard in Burlington
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and commented in 1817 that the variety was even then "supposed to have passed the zenith of its perfection, and to be rapidly declining [in Herefordshire]", though his own trees attracted attention for their luxuriant growth. A number of other authors in this period commented that the Styre's productiveness and quality was in decline. It has been retrospectively suggested that this was because the Styre was a triploid apple, and in later years lacked suitable cross-pollinators, meaning that it fruited poorly. Older apple varieties may also suffer from a build-up of viruses in their tissues over time.
By the mid 19th century, the variety was already becoming uncommon, replaced by more modern cultivars. Writing in 1858, H. G. Nicholls commented "Cider obtained from the styre apple used to be a common beverage; but that fruit has long been extinct". By 1898 another writer stated it was "almost extinct", commenting that old writers reported it yielded a "rich, full-flavoured and strong cider", commanding a high price, on the right soils. In fact, the Forest Styre seems to have survived for many years afterwards in some areas, the last known tree of the variety, at Halmore in the Vale of Berkeley, having been cut down in 1968.
Pomologists are currently searching for any surviving specimens of the Forest Styre.