A variety of American origin with winter-ripening fruit. Developed in 1860 from seeds of Siberian plum-fruited apple. Its introduction into Russia was preceded by long-term study at the Oryol Fruit and Berry Experimental Station, Voronezh Pomological Nursery, and other sites.
The variety is included in the State Register of Selection Achievements, approved for use (regionally adapted) in the Northwestern, Central, Central Chernozem, North Caucasus, and Lower Volga regions.
Medium-sized trees. Young trees have a broad-pyramidal crown, which later becomes round, composed of upward-reaching branches with drooping tips. Main branches emerge from the trunk at a sharp angle, sometimes breaking under the weight of abundant fruit. Fruit-bearing type is mixed, with numerous "sessile" fruiting clusters.
Branches of medium thickness, brownish color, moderately hairy. In the nursery, the variety shows restrained growth. Buds are broad, hairy, convex. Flower buds are numerous, large, round. Leaves are medium or small in size, sparsely arranged on branches, strongly curved and folded, with twisted tips, shiny, dark green, with serrated edges, leathery ("suede-like"). Leaf margins are strongly wavy. Leaves are positioned almost perpendicularly to the branch axis. Petioles are long, thin, moderately hairy. Stipules are lanceolate, medium-sized. One-year-old shoots are thin, moderately hairy.
Flowers are medium-sized, buds are white-pink with a purple tint, petals are white-pink, tightly closed.
Fruit ripens in winter or autumn (in southern Russia), medium or smaller in size, strongly flattened (turnip-shaped) or flattened-round, smooth (polished). Main color during harvest maturity is yellow-green, during consumer maturity is golden. Cover color during harvest maturity is dark-red stripes on a muddy-red or base background. Skin spots are clearly visible. Skin is thin, dense, smooth. Fruit stalk is long, thin. Calyx is deep, conical. Receptacle is deep, narrow, smooth. Calyx is closed. Core is small, seed chambers are closed. Seeds are pointed, dark brown.
Flesh is white or greenish, sometimes with red veins, pleasantly tart-sweet flavor with a delicate aroma. Flavor qualities vary significantly depending on weather conditions and tree health. In unfavorable years, fruit flavor may be grassy. Chemical composition: total sugars — 10.1%, titratable acids — 0.61%, ascorbic acid — 10.2 mg/100g, P-active substances — 185.1 mg/100g, pectin substances — 10.5%.
Harvest maturity in the Oryol region occurs in the second half of September. Fruit attachment strength on the tree is low. Delaying harvest by only 5-10 days results in significant fruit drop. Consumer period lasts until mid- to late February. Under insufficient humidity in storage, fruit rapidly deteriorates.
Fruit is consumed fresh, and also used as raw material for juice and compote production.
A rapid-fruiting variety, enters fruiting on strong rootstocks at 4-5 years. High yield. At VNIISPK, the maximum yield per tree was recorded at 275 kg. The variety exhibits weakly expressed fruiting periodicity.
Moderately winter-hardy, highly resistant to scab.
Advantages: rapid fruiting, high yield, high resistance to scab, good fruit flavor, good transportability and storability.
Disadvantages: insufficient winter hardiness in Central regions, fruit size reduction under heavy yields, pre-harvest fruit drop, significant annual variation in fruit flavor.
Welsh proved valuable as an initial form in breeding new varieties. More than 30 new varieties were developed using Welsh, including: "Altai Rummy" (Gorno-Altaian x Welsh) by the Siberian Institute of Horticulture named after M. A. Lisavensky, "Aelita" (Welsh x Striped Red) and "Student" (Welsh x Michurin's Seedless) by Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, "New Red" (Striped Red x Welsh) by VNIIS named after I. V. Michurin, "Memory of a Soldier" (Welsh x Antonovka) by VNIISPK. Several varieties with Welsh participation were developed abroad. One of the first scab-immune (with Vf gene) varieties — "Prima" — was also developed with Welsh participation.
