Apple experts help locate a juicy Profit

A man took six bright yellow apples with red streaks along to the agricultural college's Apple Day, saying that they were known in his village as Profit apples.

But he did not leave his name and number and it was only when one of the experts, Harry Baker, went home and did some research that it was discovered just how rare the apples were.

Hundreds of people turned out for the college's tenth annual apple day, and experts identified more than 300 apple specimens.

But the Profit variety was thought to have been lost - the last apple of the strain was recorded in 1946.

Mr Baker, a retired superintendent of fruit for the Royal Horticultural Society - who lives in Ashley Heath, said: "I was very surprised.

"The chap said the apple was known in his village as Profit and I thought it was strange that people should know an apple by such an unusual name.

"I took it home and did some research and sure enough, that was what it was.

"It is a very rare cultivar and not in the National Fruit Collection."

The National Register of Apples says that the Profit apple was in existence in 1863, but offers no information on where it was grown or why the variety was developed.

Now Mr Baker is appealing for the owner of the tree to come forward, so that more details can be recorded and a sample can be offered to the national fruit collection at Brogdale Horticultural Trust in Faversham, Kent.

The college's horticultural lecturer Chris Hunter said: "It was a lovely fruit - yellow with red stripes and it was quite large.

"It would have been used for cooking or eating."

Ted Hobday, chief guide at Brogdale, said: "Our expert thought it might be the Poor Man's Profit apple, but she could not tell until she had seen it.

"It will be interesting to see if this apple is a different variety."

n Are you the mystery apple finder? If so please contact Miranda Holman at our Dorchester office on (01305) 263465.