The University of Leicester helped to discover the remains of a king.
The ` Spartan ' is an apple cultivar developed by Dr. R. C Palmer and introduced in 1936 from the Federal Agriculture Research Station in Summerland , British Columbia , now known as the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre - Summerland .. cultivar. cultivar. The ` Spartan ' is notable for being the first new breed of apple produced from a formal scientific breeding program .. The apple was supposed to be a cross between two North American cultivars , the ` McIntosh ' and the ` Newtown Pippin ' , but recently , genetic analysis showed the ` Newtown Pippin ' was not one of the parents and its identity remains a mystery .. Newtown Pippin. Newtown Pippin. The ` Spartan ' apple is considered a good all-purpose apple .. The apple is of medium size and has a bright-red blush , but can have background patches of greens and yellows .