What is "english russet"

Russet \Rus"set\, n.

1. A russet color; a pigment of a russet color.

2. Cloth or clothing of a russet color.

3. A country dress; -- so called because often of a russet color.
   --Dryden.

4. An apple, or a pear, of a russet color; as, the English russet, and the Roxbury russet.

'English Russet' is an old cultivar of domesticated apple which keeps exceptionally well in storage. It is a russet apple that makes good cider, is used fresh, but is not very useful as a cooking apple. It has frequently been confounded with ' Golden Russet', which is sometimes known as 'English Golden Russet'.