Cabashea
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Cabashea
Origin / History
Cabashea appears to be a Western New York seedling (Beach, citing N.Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1849). The variety is now seldom or never planted.
The name Cabashea has been applied by many pomologists to the variety commonly known among fruit growers and fruit dealers as Twenty Ounce Pippin — an apple which comes in season about with Tompkins King. The variety which is generally known in Western New York as Cabashea comes in season about with the true Twenty Ounce but is not so good a keeper. Downing also lists the names 20-Ounce Pippin and King as synonyms.
In 1851, Emmons published a cut of a section of Cabashea showing well its characteristically oblate form, remarking: "This apple is more remarkable for its size than for its valuable qualities. . . . It is not, however, an inferior apple. For cooking it is certainly esteemed, as it has a pleasant and agreeable taste. It is, however, too large."
Tree
Tree hardy, healthy, medium to long-lived (Beach). Size is described as medium by Beach, though Downing characterizes it as a vigorous grower and the Central Experimental Farm catalog (Agassiz, BC, planted spring 1890) records it as a strong and spreading grower.
Form erect or somewhat spreading (Beach).
The tree is considered a poor commercial variety because it is not sufficiently productive and the fruit does not sell very well (Beach). Downing calls it a poor bearer and unprofitable. The catalog likewise records it as a poor bearer. Beach notes it is a pretty regular cropper, yielding moderate to rather light crops nearly annually.
Twigs: Medium to long, curved, spreading, stout to rather slender; internodes medium (Beach). Young shoots very dark reddish brown, downy (Downing).
Bark: Reddish-brown tinged with olive-green, streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent near tips (Beach).
Lenticels: Conspicuous, scattering, large, oval, raised (Beach).
Buds: Large, broad, obtuse, free, pubescent; tips stout (Beach).
Fruit
Size and Form
Fruit large to very large, fairly uniform in size and shape (Beach). Form roundish oblate to decidedly flat, obscurely ribbed; sides somewhat unequal (Beach). Downing and the Central Experimental Farm catalog both describe the form as roundish oblate, conical.
Stem
Usually short, moderately slender (Beach).
Cavity
Acute, deep, very broad, often somewhat furrowed, much russeted with greenish russet often extending beyond the cavity (Beach).
Calyx
Large or sometimes medium, usually closed; lobes long, medium in width, acute (Beach).
Basin
Large, deep, wide, somewhat furrowed, unsymmetrical (Beach).
Skin
Moderately tender, smooth, slightly unctuous (Beach). Color: yellowish-green mottled and blushed with yellowish-red, with broad stripes and splashes of brighter and deeper red; prevailing color in many specimens yellowish-green with broad stripes of faint red; in more highly-colored specimens the red striping becomes quite distinct (Beach). Downing describes the color as yellow striped and splashed with dull red. The Central Experimental Farm catalog records the skin as greenish yellow, shaded with dull red.
Dots small, inconspicuous, often submerged (Beach).
Flesh / Flavor
Flesh color is described as greenish or tinged somewhat with yellow by Beach; Downing records it as whitish; the catalog records it as white.
Flesh rather firm, coarse, crisp, juicy (Beach). The catalog also records it as coarse and crisp.
Flavor subacid or quite acid (Beach); Downing records it as subacid; the catalog records it as mildly acid.
Quality: fair for dessert, good for cooking (Beach). Downing rates it poor overall; the catalog rates it medium.
Core / Seeds
Core large, decidedly abaxile; cells wide open; core lines meeting. Carpels elongated ovate, distinctly concave, slightly tufted. Seeds few, medium size, irregular, plump, obtuse, dark (Beach).
Internal Anatomy (calyx tube)
Calyx tube large, wide, conical. Stamens basal (Beach).
Season
Sources conflict on season. Beach gives September and October. Downing gives December to February. The Central Experimental Farm catalog records the season as Winter. These discrepancies may reflect different strains, different regions, or the naming confusion between Cabashea and Twenty Ounce Pippin noted by Beach; Beach explicitly states that the Western New York Cabashea is not so good a keeper as the true Twenty Ounce.
Uses
Good for cooking; fair for dessert (Beach). Emmons esteemed it for cooking, noting "a pleasant and agreeable taste."
Other
Not considered a good commercial variety because it is not sufficiently productive and the fruit does not sell very well (Beach). Downing concurs, calling it unprofitable.
The Central Experimental Farm entry at Agassiz, BC was planted spring 1890 (catalog).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cabashea.
20-Ounce Pippin. King.
Origin unknown. Tree a vigorous grower, poor bearer, and unprofitable. Young shoots very dark reddish brown, downy.
Fruit very large, roundish oblate, conical, yellow striped and splashed with dull red. Flesh whitish, coarse, subacid. Poor. December to February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)CABASHEA.
REFERENCES. 1. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1849:350. 2. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:103. 1851. 3. Warder, 1867:714. 4. Thomas, 1875:495. 5. Beach, Apples of New York, 1:91. 1905.
SYNONYMS. CABASHEA (1, 3, 4, 5). Cabashea (2). CABASHIE (2).
The name Cabashea has been applied by many pomologists to the variety commonly known among fruit growers and fruit dealers as Twenty Ounce Pippin (5), an apple which comes in season about with Tompkins King. The variety which is generally known in Western New York as Cabashea comes in season about with the true Twenty Ounce but it is not so good a keeper. In 1851 Emmons published a cut of a section of this Cabashea showing well its characteristically oblate form. Emmons remarked, "This apple is more remarkable for its size than for its valuable qualities. . . . It is not, however, an inferior apple. For cooking it is certainly esteemed, as it has a pleasant and agreeable taste. It is, however, too large." The tree is hardy, healthy, medium to longlived, and a pretty regular cropper, yielding moderate to rather light crops nearly annually. It is not considered a good commercial variety because it is not sufficiently productive and the fruit does not sell very well.
Historical. This variety appears to be a Western New York seedling (1). It is now seldom or never planted.
TREE.
Tree medium size, moderately vigorous. Form erect or somewhat spreading. Twigs medium to long, curved, spreading, stout to rather slender; internodes medium. Bark reddish-brown tinged with olive-green, streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent near tips. Lenticels conspicuous, scattering, large, oval, raised. Buds large, broad, obtuse, free, pubescent; tips stout.
FRUIT.
Fruit large to very large, fairly uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate to decidely flat, obscurely ribbed; sides somewhat unequal. Stem usually short, moderately slender. Cavity acute, deep, very broad, often somewhat furrowed, much russeted with greenish russet often extending beyond the cavity. Calyx large or sometimes medium, usually closed; lobes long, medium in width, acute. Basin large, deep, wide, somewhat furrowed, unsymmetrical.
Skin moderately tender, smooth, slightly unctuous, yellowish-green mottled and blushed with yellowish-red, with broad stripes and splashes of brighter and deeper red. Dots small, inconspicuous, often submerged. Prevailing color in many specimens yellowish-green with broad stripes of faint red; in more highly-colored specimens the red striping becomes quite distinct. Calyx tube large, wide, conical. Stamens basal.
Core large, decidely abaxile; cells wide open; core lines meeting. Carpels elongated ovate, distinctly concave, slightly tufted. Seeds few, medium size, irregular, plump, obtuse, dark.
Flesh greenish or tinged somewhat with yellow, rather firm, coarse, crisp, juicy, subacid or quite acid, fair for dessert, good for cooking.
Season September and October.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong and spreading grower, but a poor bearer. Fruit very large, roundish oblate, conical. Skin greenish yellow, shaded with dull red. Flesh white, coarse, crisp, mildly acid, quality medium. Season Winter.