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Crowns

Apple

Crowns

Origin and History

Formerly planted to a limited extent in portions of Western New York, but now becoming obsolete. Known in some localities as Royal Crown.

This variety is distinct from the Crown variety described by Hovey as a large red apple (Magazine of Horticulture, 10:210, 1844).

Tree

Large and very vigorous. Form roundish spreading. Good grower in the nursery. Reliably productive, bearing regularly and abundantly.

Fruit

Size and Form: Large. Conical to roundish, sometimes obscurely ribbed, often somewhat irregular but symmetrical; pretty uniform in size and shape.

Stem: Short to medium, slender.

Cavity: Acuminate, rather deep, broad, smooth, green with whitish dots or sometimes russeted; gently furrowed, sometimes lipped.

Calyx: Open or sometimes closed, medium; lobes leafy, long, acute.

Basin: Medium to shallow, rather narrow, moderately abrupt, a little furrowed.

Skin: Moderately thin, tough, smooth. Bright green changing to pale yellow. Faint blush, which in highly colored specimens becomes clear, bright pinkish-red. Dots numerous, conspicuous, russet, often with red areolar on the exposed cheek. Prevailing effect green or yellow.

Calyx Tube: Rather long, moderately wide, truncate conical or somewhat funnel-shaped. Stamens basal to median.

Core: Axile, medium to rather large, closed or partly open; core lines meeting; cells pretty symmetrical. Carpels thin, roundish to somewhat ovate, emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds large, long, acute, somewhat tufted, light brown.

Flesh and Flavor: Whitish, lightly tinged with yellow. Rather coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy. Too sprightly subacid for eating. Too acid for dessert, but excellent for cooking and evaporating. Makes very white stock when evaporated.

Season

November to January or February.

Uses

Cooking, evaporating.

Storage and Market

Not a good keeper. Apt to scald in storage. Not in favor with apple buyers.

Classification

Related in type to the Fall Holland Pippin and Fall Pippin classes.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

View original book sources (1)

CROWNS.

Fruit of the class of the fall Holland Pippin and Fall Pippin. Uniformly large, green or yellowish, often a little blushed with bright red, too acid for dessert but excellent for cooking and evaporating. It makes very white stock when evaporated. It is not a good keeper, is apt to scald in storage, and is not in favor with apple buyers. The tree is very vigorous and reliably productive, bearing regularly and abundantly.

This variety appears to be distinct from the Crown which Hovey describes as a large red apple.¹

Historical. It was formerly planted to a limited extent in portions of Western New York but it is now becoming obsolete. In some localities it is known under the name Royal Crown.

TREE. Tree large, vigorous. Form roundish spreading. It is a good grower in the nursery.

FRUIT. Fruit large. Form conical to roundish, sometimes obscurely ribbed, often somewhat irregular, symmetrical; pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem short to medium, slender. Cavity acuminate, rather deep, broad, smooth, green with whitish dots or sometimes russeted, gently furrowed, sometimes lipped. Calyx open or sometimes closed, medium; lobes leafy, long, acute. Basin medium to shallow, rather narrow, moderately abrupt, a little furrowed. Skin moderately thin, tough, smooth, bright green changing to pale yellow, with faint blush which in highly colored specimens becomes clear, bright pinkish-red. Dots numerous, conspicuous, russet, often red areolar on the exposed cheek. Prevailing effect green or yellow. Calyx tube rather long, moderately wide, truncate conical or somewhat funnel-shape. Stamens basal to median. Core axile, medium to rather large, closed or partly open; core lines meeting; cells pretty symmetrical. Carpels thin, roundish to somewhat ovate, emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds large, long, acute, somewhat tufted, light brown. Flesh whitish, lightly tinged with yellow, rather coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, too sprightly subacid for eating, good. Season November to January or February. Use, cooking, evaporating.

¹ Mag. Hort., 10:210. 1844.

S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)
Royal Crown