Dickinson
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Dickinson
Origin/History
Dickinson is a seedling of Yellow Bellflower, raised by Sarah Dickinson at West Chester, Pennsylvania, around 1875 (Hedrick). The variety first appeared in horticultural literature in an 1884 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture report, which included a colored plate. The fruit resembles Yellow Bellflower in shape and size but is red rather than yellow. According to Hedrick, Dickinson has been rather widely disseminated throughout the United States. Beach notes that references 5 (Richman, 1896) and 7 (Powell and Fulton, 1903) apply the name Dickinson incorrectly — indicating some confusion in the literature around the variety's identity.
Tree
Tree not large (Beach) or small (Hedrick), not very vigorous (Beach), with a roundish, spreading, rather dense habit. The Central Experimental Farm catalog (1900) records specimens planted in spring 1895 as vigorous growers, which conflicts with Beach's assessment of the tree as not a good grower and not very vigorous. Branches short, stout, and crooked.
Twigs small to medium, crooked, moderately stout; internodes short to above medium. Bark clear, light olive-green tinged with reddish-brown, streaked with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, rather numerous, small or below medium, usually roundish, not raised. Buds medium in size or below, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent. Leaves medium in size (Beach) or broad (Hedrick), moderately broad (Beach). Tree very productive (Beach, Hedrick).
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium to large, somewhat variable in size; above medium (Central Experimental Farm). Form oblong-conic, sometimes compressed or broadly angular; sides sometimes unequal.
Stem: Medium to long.
Cavity: Moderately broad, moderately deep (Beach) or broad and deep (Hedrick), acute to acuminate (Beach) or acuminate (Hedrick); symmetrical or sometimes compressed; usually smooth.
Calyx: Medium (Beach); closed or sometimes open.
Basin: Shallow to moderately deep (Beach) or shallow to deep (Hedrick) and abrupt; often oblique; somewhat furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Smooth; light yellow or green, blushed and mottled with bright red, striped with darker red, sprinkled with inconspicuous, small, green and whitish dots (Beach and Hedrick); prevailing effect red with well-colored fruit (Beach). The Central Experimental Farm describes the skin as greenish yellow with a blush on the sunny side, freely sprinkled with whitish dots — noting the blush rather than the striped red overlay described by Beach and Hedrick.
Calyx tube: Funnel-form.
Stamens: Median to basal.
Core: Large, abaxile. Cells not always symmetrical (Beach), usually open. Core lines usually somewhat clasping (Beach) or clasping (Hedrick). Carpels roundish oblong.
Seeds: Numerous; medium or above (Beach) or large (Hedrick); plump, obtuse.
Flesh: Yellowish (Beach) or white (Central Experimental Farm); juicy to very juicy (Beach) or juicy (Hedrick, Central Experimental Farm); moderately fine-grained (Beach) or fine-grained (Hedrick); crisp (Central Experimental Farm); slightly aromatic (Beach) or aromatic (Hedrick); subacid, pleasantly so (Central Experimental Farm); moderately firm (Beach) or firm (Hedrick); tender (Beach, Hedrick). Quality fair to good (Beach, Hedrick) or good (Central Experimental Farm).
Season
November to April (Beach, Hedrick). Early winter (Central Experimental Farm).
Uses
A good market apple on account of its size and attractive red color, though not above second rate in quality (Beach). The fruit resembles Yellow Bellflower in shape.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach characterizes Dickinson as attractive enough in appearance to make a good market apple but not above second rate in quality — a variety whose commercial appeal rests primarily on size and color. The tree's very high productivity is noted by both Beach and Hedrick as partially compensating for its otherwise poor habit.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois, Washington
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (3)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)DICKINSON.
REFERENCES. 1. Pa. Dept. Agr., Rpt. Hort. Assn., 1884:49. col. pl. 2. Chase, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:25. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 4. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 12:600. 1893. 5. Richman, Utah Sta. Bul., 45:15. 1896. 6. Beach, Western N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1896:52. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:40. 1903. 8. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:116. 1904.
SYNONYM. DICKINSON (5, 7), but incorrectly.
Tree not a good grower, but very productive. Fruit resembles Yellow Bellflower in shape, but the color is red. It is of good size and attractive enough in appearance to make a good market apple, but it is not above second rate in quality.
Historical. Grown from seed of the Yellow Bellflower by Sarah Dickinson, Westchester, Pennsylvania (1, 2).
TREE.
Tree not large, not very vigorous; branches short, stout, crooked. Form roundish, spreading, rather dense. Twigs small to medium, crooked, moderately stout; internodes short to above medium. Bark clear, light olive-green tinged with reddish-brown, streaked with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, rather numerous, small or below medium, usually roundish, not raised. Buds medium in size or below, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent. Leaves medium in size, moderately broad.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to large, somewhat variable in size. Form oblong-conic, sometimes compressed or broadly angular; sides sometimes unequal. Stem medium to long. Cavity moderately broad, moderately deep, acute to acuminate, symmetrical or sometimes compressed, usually smooth. Calyx medium, closed or sometimes open. Basin shallow to moderately deep and abrupt, often oblique, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Skin smooth, light yellow or green, blushed and mottled with bright red, striped with darker red, sprinkled with inconspicuous, small, green and whitish dots. Prevailing effect red with well-colored fruit. Calyx tube funnel-form. Stamens median to basal. Core large, abaxile; cells not always symmetrical, usually open; core lines usually somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish oblong. Seeds numerous, medium or above, plump, obtuse. Flesh yellowish, juicy to very juicy, moderately fine-grained, slightly aromatic, subacid, moderately firm, tender, fair to good. Season November to April.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)DICKINSON.
Dickinson is a seedling of Yellow Bellflower; the fruits of the offspring resemble those of the parent in shape and size, but are red instead of yellow. Though productive, the trees are otherwise of poor habit, and the quality of the fruit is second rate. The variety was grown from seed at West Chester, Pennsylvania, by Sarah Dickinson, about 1875, and has been rather widely disseminated throughout the United States.
Tree small, round-spreading, dense; branches short, stout, crooked. Leaves broad. Fruit medium to large, somewhat variable in size, oblong-conic, sometimes compressed or broadly angular, sides sometimes unequal; stem medium to long; cavity broad, deep, acuminate, symmetrical or sometimes compressed, smooth; calyx closed or sometimes open; basin shallow to deep and abrupt, often oblique, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled; skin smooth, light yellow or green, blushed and mottled with bright red, striped with darker red, sprinkled with inconspicuous, small, green and white dots; prevailing effect red; calyx-tube funnel-form; stamens median to basal; core large, abaxile; cells open; core-lines clasping; carpels round-oblong; seeds numerous, large, plump, obtuse; flesh juicy, fine-grained, aromatic, subacid, firm, tender; fair to good; November to April.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1895. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit above medium size, oblong conical. Skin greenish yellow, with a blush on sunny side, and freely sprinkled with whitish dots. Flesh white, juicy, crisp, pleasantly sub-acid, quality good. Season early Winter.