Dyer.

Pomme Royal, | Pomme Water, | Bard Apple, Golden Spice, | Bullripe, | White Spice, Tompkins, | Mygatt's Bergamot, | Smithfield Spice. Beard Burden,

American. Tree, a fair grower, not strong, shoots spreading irregular, moderately productive. Size, medium ; form, round, or roundish flattened ; color, clear yellow, with russet marbled more or less over the surface ; stem, long, slender ; cavity, deep, slightly furrowed ; calyx, with long, recurved segments ; basin, medium ; flesh, yellowish white, spicy, sprightly, tender, sub-acid : core, medium ; seeds, small. October and November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Dyer, or Pomme Royale.

POMME WATER, in Illinois.

Believed to be a French apple, but named Dyer by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, in the belief that it was a seedling of Rhode Island.

Fig. 250.—DYER, OR POMME ROYALE.

Tree of moderate vigor, spreading, not very productive.

Fruit medium to large, globular, uneven, somewhat angular; Surface not smooth, pale yellow, vein-russeted; Dots numerous, minute, dark.

Basin medium, shallow, folded or plaited; Eye small, closed.

Cavity deep, acute, lipped, brown; Stem long, slender.

Core regular, round, open or closed, clasping; Seeds numerous, plump, short; Flesh yellowish, very tender, very fine-grained, very juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, rich, delicate; Quality best; Use, the dessert; Season, September, October.

Not attractive in appearance, but very fine for the amateur.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Dyer, or Pomme Royale.

Golden Spice. Pinneo's Favorite. White Spice. Woodstock. Smithfield Spice. Tompkins. Mygatt's Bergamot. Coe's Spice. Beard Burden. Bullripe.

A popular dessert Apple, very sprightly, tender, and excellent. Tree a moderate grower. Young wood grayish brown. It is supposed to be of French origin, and to have been brought to Rhode Island more than a hundred years ago. It was renamed Dyer by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, who supposed it to be a seedling of Mr. Dyer, of Rhode Island, but the old and familiar name of Pomme Royale should be preferred.

Fruit of medium size, roundish, pretty regularly formed. Skin smooth, pale greenish yellow, with a faint blush and a few dark specks on one side. Stalk about half an inch long, set in a smooth, round cavity. Calyx closed. Basin plaited, moderately deep. Core round, hollow. Flesh white, very tender and juicy ; flavor very mild and agreeable, aromatic, slightly subacid. Very good to best. September, October.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Dyer", pp. 429–429]

White Spice. Origin, Cumberland Co., Pa. Fruit large, roundish oblate. Flesh subacid, good. September. (A. Pom. S. Rep.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Dyer—An old French variety, originally described as Pomme Royal, but the name having been lost in this country it was given its present name. The tree is a fair grower, an annual and early bearer, but the thin skin of the fruit prevents distant shipping without bruising—Fruit medium to large, roundish, somewhat flattened, obscurely ribbed; surface smooth, clear greenish yellow, with rarely a faint blush and with more or less thin russet net-veining; cavity regular, deep; stem medium; basin medium, abrupt, ribbed; calyx closed, segments long, divergent. Core open, round; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds many, small; flesh yellowish white, spicy, very tender and juicy, rich aromatic, sprightly subacid, quality excellent to best, having but few equals. October to September. Not hardy north, but a few have been raised in northern Iowa by top-grafting on hardy stocks.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

Dyer.* (Pomme Royal, which is the original name.) Rather large, roundish, often approaching round oblong, sometimes slightly flattened, obscurely ribbed; light yellow, rarely a faint brown cheek, and sometimes a slight russet network over the skin; stalk three-fourths to one inch long; basin often deep and large, ribbed; flesh very fine-grained, tender, very juicy, with a rich, sub-acid, or rather acid, excellent flavor, having but few equals. Fig. 365. Season variable; November, December. Productiveness variable. An early bearer.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

DYER.

REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1835:60. 2. Mag. Hort., 3:37. 1837. 3. Downing, 1845:83. 4. Horticulturist, 2:289. 5. Cole, 1849:111. 6. Thomas, 1849:153. fig. 7. Barry, 1851:283, 286. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:39. 1851. 9. Elliott, 1854:75. 10. Hooper, 1857:30. 11. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 27:70. 1861. fig. 12. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 13. Warder, 1867:639. fig. 14. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 15. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 16. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:47. 1902. 17. Budd-Hansen, 1903:72. fig.

SYNONYMS. Bard Apple (9, 11). Beard Burden (9, 11). Bullripe (9, 11). Coe's Spice (11). DYER (1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). Dyer (4, 5, 7). Golden Spice (9, 11). Mygatt's Bergamot (9, 11). POMME ROYAL (2). Pomme Royal (6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17). POMME ROYALE (4, 5, 7). Pomme Royale (3, 13). Pomme Roye (4). Pomme Water (9, 11). Pommewater in Ill. (13). Smithfield Spice (3, 5, 10, 11). Tompkins (9, 11). White Spice (9, 11). Woodstock (1).

One of the very finest dessert apples but not a good commercial variety (14). The fruit is of medium size, greenish-yellow with a shade of red. The crop does not ripen evenly and it requires more than one picking. It comes in season late in August or early in September and ripens continuously until midautumn. The tree is vigorous in the nursery but does not grow to be a large tree in the orchard. It succeeds better when topworked upon some hardier vigorous stock such as Tolman Sweet or Northern Spy. It is not long-lived but comes into bearing rather young and yields good crops biennially.

Historical. This variety has been supposed by some to be of French origin and was formerly known as Pomme Royale, but Hovey believed it to be an American apple (11). It was known in cultivation in Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War (4). It was named Dyer by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society more than fifty years ago and has retained that name. It is still occasionally listed by nurserymen (15). It is but little cultivated in New York and is now seldom, if ever, planted in this state.

FRUIT (3, 9, 11, 13). Fruit medium or sometimes large. Form roundish, slightly oblate, regular or obscurely ribbed. Stem medium to long, slender. Cavity rather small, acute, moderately deep to deep, sometimes lipped. Calyx small, closed; lobes short to rather long, recurved. Basin medium to small, shallow to moderately deep, furrowed. Skin smooth, clear pale yellow or greenish, more or less flecked and marbled with thin russet with a brownish blush on one cheek. Dots dark or russet. Core medium size; cells open or closed; core lines clasping. Seeds numerous, plump, short, medium to small, pale. Flesh yellowish-white, fine, very crisp, tender, aromatic, sprightly, mild subacid, highly flavored, very good to best. Season September and October.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Dyer.—An old French variety, originally described as Pomme Royal (Pomme Royal), but the name having been lost in this country it was given its present name. The tree is a fair grower and an annual and early bearer, but the thin skin of the fruit prevents distant shipping without bruising.

Dyer.

Fruit medium to large, roundish, somewhat flattened, obscurely ribbed; surface smooth, clear, greenish yellow, with rarely a faint blush, and with more or less thin russet net-veining; cavity regular, deep; stem medium; basin medium, abrupt, ribbed; calyx closed; segments long, divergent. Core open, round; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds many, small; flesh yellowish white, spicy, very tender and juicy, rich aromatic, sprightly subacid; quality excellent to best, having but few equals. October to December.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Dyer (35): size medium; form round; color oy; quality very good; use family; season early autumn. Reported by 9 stations in the Northern Division (reported as adapted to more than one division), 9 stations in the Central Division (reported as adapted to more than one division), and 4 stations in the Southern Division (reported as adapted to more than one division).

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

DYER. Golden Spice. Pomme Royale. White Spice.

The creamy white, half transparent flesh — tender, crisp, aromatic, sprightly, and rich — make the fruit of Dyer the quintessence of the apple-orchard. The color — greenish yellow with a delicate blush of red — makes it a handsome fruit as well. Unfortunately this fine apple cannot be enjoyed often nor in quantity, nor by many, as the trees bear only biennially, and are not fruitful, vigorous, healthy, or hardy. The name, Dyer, was given the fruit about sixty years ago, but the variety was cultivated during the Revolutionary War, and is supposed by some to be the old French sort, Pomme Royale. Its culture is confined to the East and Middle West.

Tree vigorous in the nursery, dwarf in the orchard; comes in bearing young, but is short-lived; productive biennially. Fruit medium or sometimes large, round-oblate, regular or obscurely ribbed; stem long, slender; cavity small, acute, deep, sometimes lipped; calyx small, closed; lobes long, recurved; basin small, shallow to deep, furrowed; skin smooth, pale yellow, more or less flecked and marbled with a brownish blush on one cheek; dots dark or russet; core of medium size; cells open or closed; core-lines clasping; seeds numerous, plump, short, small, pale; flesh yellow, fine, very crisp, tender, aromatic, sprightly, mild subacid, highly flavored; very good to best; September and October.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)