Eiser
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
EISER
Origin/History
A German variety in cultivation for more than a century. The stock described here was imported from Austria by Prof. Budd for the Iowa Agricultural College in 1884 and 1885.
Tree
Moderately vigorous. Branches long, moderately stout. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs long, moderately stout, nearly straight; internodes long. Bark olive-brown, tinged with red, streaked with grayish scarf-skin; heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, round, raised. Buds large, broad, obtuse, free, pubescent. Foliage dense, dark green.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium to nearly large. Conical, broad at the base, often elliptical; sides unequal, somewhat ribbed.
Stem: Short and thick to long and rather slender.
Cavity: Very large to large, acute, deep, broad; sometimes symmetrical, often compressed or furrowed, with outspreading green russet.
Calyx: Medium to large, closed or partly open; lobes acute to acuminate.
Basin: Often oblique, irregular, rather shallow to moderately deep, narrow, abrupt, roughly furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Thick, tough, smooth, slightly waxy. Ground color yellow mottled with orange-red and almost covered with bright pinkish-red, sometimes deepening to purplish; inconspicuously striped with deep carmine; covered with thin whitish bloom. Prevailing effect attractive bright red. Dots conspicuous, numerous toward the eye, larger, more irregular and more scattering toward the cavity; grayish-white or yellow, sometimes russet areolar.
Calyx Tube: Long, funnel-shaped or approaching conical. Stamens median to basal.
Core: Medium or above, with hollow cylinder, nearly axile. Cells symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish or elongated, not emarginate or but slightly so, tufted.
Seeds: Medium to above, rather wide, long, somewhat acute; tufted; often somewhat abortive.
Flesh: Whitish, slightly tinged with yellow. Very firm, moderately fine, crisp, breaking. Moderately juicy. Mild subacid. Good quality.
Season
January to June or later.
Uses and Storage
Very attractive fruit of good size and beautiful color, suitable for general uses. Notable for a tough skin which does not readily show bruises. Stands shipping well. An excellent keeper, much superior to Baldwin in storage capability.
Bearing and Productivity
Productiveness variable by location. At the Kansas Station, not a good cropper. At the Iowa Station (where this stock was tested), the tree was a good grower and almost an annual bearer, but only moderately productive overall. Comparatively little loss from drops and culls. Shows merit worthy of further testing, though insufficient time in trial to justify unqualified recommendation.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)EISER.
REFERENCES. 1. Diel, Kernobstsorten, 5:175. 1802. (cited by 3). 2. Oberdieck, Ill. Handb. der Obst., 4:353. 1865. (cited by 3). 3. Leroy, 1873:285. fig. 4. Lauche, 1: col. pl. No. 10. 1882. 5. Eneroth-Smirnoff, 1901:170. 6. Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:54. 1902.
SYNONYMS. Arsapple (5). Eiser Rouge (3). Durable Trois ans (3). Red Eisen (6). Rother Eiser (2). Rother Eiser (3). Rother Eisenapfel (4). Rouge Rayée (1, 3).
Fruit very attractive, of good size, very beautiful color and good quality; suitable for general uses. It has a tough skin which does not readily show bruises. It stands shipping well and is an excellent keeper, being much superior to Baldwin in this respect. At the Kansas Station it has not been a good cropper (6), but Leroy states that it is satisfactorily productive (3). As tested at this Station the tree is a good grower and almost an annual bearer, but only moderately productive. There is comparatively little loss from drops and culls. It has not been tried here long enough to justify an unqualified recommendation, but it shows merit enough to make it worthy of further testing.
Historical. A German variety which has been in cultivation more than a century (1, 2, 3). Our stock came from Prof. Budd who imported the variety from Austria for the Iowa Agricultural college, in 1884 and 1885.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous; branches long, moderately stout. Form upright spreading, or roundish, open. Twigs long, moderately stout, nearly straight; internodes long. Bark olive-brown, tinged with red, streaked with grayish scarf-skin; heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, round, raised. Buds large, broad, obtuse, free, pubescent. Foliage dense, dark green.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to nearly large. Form conical, broad at the base, often elliptical, sides unequal, somewhat ribbed. Stem short and thick to long and rather slender. Cavity very large to large, acute, deep, broad, sometimes symmetrical, often compressed or furrowed, with outspreading green russet. Calyx medium to large, closed or partly open; lobes acute to acuminate. Basin often oblique, irregular, rather shallow to moderately deep, narrow, abrupt, roughly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thick, tough, smooth, slightly waxy, yellow mottled with orange-red and almost covered with bright pinkish-red, sometimes deepening to purplish, inconspicuously striped with deep carmine, covered with a thin whitish bloom. Dots conspicuous, numerous toward the eye, larger, more irregular and more scattering towards the cavity, grayish-white or yellow, sometimes russet areolar. Prevailing effect attractive bright red. Calyx tube long, funnel-shape or approaching conical. Stamens median to basal. Core medium or above with hollow cylinder, nearly axile; cells symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish or elongated, not emarginate or but slightly so, tufted. Seeds medium to above, rather wide, long, somewhat acute, tufted, often somewhat abortive. Flesh whitish, slightly tinged with yellow, very firm, moderately fine, crisp, breaking, moderately juicy, mild subacid, good. Season January to June or later.