FISHKILL

Origin and History

Origin: Fishkill, New York.

The variety has been documented since at least 1869 (Downing). Historical references note it as "Fishkill Beauty" in some early accounts.

Tree

Tree vigorous with long, slender, curved branches; laterals willowy, long, slender. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs short to medium, straight, moderately slender, rather geniculate; internodes medium to long. Bark brown tinged with clear reddish brown, mottled with scarfskin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels numerous, small or below medium, generally elongated and narrow, usually not raised. Buds small to above medium, plump, obtuse to somewhat acute, usually free or nearly so.

The tree comes into bearing rather early and is almost an annual bearer, yielding fair to good crops of uniformly large fruit.

Fruit

Size and Form: Fruit very large to large, uniform in size and shape. Form nearly round varying to somewhat oblate or oblate conic, regular, obscurely ribbed.

Stem: Stem medium to long, thick to slender.

Cavity: Cavity varying from somewhat obtuse to slightly acuminate, moderately deep to deep, rather broad, usually symmetrical, sometimes lipped, sometimes lightly russeted.

Calyx: Calyx rather small, closed or slightly open. Calyx tube rather long, wide, varying from elongated conical to funnel-shape. Stamens median to marginal.

Basin: Basin shallow, usually moderately wide, obtuse, angularly furrowed and wrinkled, with some tendency to develop mammiform protuberances.

Skin: Skin a little rough, thick, tough, dull yellow washed with dull or brownish red, in highly colored specimens deepening to a bright red blush, mottled, striped and splashed with deep carmine, often overspread with thin whitish bloom. Dots numerous, conspicuous, medium size, russet. Prevailing effect attractive although rather dull red.

Core and Seeds: Core below medium to rather large, abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, open; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish to broadly obcordate, somewhat emarginate, slightly tufted. Seeds light brown, below medium to rather large, narrow, rather long, plump, varying from obtuse to acuminate.

Flesh and Flavor: Flesh whitish or tinged with yellow, firm, coarse, moderately crisp, moderately tender, juicy, mild subacid, fair to good in flavor and quality. Fruit is rather attractive in appearance, but not good enough in quality to displace standard sorts of its season either for culinary or dessert uses.

Season

November to February.

Uses and Observations

The fruit is suitable for general use but does not represent a marked improvement over established varieties of its season. The tree's early bearing habit and reliable annual crops of uniformly large fruit may recommend it for regions where hardiness is a prime requirement, though the variety has not demonstrated superior cold hardiness compared to standard sorts. Historical accounts noted a tendency to decay on the tree; however, this was not observed in contemporary New York Station trials.