Kaighn
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
KAIGHN
Origin & History
An old variety of New Jersey origin, disseminated through various parts of the West, extending even to the Pacific Coast. According to Downing, Kaign's Spitzenberg and Long Red Pearmain were for many years considered identical, but are in reality distinct varieties in both tree and fruit. Downing states that "The true Kaign's Spitzenburg, so far as I know, has no synonyms."
Tree
Makes a spreading, straggling growth. Productive.
Fruit
Form & Size: Bears a faint resemblance to the Esopus Spitzemberg but is more pointed toward the crown.
Skin: Color is a lively but pale red, faintly streaked and full of white spots. Skin is smooth.
Stem: Long and deeply planted.
Calyx & Basin: Crown very hollow.
Flesh & Flavor: Finely flavored, yellow, juicy and tender.
Core & Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Not described in source.
Uses
The fruit is showy.
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety is now practically obsolete in New York. Downing distinguished this variety from Long Red Pearmain after they had been considered identical for many years, noting distinct differences in both tree and fruit characteristics.
Source Citation: S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)KAIGHN.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:128. fig. 2. Downing, Horticulturist, 1:341. 1847. 3. Cole, 1849:125. 4. Thomas, 1849:173. 5. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:60. 1851. 6. Elliott, 1854:141. fig. 7. Hooper, 1857:49. 8. Downing, 1857:158. 9. Warder, 1867:681. fig. 10. Downing, 1876:55 app. 11. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:242.
SYNONYMS. KAIGHN (11). KAIGHN'S SPITZEMBURG (1). KAIGHN'S SPITZENBERG (3, 6, 9). KAIGHN'S SPITZENBERGH (2). KAIGHN'S SPITZENBURG (7, 12). KAIGHN'S SPITZENBURGH (4, 5, 8). KAIGN'S SPITZENBURG (10). Lady Finger (erroneously 6, 7). Long John (6, 7). Long Pearmain (6, 7). Ohio Wine (6). Red Pearmain (6, 7, 8). Red Phoenix (6). Red Pippin (6). Red Spitzenberg (6). Red Spitzenburg (8). Red Winter Pearmain (6). Russam (6). Scarlet Pearmain, erroneously (6).
Downing states that Kaign's Spitzenberg and Long Red Pearmain, for many years considered identical, are in reality distinct varieties in both tree and fruit. He gives a long list of synonyms for Long Red Pearmain including all of the synonyms cited above and adds, “ The true Kaign’s Spitzenburg, so far as I know, has no synonyms ” (10).
This is an old variety of New Jersey origin which has been disseminated through various parts of the West even to the Pacific Coast. The fruit is showy and the tree productive. The tree makes a spreading, straggling growth (1, 11). According to Coxe (1) the fruit bears “a faint resemblance to the Esopus Spitzemberg but is more pointed toward the crown ; the color is a lively but pale red, faintly streaked and full of white spots ; the skin is smooth, the stem long and deeply planted, the crown very hollow the flesh finely flavored, yellow, juicy and tender.”
It is now practically obsolete in New York.