Kaighn's Spitzenburg
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Kaighn's Spitzenburg
Origin / History
Kaighn's Spitzenburg is an old variety of New Jersey origin, from Gloucester County. Coxe, writing in 1817 under the name "Kaighns Spitzemberg," says the name derives from a family residing in Gloucester County, New Jersey, where it was first cultivated. He called it "a beautiful early winter fruit, highly deserving of propagation."
Dr. Warder, at the Ohio pomological meeting, stated that it came originally from Kaighn's Point and that the name Spitzenberg was derived from a mountain, "berg"; Elliott reports this. Elliott says it was often grown in Michigan as Red Belleflower. Beach records that it was disseminated through various parts of the West, even to the Pacific Coast. Beach entered it under the name "Kaighn," as Lyon had in the Michigan Horticultural Society report of 1890.
Its standing rests on its showy fruit and productive tree. Elliott wrote that it was showy and annually productive, "and that is all of its good qualities." He presented a drawing of it "to aid the unacquainted to detect it." Downing held the tree "valued only because of its showy fruit."
Beach reports that Downing (1876) found Kaighn's Spitzenburg and Long Red Pearmain, for many years considered identical, to be in reality distinct varieties in both tree and fruit. He quotes Downing: "The true Kaign's Spitzenburg, so far as I know, has no synonyms." By 1905 Beach called it practically obsolete in New York.
Tree
Tree vigorous (Downing), of spreading or straggling growth. Coxe calls its form "very unsightly." Shoots slender (Warder). Productive: very productive according to Warder, annually productive according to Elliott.
Fruit
Size: Large; Downing says rather large.
Form: Oblong, varying from oblong rounded or oblong oval to slightly conic, approaching conic or ovate. Truncated and regular (Warder). Coxe notes "a faint resemblance to the Esopus Spitzemberg," but more pointed toward the crown.
Stem: Long (Coxe; Warder), slender, red (Warder). Coxe describes it as "deeply planted." Elliott, by contrast, gives it as about even with the surrounding surface.
Cavity: Deep, regular, acute, and brown (Warder).
Calyx: Small to medium. The eye is closed, with segments reflexed (Warder).
Basin: Deep and abrupt, folded or regular (Warder), slightly furrowed (Elliott). Coxe calls the crown "very hollow."
Skin: Smooth. Ground yellow to whitish yellow, mostly overspread, shaded, and striped with red. Elliott calls the red bright clear red, and Warder gives the stripes as crimson. Coxe describes the color as "a lively but pale red, faintly streaked." Handsome, showy, and beautiful in appearance.
Dots: Minute, thickly sprinkled (Downing). Coxe calls the skin "full of white spots."
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow to yellowish. Coarse, crisp, and breaking; Coxe calls it tender. Juicy, though Elliott calls it dry. Flavor subacid, "pleasant subacid" (Downing). Warder gives acid to subacid, "rather rich," and Coxe calls it "finely flavoured." Quality "good" (Elliott; Downing). Warder rates it good for culinary use.
Core and seeds: Warder gives the core as large, pyriform, regular, clasping, and generally open. Elliott calls it small. Seeds numerous, plump, angular, and loose (Warder), irregular in form (Elliott).
Season
Early winter, November into January. Elliott and Warder give November and December; Downing extends the season to January.
Uses
Culinary use, market, and drying (Warder). Elliott remarks that the name "often aids in its sale."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Kaighn's Spitzenburgh
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1913) from Illinois, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Red Pearmain
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 45. KAIGHNS SPITZEMBERG.
This apple has a faint resemblance to the Esopus Spitzemberg, but is more pointed towards the crown: the colour 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 flavoured, yellow, juicy, and tender; a beautiful early winter fruit, highly deserving of propagation. The tree is of spreading growth, and a very unsightly form; its name is derived from a family residing in Gloucester county New-Jersey, where it was first cultivated.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Kaighn's Spitzenberg.
This variety is showy, annually productive, and that is all of its good qualities. We present the drawing to aid the unacquainted to detect it, as the name often aids in its sale. Dr. Warder, at the late Ohio Pom. Meeting, stated that it came originally from Kaighn's Point, and the name, Spitzenberg, was derived from a mountain "berg." Fruit, large, oblong rounded; yellow, mostly overspread with bright clear red; stem, about even with surrounding surface; cavity, deep, regular; calyx, small; basin, slightly furrowed; core, small; seeds, irregular in form; flesh, yellowish, coarse, dry; "good." November and December. Often grown in Michigan as Red Belleflower.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Kaighn's Spitzenberg.—[Coxe.]
From Gloucester County, New Jersey. Tree spreading, very productive; Shoots slender.
Fruit large, handsome, oblong, slightly conic, truncated, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, striped crimson; Dots minute.
Basin deep, abrupt, folded or regular; Eye medium, closed; Segments reflexed.
Cavity deep, acute, regular, brown; Stem long, slender, red.
Core large, pyriform, regular, clasping, generally open; Seeds numerous, plump, angular, loose; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor acid to sub-acid, rather rich; Quality good for culinary use; Market and drying; Season, November, December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Kaighn's Spitzenburg. Red Pearmain. Long John. Red Spitzenburg. Red Pippin. Red Winter Pearmain, erroneously. Red Phoenix. Long Pearmain. Sheepnose of some. Lady Finger, erroneously. Russam. Scarlet Pearmain, erroneously. Hudson Red Streak. Origin, Gloucester Co., N. J. Tree vigorous, spreading or straggling habit, productive, and valued only because of its showy fruit. Fruit rather large, oblong oval, approaching conic, whitish yellow, mostly shaded and striped with red, and thickly sprinkled with minute dots. Flesh yellowish, coarse, crisp, juicy, pleasant subacid. Good. November to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Kaighn's Spitzenburgh. Large, oblong, approaching ovate, red; coarse, crisp, sub-acid. Early winter.
— 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.