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.

— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Kaighn's Spitzenburgh. Large, oblong, approaching ovate, red; coarse, crisp, sub-acid. Early winter.

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

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.

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