Karabovka

Origin/History

Karabovka is a Russian variety received from Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester, N.Y., in 1884 for testing at the New York Experiment Station. Beach notes that as grown at the Station, the fruit "does not agree with the description of Karabovka given by Budd." At the Central Experimental Farm in Agassiz, British Columbia, trees were planted in spring 1894.

Tree

Beach describes the tree as moderately vigorous, with moderately long, stout, curved branches. Form is rather open, flat, and spreading. The Central Experimental Farm describes the tree as a vigorous grower.

Twigs are long, curved, and stout, with large terminal buds; internodes medium. Bark is dark brown, heavily streaked with scarf-skin, and slightly pubescent near the tips. Lenticels are quite numerous, small to medium, round, and slightly raised. Buds are large, prominent, plump, obtuse, free, and slightly pubescent.

The tree does not come into bearing very early, but when mature yields full crops biennially.

Fruit

Size and Form

Beach describes the fruit as small to medium, uniform. The Central Experimental Farm describes it as below medium size. The two sources conflict on form: Beach gives oblate, regular, symmetrical; the Central Experimental Farm gives roundish, conical.

Stem

Medium in length, moderately thick to rather slender.

Cavity

Acute to nearly acuminate, moderately deep to deep, narrow to medium in width, occasionally lipped, usually russeted.

Calyx

Large, open or nearly closed; lobes short, rather broad, acute.

Basin

Medium in depth, wide, furrowed or wrinkled, and with mammiform protuberances.

Skin

Beach describes the skin as thin, tender, and smooth. The ground color is a rather dull pale greenish-yellow; the Central Experimental Farm concurs with yellowish ground. Over this appear scattering narrow stripes of dull dark red; when highly colored the fruit is largely striped, splashed, and shaded with red, and overspread with a pinkish bloom. The Central Experimental Farm notes simply "with red." Dots are rather numerous, small, light, obscure, and submerged.

Flesh and Flavor

The flesh is nearly white (Central Experimental Farm: whitish), moderately fine, and tender. Beach describes it as moderately juicy, with a mild subacid flavor and a peculiar flavor note, rating quality as fair to possibly good. The Central Experimental Farm describes the flesh as crisp and juicy, with a pleasant, acid flavor, rating quality as good. The two sources thus differ slightly in acidity character (mild subacid vs. acid) and quality assessment (fair to possibly good vs. good).

Core and Seeds

Calyx tube large, medium in length, rather wide, broadly conical to funnel-shape. Stamens median to marginal. Core medium size, axile; cells closed; core lines clasping. Carpels elliptical, emarginate. Seeds very dark dull brown, medium size, wide, rather short, flat, plump, obtuse.

Season

Beach gives late August and September. The Central Experimental Farm gives August. The fruit is not specially attractive in appearance (Beach).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach notes the variety was "not specially attractive in appearance" and considers it inferior to standard sorts of its season. The synonymy as compiled by Beach includes: Kajabowka, Karaboff, Karabovka, Karabowka, No. 21 M, No. 205, and Shro. to Ia. No. 21.