Keiser

Origin/History

An old variety, much grown in Jefferson County, Ohio, and highly prized there. Known also as Red Seek-no-Further. Warder notes it was not widely distributed at the time of his writing, and that his description was made from fruit obtained from T. S. Humrickhouse, of Coshocton. Downing lists the variety under the spelling "Keisek," almost certainly a typographical variant of Keiser. Elliott's text is nearly identical to Downing's for this entry, suggesting a shared source.

Tree

Warder describes the tree as thrifty and upright. Downing and Elliott compare its growth habit to that of Rambo (rendered as "Bambo" in Downing and "Puambo" in Elliott, both likely typographical corruptions of that name).

Fruit

Size

Warder: full medium to large. Downing and Elliott: medium.

Form

Roundish oblate, slightly oblique, angular (Downing, Elliott). Warder describes it as oblate and uneven.

Stem

Short (all three sources). Downing and Elliott note the stem is inserted in a large cavity.

Cavity

Warder: acute and deep. Downing and Elliott describe a large cavity (implied by the stem entry; not characterized independently).

Calyx

Small, closed (all three sources).

Basin

Downing and Elliott: broad, shallow, and corrugated. Warder: wide, deep, and folded. [Conflict: Warder's "deep" directly disagrees with Downing and Elliott's "shallow."]

Skin

Warder: smooth, greenish-yellow ground, mixed and striped with red; dots scattered and minute. Downing and Elliott: pale yellow, shaded with red, indistinctly striped, and thickly sprinkled with large grayish dots. [Conflicts: Warder gives the ground color as greenish-yellow while Downing and Elliott give pale yellow; Warder describes the dots as scattered and minute while Downing and Elliott describe them as large, grayish, and thickly sprinkled.]

Flesh and Flavor

Warder: flesh yellow, tender, fine-grained, and juicy; quality good to best. Downing and Elliott: flesh yellowish, not very juicy, but mild subacid; quality good. [Conflict: Warder describes the flesh as juicy while Downing and Elliott characterize it as not very juicy.]

Core and Seeds

Warder: core very small, regular, closed, and clasping; seeds numerous, short, and plump. Not described in Downing or Elliott.

Season

Warder: December to January. Downing and Elliott: November to February.

Uses

Warder: table and kitchen. Not described in Downing or Elliott.

Subtypes/Variants

Elliott notes: "There is another Red Seek-no-further, grown near Lebanon, Pa., distinct, and a universal favorite there. December to April." This Pennsylvania variety is described as distinct from the Jefferson County, Ohio Keiser.