Kittageskee

Origin and History

Downing describes Kittageskee as a Southern apple of unknown origin. Beach offers more detail, stating it probably originated with the Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina and was introduced into Georgia around 1851. It was sent to France in 1860 from the Berckmans Nurseries of Augusta, Georgia, and has been continuously propagated there since that time; in France it is regarded as a fruit of first quality and the tree is very productive. It is grown to a limited extent in the South but is practically unknown in New York.

Tree

The tree is moderately vigorous and spreading. Beach qualifies this as "moderately vigorous or rather slow," with a form that is spreading and somewhat open, and with rather slender branchlets. Downing notes the young shoots are short-jointed and grayish. Beach provides fuller detail: twigs are medium to rather short, with internodes rather short; bark is olive-green with some brownish-red, somewhat pubescent; lenticels are dull, rather conspicuous, moderately numerous, small, roundish, and somewhat raised; buds are rather long, narrow, flat, appressed, rather acute, and pubescent.

The tree comes into bearing rather young and is an annual bearer or nearly so, yielding from moderate to heavy crops. The fruit hangs well to the tree. In the South it has the reputation of being vigorous, very prolific, and almost free from blight. It is recommended for growing on dwarf stock in that region.

Fruit

Size

Below medium (Downing); small to sometimes medium, uniform in size and shape (Beach).

Form

Downing describes the fruit as oblate with unequal sides. Beach gives a broader range: form varies from roundish ovate or roundish conic to slightly oblate; regular, pretty symmetrical, and often obscurely ribbed. The two sources conflict on symmetry — Downing notes unequal sides while Beach describes the fruit as regular and pretty symmetrical.

Stem

The stem is rather slender. Downing describes it as rather short; Beach says it is usually long. The two sources conflict on length.

Cavity

Downing describes the cavity as broad, sometimes a little russeted. Beach gives a wider range: moderately shallow to rather deep, narrow to rather wide, obtuse to acute; usually at least partly russeted and often with outspreading russet rays. The two sources conflict on width — Downing says broad while Beach says narrow to rather wide.

Calyx

Downing reports the calyx as partially closed. Beach describes it as small to medium, usually closed, with lobes that are acute to acuminate and reflexed. The two sources conflict slightly on closure: Downing says "partially closed," Beach says "usually closed."

Basin

Broad (Downing), or usually very shallow and obtuse (Beach). Both sources agree the basin is shallow and furrowed; Beach adds that it is wrinkled and often gently furrowed.

Skin

Thin, tough, and smooth (Beach). Color is fine or clear yellow, with a tinge of brown or a bronze blush in the sun. Dots are few and dark or brown-gray (Downing); Beach describes them as small, russet, or submerged and whitish.

Flesh and Flavor

Flesh is yellow or yellowish, firm, very tender, and crisp, with a rather fine grain. Flavor is perfumed and aromatic, sprightly, brisk, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet. Quality is good to very good (Downing) or very good for dessert (Beach). Beach adds that the fruit retains its texture, flavor, quality, and color remarkably well till very late in the season.

Core and Seeds

Downing describes the core as small. Beach gives it as medium to rather small, somewhat abaxile; cells fairly symmetrical, usually somewhat open; core lines somewhat clasping to meeting. Carpels very broad and pointed with truncate base, varying to broad pointed ovate. Seeds numerous, dark, medium or below, rather narrow, plump, and acute. The calyx tube is cone-shaped, sometimes approaching funnel-form; stamens median to marginal (Beach).

Season

Downing gives the season as November to March. Beach gives December to May or June at Geneva, New York, noting that Leroy places the French season at December to April, and that it has been reported as ripening as early as September in Alabama. The two primary sources conflict slightly on the start of the season: Downing says November, Beach says December.

Uses

Primarily a dessert apple, valued for home use rather than general market purposes on account of its small size. It is especially desirable as a late-keeping dessert apple, retaining texture, flavor, quality, and color remarkably well into late season.