Lady Crab
Crab AppleLady Crab
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Thomas's entry "Lady. (Lady Elgin). Rather large, whitish and red, juicy, sub-acid. Late. Illinois." describes a larger, whitish and red, late fruit and appears to be a different variety.]
Origin / History
A foreign variety, of great beauty (Downing). Planted for test at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, in spring 1896 (Bulletin No. 3, 1900).
Tree
Tree a vigorous, upright grower, much resembling the Lady Apple; very productive (Downing). A strong grower at Agassiz. Young wood grayish reddish dark brown, with conspicuous white or gray dots.
Fruit
Size: Small.
Form: Roundish oblate, a little oblique.
Stem: Medium length for a crab, quite slender.
Cavity: Open, broad, deep, russeted.
Calyx: Almost closed, with connected, half-recurved segments.
Basin: Broad, shallow, distinctly corrugated next the calyx.
Skin: Rich dark red, with traces of russet (Downing). Yellow, nearly covered with pale red (Agassiz).
Dots: Many, apparently rough, russet.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, moderately juicy; mild subacid.
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November, December (Downing). September at Agassiz, British Columbia.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 10 catalogs (1886–1912) from Alabama, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886 — listed as Lady Elgin
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893 — listed as Lady Elgin
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909 — listed as Lady Elgin
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as Lady Elgin
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Lady Crab. This is a foreign variety, of great beauty, and the tree a vigorous, upright grower, much resembling the Lady Apple. Very productive. Young wood grayish reddish dark brown, with conspicuous white or gray dots. Fruit small, roundish oblate, a little oblique, rich dark red, with traces of russet, and many apparently rough russet dots. Stalk medium length for a crab, quite slender. Cavity open, broad, deep russeted. Calyx almost closed, with connected half-recurved segments. Basin broad, shallow, distinctly corrugated next the calyx. Flesh yellowish, moderately juicy, mild subacid. November, December.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Lady. (Lady Elgin). Rather large, whitish and red, juicy, sub-acid. Late. Illinois.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1896. Tree a strong grower. Fruit small. Skin yellow, nearly covered with pale red. Season September.