Lankford
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
Lankford originated as a chance seedling on the land of Thomas J. Vickers at Lankford, Kent County, Maryland, approximately forty years before 1905. It was much valued in that locality for its vigor, hardiness, productiveness, good quality, and adaptedness to that latitude. Van Deman reported on it for the U.S. Pomologist's Report (1891) and the American Pomological Society (1895); it appeared in the A.P.S. catalog of 1899. Although in some parts of the South fruit growers regard it with favor, it does not appear to be well adapted to regions as far north as New York and is not recommended for planting in that state (Beach).
Tree
Tree vigorous. Form at first upright but becoming roundish or much spreading, rather dense (Beach); Downing describes the head as round with rather slender, firm branches. Beach describes long, slender branches and a tall, slim nursery growth. In the orchard it is a strong grower and comes into bearing rather young, but although it occasionally bears a full crop it has not proved a reliable cropper (Beach); Downing states it bears good crops annually.
Twigs medium in length, rather straight except that they are geniculate, moderately stout; terminal buds large; internodes medium to short. Bark dark brownish-red with some olive-green, partly mottled with thin scarf-skin; pubescent toward the tip. Lenticels conspicuous where the bark is brightly colored, quite numerous, below medium to above, often elongated, raised. Buds medium in size, broad, flat, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
Fruit
Size and Form: Fruit usually medium or below, sometimes large (Beach); Downing gives medium. Form roundish oblate to oblong truncate (Beach), or oblate to roundish oblate (Downing), ribbed but faintly if at all; sides sometimes unequal; axis sometimes oblique; often flattened at the ends (Downing); pretty uniform in shape and size (Beach).
Stem: Downing describes the stalk as rather short and slender; Beach gives medium to rather long, sometimes very long. [Conflict between sources.]
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, deep, broad to medium in width, nearly symmetrical, usually green, sometimes partly russeted (Beach); Downing describes it as large, deep, and greenish.
Calyx: Below medium to large, closed or partly open; lobes usually reflexed (Beach); Downing notes closed or partially open.
Basin: Moderately deep and wide, varying sometimes to shallow and narrow, rather abrupt, sometimes wrinkled (Beach); Downing describes it as large, rather deep, slightly corrugated.
Skin: Tough, smooth, somewhat waxy, not glossy, grass-green becoming yellowish, washed and striped with red; in highly colored specimens deep, dull red covers nearly the entire surface (Beach). Downing describes the skin as pale green, shaded with pale and dark red over half or more of the surface. Dots whitish or with russet point, numerous and small toward the basin, elongated, large and scattering toward the cavity (Beach); Downing describes moderately sprinkled large light and grayish dots, many areole.
Calyx tube and stamens: Calyx tube long, cone-shape or somewhat funnel-form. Stamens below median (Beach).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh tinged with yellow or greenish (Beach) or whitish (Downing), firm, moderately fine, crisp, nearly tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet, fair to good (Beach); Downing describes it as a little coarse, tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid inclining to sweet. [Downing and Beach differ on coarseness and color: Downing gives whitish and a little coarse; Beach gives tinged yellow or greenish and moderately fine.]
Core and Seeds: Core medium or below (Beach); Downing gives small. [Conflict.] Axile or nearly so; cells pretty symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels much concave, broadly roundish or approaching roundish obcordate, mucronate, slightly emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium in size, rather wide, obtuse to acute, dark; often some are abortive (Beach).
Season
December to May. Scalds badly after midwinter (Beach).
Uses
Dessert and general use. Beach describes it as a dull red apple of good size and fairly good quality, easily excelled by standard varieties. Valued locally in Maryland for quality and adaptedness to that latitude (Downing). Not recommended for New York; better adapted to the South.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach notes it is described in the Rural New York (1896) with a figure, and in the Arkansas, Delaware, and Virginia station bulletins. The variety appears under the synonym "Vickers" in Downing, reflecting the name of the original seedling's owner.
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Lankford......................... L rc gr G m
(Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture, 1914)
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1885–1912) from Alabama, California, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia, Washington
- Santa Rosa Nurseries (Luther Burbank) , Santa Rosa , California — 1885
- Santa Rosa Nurseries (Luther Burbank) , Santa Rosa , California — 1887
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Lankford. Vickers.
A chance seedling on the land of Thomas J. Vickers, Lankford, Md., and is much valued in that locality for its vigor, hardiness, productiveness, good quality, and adaptedness to that latitude. Tree vigorous, upright, with rather slender, firm branches, forming a round head, and bearing good crops annually.
Fruit medium, oblate to roundish oblate, sides sometimes unequal, or a little oblique, often flattened at the ends; skin pale green, shaded with pale and dark red over half or more of its surface, and moderately sprinkled with large light and grayish dots—many areole; stalk rather short, slender; cavity large, deep, greenish; calyx closed, or partially open; basin large, rather deep, slightly corrugated; flesh whitish, a little coarse, tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid, inclining to sweet; core small. December, May.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)LANKFORD.
REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1881:92 app. 2. Van Deman, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1891:390. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 4. Van Deman, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1895:72. 5. Rural N. Y., 55:1, 122, 195. 1896. fig. 6. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 43:103. 1896. 7. Powell, Del. Sta. Bul., 38:19. 1898. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:18. 9. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:133. 1901. fig. 10. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:47. 1903. 11. Budd-Hansen, 1903:113. 12. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:128. 1904.
SYNONYMS. LANGFORD (5). Langford (5, 12). LANKFORD'S SEEDLING (6). Dickers (1, 12).
Lankford, as fruited at this Station, is a dull red apple of good size and fairly good quality. It is easily excelled by the standard varieties. It is in season from December to May but scalds badly after midwinter (10, 12). The tree makes a tall, slim growth in the nursery. In the orchard it is a strong grower and comes into bearing rather young, but although it occasionally bears a full crop it has not proved a reliable cropper at this Station. Although in some parts of the South fruit growers regard it with favor it does not appear to be well adapted to regions as far north as New York and is not recommended for planting in this state.
Historical. It originated as a chance seedling at Lankford, Kent county, Maryland, about forty years ago (1, 4, 5, 9).
TREE.
Tree vigorous with long, slender branches. Form at first upright but becoming roundish or much spreading, rather dense. Twigs medium in length, rather straight except that they are geniculate, moderately stout; terminal buds large; internodes medium to short. Bark dark brownish-red with some olive-green, partly mottled with thin scarf-skin; pubescent toward the tip. Lenticels conspicuous where the bark is brightly colored, quite numerous, below medium to above, often elongated, raised. Buds medium in size, broad, flat, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit usually medium or below, sometimes large. Form roundish oblate to oblong truncate, ribbed but faintly if at all; sides sometimes unequal; axis sometimes oblique; pretty uniform in shape and size. Stem medium to rather long, sometimes very long. Cavity acute to acuminate, deep, broad to medium in width, nearly symmetrical, usually green, sometimes partly russeted. Calyx below medium to large, closed or partly open; lobes usually reflexed. Basin moderately deep and wide, varying sometimes to shallow and narrow, rather abrupt, sometimes wrinkled. Skin tough, smooth, somewhat waxy, not glossy, grass-green becoming yellowish, washed and striped with red. In highly colored specimens deep, dull red covers nearly the entire surface. Dots whitish or with russet point, numerous and small toward the basin, elongated, large and scattering toward the cavity. Calyx tube long, cone-shape or somewhat funnel-form. Stamens below median. Core medium or below, axile or nearly so; cells pretty symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels much concave, broadly roundish or approaching roundish obcordate, mucronate, slightly emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium in size, rather wide, obtuse to acute, dark; often some are abortive. Flesh tinged with yellow or greenish, firm, moderately fine, crisp, nearly tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid becoming nearly sweet, fair to good. Season December to May.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Lankford......................... L rc gr G m