Lansingburgh
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Lansingburgh
Origin / History
The origin of Lansingburgh has not been definitively traced. Warder (1867) reports the variety's origin had not been traced but notes it had been common about Cincinnati and along the Ohio River for many years. Downing (1900) states the origin is unknown. Thomas (1903) attributes it to Ohio and calls it "new." Budd-Hansen (1914) gives the origin as New York. Beach (1905) describes it as an old variety which appears to have been first brought to notice in Ohio, noting it is but little known in New York and is not recommended for planting in that state. Beach further notes it is a late-keeping apple grown to some extent in the Middle West, and that in New York it is sometimes called Rock or Red Rock.
Tree
Tree upright (Warder, Downing, Budd-Hansen) and spreading (Downing, Budd-Hansen), vigorous (Warder, Downing, Budd-Hansen, Beach, Central Experimental Farm) or moderately vigorous (Beach), brushy and thorny, "looking like a wilding" (Warder, quoted by Beach); thorny and a fair bearer (Budd-Hansen); moderately productive (Downing).
Twigs medium or below, rather stout, nearly straight; internodes short. Bark dull brownish-red overlaid with thick scarfskin, giving a grayish-brown effect, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous but not conspicuous, small to medium, the larger ones roundish. Buds medium, acute, somewhat pubescent, appressed. (Beach)
Fruit
Size: Medium (Warder, Thomas, Budd-Hansen, Lowther), medium or above (Beach), above medium (Central Experimental Farm).
Form: Sources describe the form variously. Warder: conical, angular, oblique, often unequal. Downing: roundish oblate. Thomas: roundish conic. Beach: roundish oblate sometimes a little inclined to conic, obscurely ribbed, nearly symmetrical, often sides unequal, pretty uniform in shape. Budd-Hansen: roundish oblate, conical, angular, oblique, often unequal. Lowther: round-flat. Central Experimental Farm: roundish oblate.
Stem: Short (Warder, Budd-Hansen); medium to short (Beach).
Cavity: Acute (Warder, Beach, Budd-Hansen), deep (Warder, Beach), broad (Beach), irregular and rough with brown (Warder), uneven and russeted (Budd-Hansen), russeted, symmetrical or slightly furrowed, or sometimes compressed (Beach).
Calyx: Small, closed (Warder); closed (Budd-Hansen); medium, open, with lobes short, broad, obtuse (Beach). Calyx tube long, cone-shape or funnel-form with wide limb (Beach).
Basin: Deep, plaited or folded (Warder); deep, corrugated (Budd-Hansen); shallow to medium in depth, medium to wide, obtuse to somewhat abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled (Beach).
Skin: Warder describes the surface as smooth, green and yellow, bronzed and blushed, becoming very rich yellow and carmine — an indistinct gray-striping makes the ripe fruit appear to be striped yellow. Downing describes it as yellow, largely overspread with gray- (text truncated in source). Thomas: yellow, with a handsome red cheek. Budd-Hansen: surface smooth, green and yellow, with bronze blush, mostly covered with grayish red. Beach: skin thick, very tough, slightly rough, rather dulled with faint bloom, yellow or greenish deeply blushed or mottled with red, striped and splashed with dark carmine; prevailing effect red or striped red. Lowther: color red. Central Experimental Farm: greenish yellow, nearly covered with dull grayish red.
Dots: Minute, indented, gray, with green bases (Warder); minute, gray, with green bases (Budd-Hansen); often areolar, green or yellow with gray or russet center, rather conspicuous (Beach).
Flesh / Flavor: Firm (Warder, Thomas, Budd-Hansen, Central Experimental Farm), compact (Warder), very firm, rather coarse, breaking, moderately tender, rather dry (Beach), white and crisp (Central Experimental Farm), tinged with green or yellow (Beach). Flavor mild sub-acid (Warder, Budd-Hansen, Beach, Central Experimental Farm) and negative (Warder); sub-acid, moderately rich (Thomas); becoming somewhat sweet (Beach); described as coarse in texture and sweetish in flavor by Beach summarizing earlier sources. Quality scarcely good (Warder), fair to good (Budd-Hansen, Beach), good (Lowther, Central Experimental Farm); Beach concludes "not good in quality" overall.
Core / Seeds: Core small, oval, closed (Warder); closed (Budd-Hansen); medium to small, closed, with core lines somewhat clasping (Beach). Carpels round approaching round cordate, emarginate, mucronate, slightly tufted (Beach). Seeds numerous and large (Warder, Budd-Hansen); rather large, wide, flat, obtuse, slightly tufted (Beach).
Season
Late winter and spring (Budd-Hansen); winter (Lowther, Central Experimental Farm); December to May or June (Beach); keeps through spring (Thomas). Warder describes the season as "in the kitchen all winter — ornamental and eatable March to May, or later."
Uses
Market (Warder, Lowther); ornamental and cooking (Warder); culinary use and market only — Beach states it is "suitable only for culinary use and for market."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 1 (1905) — listed as Lansingburg
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Lansingburg
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Lansingburg
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Lansingburg
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1894–1901) from Missouri
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Red Rock
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
View original book sources (7)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Lansingburgh.
The origin of this long-keeper has not been traced. It has been common about Cincinnati, and along the Ohio River, for many years.
Tree upright, vigorous, brushy and thorny, looking like a wilding.
Fruit medium, conical, angular, oblique, often unequal; Surface smooth, green and yellow, bronzed and blushed, becoming very rich yellow and carmine — an indistinct gray-striping makes the ripe fruit appear to be striped yellow; Dots minute, indented, gray, with green bases.
Basin deep, plaited or folded; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, irregular, rough with brown; Stem short.
Core small, oval, closed; Seeds numerous, large; Flesh firm, compact; Flavor mild sub-acid, negative; Quality scarcely good; Use, market, ornamental, cooking; Season in the kitchen all winter — ornamental and eatable March to May, or later.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Lansingburgh.
Origin unknown. Tree upright, spreading, vigorous, moderately productive.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow, largely overspread with gray-
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Lansingburg. Medium, roundish conic; yellow, with a handsome red cheek; flesh firm, sub-acid, moderately rich—keeps through spring. Ohio. New.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)LANSINGBURG.
REFERENCES. 1. Hooper, 1857:53. 2. Warder, 1867:540. 3. Downing, 1869:249. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1875:10. 5. Thomas, 1885:515. 6. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 7. Van Deman, Rural N. Y., 58:382. 1899. 8. Budd-Hansen, 1903:113. 9. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:173. 1905.
SYNONYMS. LANSINBURG (1). LANSINGBURGH (2, 3). Lansingburgh (9). Lansingburg Pippin (9). Red Rock. Rock Apple (9).
A late-keeping apple which is grown to some extent in the Middle West (6). Warder speaks of it as an old variety common in Cincinnati and along the Ohio river. Suitable only for culinary use and for market. Color greenish becoming rich yellow with a striped appearance and blushed with carmine. It is coarse in texture, sweetish in flavor and not good in quality (1, 2, 7). It is sometimes called Rock or Red Rock in New York.
Historical. An old variety which appears to have been first brought to notice in Ohio (1, 2). It is but little known in New York and is not recommended for planting in this state.
TREE. Tree vigorous or moderately vigorous. Form upright, "brushy and thorny, looking like a wilding" (2). Twigs medium or below, rather stout, nearly straight; internodes short. Bark dull brownish-red overlaid with thick scarfskin, giving a grayish-brown effect, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous but not conspicuous, small to medium, the larger ones roundish. Buds medium, acute, somewhat pubescent, appressed.
FRUIT. Fruit medium or above. Form roundish oblate sometimes a little inclined to conic, obscurely ribbed, nearly symmetrical, often sides unequal, pretty uniform in shape. Stem medium to short. Cavity acute, deep, broad, symmetrical or slightly furrowed, or sometimes compressed, russeted. Calyx medium, open; lobes short, broad, obtuse. Basin shallow to medium in depth, medium to wide, obtuse to somewhat abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thick, very tough, slightly rough, rather dulled with faint bloom, yellow or greenish deeply blushed or mottled with red, striped and splashed with dark carmine. Dots often areolar, green or yellow with gray or russet center, rather conspicuous. Prevailing effect red or striped red. Calyx tube long, cone-shape or funnel-form with wide limb. Core medium to small, closed; core lines somewhat clasping. Carpels round approaching round cordate, emarginate, mucronate, slightly tufted. Seeds rather large, wide, flat, obtuse, slightly tufted. Flesh tinged with green or yellow, very firm, rather coarse, breaking, moderately tender, rather dry, mild subacid, becoming somewhat sweet, fair to good. Season December to May or June.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Lansingburg. — Origin, New York; tree upright, spreading, vigorous, thorny, a fair bearer.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, conical, angular, oblique, often unequal; surface smooth, green and yellow, with bronze blush, mostly covered with grayish red; dots minute, gray, with green bases; cavity acute, uneven, russeted; stem short; basin deep, corrugated; calyx closed. Core closed; seeds many, large; flesh firm, mild subacid, fair to good. Late winter and spring.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Lansingburg: size medium; form round-flat; color red; quality good; use market; season winter.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit above medium size, roundish oblate. Skin greenish yellow, nearly covered with dull grayish red. Flesh white, crisp, firm, mildly sub-acid, quality good. Season Winter.