Late Strawberry
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Late Strawberry
Origin / History
American variety, originated at Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on lands formerly owned by Judge Phelps (Downing; Budd & Hansen; Hedrick). Elliott gives the origin more broadly as Western New York. Warder states the origin appears to be unknown. Hedrick notes the variety was first described in 1848. Hedrick further observes that the reputation of Late Strawberry has suffered because of confusion in nomenclature, several distinct sorts being grown under this name; the true Late Strawberry is one of the best dessert apples of its season, but is an apple only for the home orchard, debarred from commercial plantation because of the small size of the fruit and the long period of maturity, which makes several pickings necessary. Hansen (1902) records that specimens received from Minnesota under the name "Vulcan" appeared to be Late Strawberry. Beach notes that the name "Strawberry" has been applied to a great many different varieties of the apple. Warder mentions that there is another similar fruit — the Frank or Chenango Strawberry — which is by some preferred to this.
Tree
Vigorous, upright, spreading, hardy (Downing; Budd & Hansen). Hedrick describes the tree as medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, healthy, long-lived, yielding regularly and heavily. Warder describes it as upright, productive, thrifty. A regular and early bearer (Downing); productive, an early bearer (Budd & Hansen). Thomas notes young trees of remarkably thrifty growth. Central Experimental Farm (Agassiz BC, planted spring 1893) reports the tree as a moderate grower.
Young wood smooth, reddish brown (Downing).
Leaves serrate (Warder); sharply serrate, which at once distinguishes them from the crenate leaves of the Early Strawberry (Thomas).
Fruit
Size
Medium (Elliott; Warder; Downing; Thomas; Budd & Hansen; Lowther; Central Experimental Farm), or rather below medium (Elliott). Hedrick describes the fruit as small, uniform in size and shape. Hedrick notes the small size of the fruit as a reason it is debarred from commercial plantation.
Form
Roundish (Elliott; Downing; Thomas); roundish, conical, angular, furrowed (Warder); roundish, inclining to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed (Downing); roundish, slightly conical, sometimes faintly ribbed (Thomas); regular, roundish, slightly conical, sometimes obscurely ribbed, truncated (Budd & Hansen); round or oblong-conic, sometimes strongly ribbed, irregular (Hedrick); round (Lowther); oblate (Central Experimental Farm).
Stem / Stalk
Slender, medium length (Elliott); slender, long (Warder); rather long, slender, curved (Downing); slender, about an inch long (Thomas); long, slender, curved (Budd & Hansen; Hedrick).
Cavity
Open, regular (Elliott); acute, wavy, irregular (Warder); large, deep, slightly russeted (Downing); large, deep, acute, with thin stellate russet (Budd & Hansen); acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes with thin radiating streaks of light russet mingled with carmine (Hedrick).
Calyx / Eye
Small, nearly closed (Elliott); eye medium, closed (Warder); calyx half open, segments erect convergent (Budd & Hansen); calyx large, open; lobes often separated at base, short, acute, erect or reflexed (Hedrick).
Basin
Shallow, slightly ribbed (Elliott); folded, irregular (Warder); abrupt, corrugated (Downing); ribbed (Thomas); abrupt, narrow, wavy, ribbed (Budd & Hansen); deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled (Hedrick).
Skin / Surface / Color
Light and dark red, streaked, and, in the sun, the dark red prevailing, and with a bloom like a plum (Elliott). Surface smooth, waxen-yellow, mixed and striped scarlet (Warder). Color whitish, striped and splashed with light and dark red, and often covered with a thin bloom (Downing). Nearly whole surface with small broken streaks of light and dark red (Thomas). Surface polished, yellowish white, almost wholly covered with light and dark splashes and crimson and red, often overlaid with thin bloom, a showy fruit (Budd & Hansen). Skin pale yellow often almost entirely overspread with bright red, dotted and streaked with purplish-carmine; prevailing effect bright striped red (Hedrick). Color yellow-red (Lowther). Central Experimental Farm reports skin green, striped and splashed with pale red, with a whitish bloom.
Dots
Minute, indented (Warder); dots inconspicuous, light colored (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor
Yellowish white, tender, juicy, sub-acid (Elliott); yellow, very tender, fine-grained, very juicy; flavor sub-acid, aromatic, refreshing, vinous (Warder); yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant vinous, subacid (Downing); yellowish white, slightly fibrous, very tender and juicy, with a fine, very agreeable, sub-acid flavor (Thomas); yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant, vinous, subacid (Budd & Hansen); yellow, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic, subacid (Hedrick); yellowish white, crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant, sub-acid (Central Experimental Farm). Quality "very good" (Downing; Budd & Hansen; Lowther; Hedrick); "best" (Warder); "good" (Central Experimental Farm); "one of the best early autumn apples" (Thomas); "one of the best dessert apples of its season" (Hedrick).
Core / Seeds
Core medium; seeds large, full (Elliott). Core medium, regular, closed; seeds large (Warder). Core closed; cells obovate, entire; tube funnel-shaped, narrow, open to core; stamens marginal; seeds very large, roundish, flattened (Budd & Hansen). Calyx-tube wide, conical; stamens basal; core small, axile to abaxile; cells closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels obovate; seeds large, flat, obtuse (Hedrick).
Season
October (Elliott); August and September (Warder); October to December (Downing; Budd & Hansen); ripens early in autumn, and often keeps till winter (Thomas); very productive (Thomas); early autumn (Lowther); September to December (Hedrick); last of September (Central Experimental Farm). Hedrick specifically notes a long period of maturity, requiring several pickings.
Uses
Dessert, especially (Warder); one of the best dessert apples of its season, an apple only for the home orchard (Hedrick); one of the best early autumn apples (Thomas); succeeds well in the West (Thomas); both kitchen and market (Lowther). Lowther division reports: III* (variety reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source. (Warder mentions the Frank or Chenango Strawberry as a distinct but similar fruit, not a subtype of Late Strawberry. Hansen notes specimens received under the name "Vulcan" from Minnesota appeared to be Late Strawberry.)
Other
Hedrick (Fig. 32) and Thomas (Fig. 386) both illustrate the variety. Hedrick emphasizes that the beauty and high quality of this apple should make it a favorite in orchards planted for choicely good fruit.
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902) — listed as Vulcan
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 25 catalogs (1884–1921) from California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1896
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921 — listed as Autumn Strawberry
View original book sources (10)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Autumn Strawberry. Late Strawberry, | Strawberry, American : originated Western New York. Size, medium, or rather below ; form, roundish : color, light and dark red, streaked, and, in the sun, the dark red prevailing, and with a bloom like a plum; stem, slender, medium length ; cavity, open, regular ; calyx, small, nearly closed ; basin, shallow, slightly ribbed : flesh, yellowish white, tender, juicy, sub-acid; core, medium; seeds, large, full. October.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Late Strawberry. AUTUMN STRAWBERRY.
The origin of this choice fruit appears to be unknown. Tree upright, productive, thrifty, leaves serrate. Fruit medium, roundish, conical, angular, furrowed; Surface smooth, waxen-yellow, mixed and striped scarlet; Dots minute, indented. Basin folded, irregular; Eye medium, closed. Cavity acute, wavy, irregular; Stem slender, long. Core medium, regular, closed; Seeds large; Flesh yellow, very tender, fine-grained, very juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, refreshing, vinous; Quality best; Use, dessert especially; Season, August and September. There is another similar fruit — the Frank or Chenango Strawberry, which is by some preferred to this.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Late Strawberry. Late Strawberry. Autumn Strawberry. Origin, Aurora, N. Y., on lands formerly owned by Judge Phelps. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, hardy. Young wood smooth, reddish brown, a regular and early bearer. Fruit medium, roundish, inclining to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed. Color whitish, striped and splashed with light and dark red, and often covered with a thin bloom. Stalk rather long, slender, curved. Cavity large, deep, slightly russeted. Basin abrupt, corrugated. Flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant vinous, subacid. Very good. October, December.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Vulcan-Specimens under this name received from Minnesota appear to be Late Strawberry (Autumn Strawberry).
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Late Strawberry.* (Strawberry, Autumn Strawberry.) Size medium; roundish, slightly conical, sometimes faintly ribbed; nearly whole surface with small broken streaks of light and dark red; stalk slender, about an inch long; basin ribbed; flesh yellowish white, slightly fibrous, very tender and juicy, with a fine, very agreeable, sub-acid flavor. Young trees of remarkably thrifty growth, leaves sharply serrate, which at once distinguishes them from the crenate leaves of the Early Strawberry. Ripens early in autumn, and often keeps till winter. Very productive. Fig. 386. One of the best early autumn apples. Succeeds well in the West. New York.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)STRAWBERRY.
This name has been applied to a great many different varieties of the apple. Those mentioned in this volume are listed below:
Autumn Strawberry, see Late Strawberry. Chenango Strawberry, see Chenango. Early Strawberry. Fall Strawberry, see Late Strawberry. Late Strawberry. St. John's Strawberry, see Early Strawberry. Strawberry, see Chenango, Early Strawberry, Late Strawberry and Richard Graft. Washington Strawberry.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Late Strawberry (Autumn Strawberry).— Origin, Aurora, New York; tree vigorous, upright, spreading, productive, an early bearer. Fruit medium, regular, roundish, slightly conical, sometimes obscurely ribbed, truncated; surface polished, yellowish white, almost wholly covered with light and dark splashes and crimson and red, often overlaid with thin bloom, a showy fruit; cavity large, deep, acute, with thin stellate russet; stem long, slender, curved; basin abrupt, narrow, wavy, ribbed; calyx half open; segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells obovate, entire; tube funnel-shaped, narrow, open to core; stamens marginal; seeds very large, roundish, flattened; flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant, vinous, subacid, very good. October, December.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Late Strawberry. Size: medium. Form: round. Color: yellow-red. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: early autumn. Division reports: III* (variety reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)LATE STRAWBERRY. Fig. 32. Autumn Strawberry. Fall Strawberry. The true Late Strawberry is one of the best dessert apples of its season. It is, however, an apple only for the home orchard. Its reputation has suffered because of confusion in nomenclature, several distinct sorts being grown as Late Strawberry. The variety is debarred from commercial plantation because of the small size of the fruit and the long period of maturity, which makes several pickings necessary. The beauty and high quality of this apple should make it a favorite in orchards planted for choicely good fruit. The variety originated at Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, and was first described in 1848. Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, healthy, long-lived, yielding regularly and heavily. Fruit small, uniform in size and shape, round or oblong-conic, sometimes strongly ribbed, irregular; stem long, slender, often curved; cavity acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes with thin radiating streaks of light russet mingled with carmine; calyx large, open; lobes often separated at base, short, acute, erect or reflexed; basin deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled; skin pale yellow often almost entirely overspread with bright red, dotted and streaked with purplish-carmine; dots inconspicuous, light colored; prevailing effect bright striped red; calyx-tube wide, conical; stamens basal; core small, axile to abaxile; cells closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels obovate; seeds large, flat, obtuse; flesh yellow, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic, subacid; very good; September to December.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1893. Tree a moderate grower. Fruit of medium size, oblate. Skin green, striped and splashed with pale red, with a whitish bloom. Flesh yellowish white, crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant, sub-acid, quality good. Season, last of September.