Lawver. Origin uncertain. Introduced by George S. Park, of Parkville, Mo., and said to have been found in an old Indian orchard in Kansas. Tree vigorous, spreading, an early and annual bearer, a beautiful fruit, and a long keeper. Fruit large, roundish oblate. Color dark bright red, covered with small dots. Stalk medium. Cavity deep, regular. Calyx small, closed. Basin medium, furrowed. Flesh white, firm, crisp, sprightly, aromatic, mild subacid. January to May. (Prairie Farmer.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Lawver. Large, roundish, regular; with surface handsomely striped with red, sub-acid, good. It is not very productive and does not promise well for a market variety. Winter. West. Fig. 468. Missouri.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

LAWVER.

REFERENCES. 1. Prairie Farmer, 1868. (cited by 19). 2. Warder, Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1868:95-97. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:8. 4. Downing, 1872:251. 5. Fitz, 1872:121, 143. 6. Thomas, 1885:516. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1887:92. 8. Mo. Sta. Bul., 6:7. 1889. 9. Wickson, 1891:246. 10. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 11. Beach, Paddock and Close, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 15:272. 1896. 12. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 43:103. 1896. 13. Mass. Hatch Sta. Bul., 44:4. 1897. 14. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1899:78. 15. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:135. 1901. 16. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:47. 1903. 17. Budd-Hansen, 1903:114. 18. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:129. 1904. 19. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:176. 1905.

SYNONYMS. Black Spy. Delaware Red Winter (11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19). DELAWARE WINTER (7). Delaware Winter (11, 13).

An attractive bright red apple, pretty uniform in size and shape. It is very firm, ships well and keeps late. It does not rank high in quality and is less suitable for dessert than for market and culinary uses. As grown in this state often a considerable portion of the fruit grades below medium size and lacks proper development in quality and color. It is better adapted to more southern latitudes. In some places the tree is not a good cropper, but usually it comes into bearing rather early and is a reliable biennial bearer, often yielding very heavy crops. The fruit and foliage are quite subject to the attacks of the apple scab fungus, but this may be readily controlled by proper treatment. This variety is seldom regarded favorably for commercial planting by New York fruit growers, and the quality is not high enough to give it a place among the varieties recommended for the home orchard.

Historical. Origin uncertain. "Introduced by Geo. S. Park, of Parkville, Mo., and said to have been found in an old Indian orchard in Kansas" (1, 4). Reintroduced from Delaware under the name Delaware Winter (7). It has also been disseminated in some portions of New York under the name Black Spy. During the last forty years it has been pretty thoroughly disseminated throughout the country.

TREE. Tree medium or above, vigorous or moderately vigorous; branches long, moderately stout, curved. Form roundish or somewhat flat, spreading, rather dense. Twigs short to rather long, curved, moderately stout; internodes medium to rather long. Bark dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green, mottled with rather heavy scarf-skin, slightly pubescent near the tips. Lenticels dull, inconspicuous, rather scattering, medium to large, elongated, raised. Buds large to medium, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT. Fruit medium or above; as fruited here it usually averages no more than medium and often a considerable portion of the crop runs below medium. Form roundish or somewhat oblate, ribbed but slightly if at all, regular and symmetrical. Stem variable, often long and slender. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, deep, rather large and broad, often compressed or distinctly furrowed, usually more or less russeted and often with outspreading russet rays. Calyx rather small, closed or partly open, often leafy; lobes sometimes separated at the base. Basin usually rather wide, flat and obtuse, sometimes moderately deep and moderately abrupt, gently furrowed, sometimes wrinkled. Skin moderately thin, tough, sometimes a little waxy, smooth, occasionally showing some of the yellow ground color but usually completely covered with solid bright red which about the base deepens to purplish and is often mottled and streaked with dull grayish scarf-skin. Toward the apex it has a characteristic lighter and brighter red tone. Dots whitish or russet, small and numerous about the basin, larger and scattering toward the cavity. Calyx tube rather long, narrow at top, funnel-form. Stamens median. Core abaxile, medium or above; cells pretty symmetrical, open or partly closed; core lines clasping. Carpels somewhat concave, roundish to broadly obcordate, but slightly emarginate if at all, somewhat tufted. Seeds dark, medium to rather large, wide, obtuse, somewhat tufted. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow or greenish, rather hard, somewhat breaking, moderately fine, crisp, tender, juicy, rather brisk subacid, somewhat aromatic, not highly flavored, fair to good in quality. Season January to May or June. Commercial limit March or possibly April.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Lawyer", pp. 320–322]

LAWYER.

REFERENCES. 1. Prairie Farmer, 1868. (cited by 19). 2. Warder, Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1868:95-97. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:8. 4. Downing, 1872:251. 5. Fitz, 1872:121, 143. 6. Thomas, 1885:516. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1887:92. 8. Mo. Sta. Bul. 6:7. 1889. 9. Wickson, 1891:246. 10. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 11. Beach, Paddock and Close, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 15:272. 1896. 12. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 43:103. 1896. 13. Mass. Hatch Sta. Bul., 44:4. 1897. 14. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1899:78. 15. Alwood, Va. Sta. Bul., 130:135. 1901. 16. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 48:47. 1903. 17. Budd-Hansen, 1903:114. 18. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:129. 1904. 19. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:176. 1905.

SYNONYMS. Black Spy. Delaware Red Winter (11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19). DELAWARE WINTER (7). Delaware Winter (11, 13).

An attractive bright red apple, pretty uniform in size and shape. It is very firm, ships well and keeps late. It does not rank high in quality and is less suitable for dessert than for market and culinary uses. As grown in this state often a considerable portion of the fruit grades below medium size and lacks proper development in quality and color. It is better adapted to more southern latitudes. In some places the tree is not a good cropper, but usually it comes into bearing rather early and is a reliable biennial bearer, often yielding very heavy crops. The fruit and foliage are quite subject to the attacks of the apple scab fungus, but this may be readily controlled by proper treatment. This variety is seldom regarded favorably for commercial planting by New York fruit growers, and the quality is not high enough to give it a place among the varieties recommended for the home orchard.

Historical. Origin uncertain. "Introduced by Geo. S. Park, of Parkville, Mo., and said to have been found in an old Indian orchard in Kansas" (1, 4). Reintroduced from Delaware under the name Delaware Winter (7). It has also been disseminated in some portions of New York under the name Black Spy. During the last forty years it has been pretty thoroughly disseminated throughout the country.

TREE.

Tree medium or above, vigorous or moderately vigorous; branches long, moderately stout, curved. Form roundish or somewhat flat, spreading, rather dense. Twigs short to rather long, curved, moderately stout; internodes medium to rather long. Bark dark brownish-red mingled with olive-green, mottled with rather heavy scarf-skin, slightly pubescent near the tips. Lenticels dull, inconspicuous, rather scattering, medium to large, elongated, raised. Buds large to medium, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium or above; as fruited here it usually averages no more than medium and often a considerable portion of the crop runs below medium. Form roundish or somewhat oblate, ribbed but slightly if at all, regular and symmetrical. Stem variable, often long and slender. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, deep, rather large and broad, often compressed or distinctly furrowed, usually more or less russeted and often with outspreading russet rays. Calyx rather small, closed or partly open, often leafy; lobes sometimes separated at the base. Basin usually rather wide, flat and obtuse, sometimes moderately deep and moderately abrupt, gently furrowed, sometimes wrinkled. Skin moderately thin, tough, sometimes a little waxy, smooth, occasionally showing some of the yellow ground color but usually completely covered with solid bright red which about the base deepens to purplish and is often mottled and streaked with dull grayish scarf-skin. Toward the apex it has a characteristic lighter and brighter red tone. Dots whitish or russet, small and numerous about the basin, larger and scattering toward the cavity. Calyx tube rather long, narrow at top, funnel-form. Stamens median. Core abaxile, medium or above; cells pretty symmetrical, open or partly closed; core lines clasping. Carpels somewhat concave, roundish to broadly obcordate, but slightly emarginate if at all, somewhat tufted. Seeds dark, medium to rather large, wide, obtuse, somewhat tufted. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow or greenish, rather hard, somewhat breaking, moderately fine, crisp, tender, juicy, rather brisk subacid, somewhat aromatic, not highly flavored, fair to good in quality. Season January to May or June. Commercial limit March or possibly April.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Lawyer. — Origin uncertain, introduced by Geo. S. Park, of Parkville, Missouri; tree spreading, an early and annual bearer.

Fruit above medium, roundish oblate, irregular, broadly ribbed; surface polished, greenish yellow, almost wholly covered with dark bright red, with obscure dark crimson splashes; dots few, yellow and russet, minute; cavity deep, regular, with radiate russet; stem medium to long, slender; basin nearly flat, narrow, wrinkled; calyx closed; segments connivent. Core small, half open, outline indistinct; cells round, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; flesh firm, yellowish white, juicy, tender, pleasant subacid, good. Late winter to May or later.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Lawver: size large, form roundish (oblate), color red, quality very good, use both kitchen and market, season early autumn, Central Division 3 (reported in more than one division).

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

LAWVER. Black Spy. Delaware Winter.

Lawver retains a place in pomology because of the attractive appearance and long-keeping quality of the fruit. The apples are a handsome red, very uniform in shape and size, and keep in common storage until May or June. They are, however, but mediocre in quality scarcely desirable for either dessert or culinary purposes. The trees come in bearing early, and, as a rule, yield large crops biennially. The variety is at its best in southern latitudes; in the North the apples run small in size and poor in color and quality. Fruit and foliage are subject to apple-scab. The origin of Lawver is uncertain, but it is said to have come from Parkville, Missouri, soon after the Civil War, and to have been reintroduced from Delaware under the name Delaware Winter.

Tree vigorous, round-spreading, dense; branches long, stout, curved.

Fruit medium to large, round or oblate, regular and symmetrical; stem variable, often long and slender; cavity acute or acuminate, deep, large and broad, often compressed or furrowed, more or less russeted and often with outspreading russet rays; calyx small, closed or open, often leafy; lobes sometimes separated at the base; basin wide, flat and obtuse, sometimes deep and abrupt, gently furrowed, sometimes wrinkled; skin thin, tough, smooth, occasionally showing the yellow ground-color but usually covered with bright red which deepens about the base and is often mottled and streaked with dull gray scarf-skin, toward the apex lighter red; dots white or russet, small and numerous about the basin, large and scattering toward the cavity; calyx-tube long, narrow at top, funnel-form; stamens median; core abaxile, medium in size; cells symmetrical, open or closed; core-lines clasping; carpels concave, round to obcordate, tufted; seeds dark, large, wide, obtuse, tufted; flesh yellow, firm, breaking, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, aromatic; fair to good; January to May or June.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)