Lead

Origin/History

Lead is a Russian variety. As Beach notes, two distinct Russian varieties were disseminated under the name Lead, creating confusion in American pomological literature; references prior to the early twentieth century may apply to either one. Hansen identifies the true Lead as his No. 3 M and distinguishes it from a second variety that circulated under the synonym No. 277, which he regards as not the true Lead. Beach received a Russian variety from the Iowa Agricultural College in 1890 for testing — subsequently determined to be the No. 277 variety, not the true Lead.

Tree

The Iowa-received variety (No. 277, not the true Lead) does not come into bearing very young. It is an annual cropper but only moderately productive. Beach judged it not worthy of further testing for the New York region. No tree characteristics are described in the sources for the true Lead (No. 3 M).

Fruit

Size and Form

The true Lead (Hansen, No. 3 M) is large, heavy, solid, and regular in outline, roundish, somewhat truncated, sometimes unequal, and slightly ribbed. Thomas describes the variety as medium in size, irregular, and oblate — a conflict with Hansen's characterization of the true Lead as large and roundish. The Iowa-received variety (No. 277, per Beach) is medium in size or above.

Skin

True Lead (Hansen): surface greenish yellow, with a dull red blush on the sunny side. Dots gray, distinct, and numerous; on the shaded side the dots have green bases. Thomas describes the color as greenish yellow with a red blush, consistent with Hansen. The Iowa-received variety (Beach) is pale greenish-yellow with a blushed cheek and carmine splashes — a distinctly different coloring pattern from the dull blush of the true Lead.

Stem

True Lead (Hansen): stem medium. Thomas describes the stem as long — a conflict with Hansen's "medium."

Cavity

True Lead (Hansen): cavity regular, shallow, and acute. Thomas likewise notes cavity acute, consistent with Hansen on acuteness.

Calyx and Basin

True Lead (Hansen): calyx open; basin wide and slightly corrugated. Thomas describes the basin as very wide and shallow.

Flesh and Flavor

True Lead (Hansen): flesh greenish white with green veinings; flavor sharp subacid; quality good. The Iowa-received variety (Beach): flesh tender, rather juicy, subacid, fair quality — somewhat lower quality than Hansen's characterization of the true Lead.

Core and Seeds

True Lead (Hansen): core half open; cells broadly elliptical, entire; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds light brown and plump.

Season

True Lead (Hansen): early winter. Thomas gives mid-winter. The Iowa-received variety (Beach, No. 277): late August and September — dramatically earlier, a key distinguishing characteristic between the two varieties that circulated under this name.

Uses

Quality rated good (Hansen, Thomas) for the true Lead. The Iowa-received variety rated only fair quality by Beach.

Other

Beach's summary of the confusion: the variety he tested at the New York Station, received from the Iowa Agricultural College as "Lead," proved to be the same as Hansen's No. 277 — not the true Lead. Hansen's true Lead bears the synonym No. 3 M. The erroneous variety (No. 277) was described by Beach as not worthy of further testing for the New York region. The true Lead (No. 3 M) was characterized by Hansen as a good-quality early-winter apple.