Long Stem
AppleLong Stem
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the sources describe several distinct apples grown under the name Long Stem, not one variety. Downing separates four (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky) by the young wood, and Beach says the references cited "do not all refer to the same variety." Descriptions below are given by type.]
Origin / History
Beach: "Several varieties of the apple have been known in cultivation under the name Long Stem." He cites Cole (1849), Hooper (1857), Warder (1867), Downing (1869) and Ragan (1905), and notes that one of these apples is described in his Volume I, page 196, as Long Stem of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania type described by Elliott is from Berks Co., Pa. Elliott holds it distinct from the "Long Stem" of Cole and from the "Long Stem" of Count. The Massachusetts type described by Cole originated at East Bridgewater, Mass.; Elliott calls it "a native of Mass." Downing calls the Long Stem of Connecticut "perhaps, the oldest variety."
Tree
Downing: four distinct apples under this name, "easily distinguished by the wood of the young shoots."
Connecticut: young shoots dull reddish brown, somewhat downy; buds prominent, rounded, flattened.
Massachusetts: young shoots rather slender, reddish brown, somewhat grayish, slightly downy; buds small, clear red. Cole calls it a "Good and constant bearer."
Pennsylvania: young shoots yellowish brown; buds very small, short.
Kentucky: young wood reddish grayish brown, slightly downy; buds short, round, flattened.
Fruit
Size: Pennsylvania type below medium (Elliott); medium or below (Downing). Connecticut, Kentucky and Downing's Massachusetts type medium. Cole's Massachusetts fruit "Large medial"; Elliott describing Cole's fruit says large.
Form: Pennsylvania: roundish oblong, sometimes angular (Elliott); roundish, inclining to oblong, truncated (Downing). Connecticut, Kentucky and Downing's Massachusetts type roundish oblate. Cole's Massachusetts fruit "flattish-round"; Elliott, roundish.
Stem: Pennsylvania: long (Elliott); long, slender, curved, with bracts (Downing). Cole's Massachusetts: "extremely long, slender."
Cavity: Pennsylvania: medium, acuminate (Elliott). Cole's Massachusetts: broad, deep.
Calyx: Pennsylvania: closed, segments a little recurved (Downing). Connecticut: small. Massachusetts: medium, closed (Downing); large, rather open (Cole); large (Elliott, of Cole's fruit).
Basin: Pennsylvania: small, shallow, plaited (Elliott); corrugated (Downing). Connecticut: small. Cole's Massachusetts: broad, shallow (Cole; Elliott).
Skin: Pennsylvania: red in faint stripes (Elliott); yellowish, shaded, splashed and striped with red mostly over the whole surface (Downing). Connecticut: yellow, with small patches of russet. Massachusetts: yellow with a slight blush in the sun (Downing); pale yellow, "brown full in the sun," with "dark specks and patches" (Cole; Elliott gives pale yellow, brown in sun). Kentucky: greenish, shaded, mottled and rather indistinctly splashed and striped over all with dull dark red.
Dots: Pennsylvania: a number of gray russet dots (Elliott); many, small, light and gray (Downing). Connecticut: greenish. Massachusetts: moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots (Downing). Kentucky: many, large, light gray.
Flesh and flavor: Pennsylvania: flesh greenish white (Elliott) or whitish (Downing); tender (Elliott); crisp, tender (Downing). Flavor agreeably sub-acid with Spitzenberg aroma (Elliott); mild subacid, slightly aromatic (Downing). Quality "very good" (Elliott); "Good to very good" (Downing).
Connecticut: flesh yellow, fine-grained, somewhat spicy, sweet and rich. Good.
Massachusetts: flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic; good (Downing). Flesh white, rather tender, juicy, "of a rich, mild, delicious, sprightly, aromatic flavor," "First-rate for the dessert or cooking" (Cole); white, juicy, aromatic (Elliott).
Kentucky: flesh greenish white, rather compact, mild, almost sweet, subacid. Good to very good.
Core and seeds: Kentucky: core small.
Season
Recorded seasons by type run from September into March. Pennsylvania type, November to February. Connecticut, September to January. Kentucky, December to March. Massachusetts, "October, February" (Downing); "Sept. 1st, to the last of Oct." (Cole); September and October (Elliott, of Cole's fruit).
Uses
Cole's Massachusetts fruit: "First-rate for the dessert or cooking."
Subtypes / Variants
Four distinct apples under the name, told apart by the young wood (Downing): the Long Stems of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Cole's Long Stem, from East Bridgewater, Mass., is a fifth description under the Massachusetts name, larger and with a more open calyx than Downing's. The "Long Stem" of Count is a separate apple (Elliott).
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Long Stem.
From Berks Co., Pa. Below medium, roundish oblong, sometimes angular; skin, red, in faint stripes, with a number of gray russet dots; stem, long; cavity, medium, acuminate; basin, small, shallow, plaited; flesh, greenish white, tender, agreeably sub-acid flavor, with Spitzenberg aroma; quality, "very good." This is distinct from the "Long Stem" of Cole, which is large, roundish, pale yellow, brown in sun; calyx, large; basin, broad, shallow; flesh, white, juicy, aromatic. September and October. A native of Mass. And also distinct from the "Long Stem" of Count.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Long Stem.
There are four distinct Apples under this name, easily distinguished by the wood of the young shoots.
The Long Stem of Connecticut is, perhaps, the oldest variety. The young shoots are dull reddish brown, somewhat downy, with prominent rounded, flattened buds.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow, with greenish dots, and small patches of russet. Calyx small, in a small basin. Flesh yellow, fine-grained, somewhat spicy, sweet, and rich. Good. September to January.
The Long Stem of Massachusetts has rather slender young shoots of reddish brown, somewhat grayish, and slightly downy, with small clear red buds.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow, with a slight blush in the sun, moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots. Calyx medium, closed. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic. Good. October, February.
The Long Stem of Pennsylvania has young shoots, of a yellowish brown, with very small short buds.
Fruit medium or below, roundish, inclining to oblong, truncated, yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with red mostly over the whole surface, many small light and gray dots. Stalk long, slender, curved, with bracts. Calyx closed. Segments a little recurved. Basin corrugated. Flesh whitish, crisp, tender, mild subacid, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. November to February.
The Long Stem of Kentucky has reddish grayish brown young wood, slightly downy, with short, round, flattened buds.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, greenish, shaded, mottled, and rather indistinctly splashed and striped over all with dull dark red, and with many large light gray dots. Flesh greenish white, rather compact, mild, almost sweet, subacid. Core small. Good to very good. December to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)LONG STEM.
REFERENCES. 1. Cole, 1849:106. 2. Hooper, 1857:55. 3. Warder, 1867:725. 4. Downing, 1869:256. 5. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:183. 1905.
SYNONYMS. None.
Several varieties of the apple have been known in cultivation under the name Long Stem. One of these has already been described (Volume I, page 196) as Long Stem of Pennsylvania; others are noticed below. The references cited above do not all refer to the same variety.
LONG STEM OF MASSACHUSETTS. The following is Cole's description of this variety (1): "Large medial; flattish-round; pale yellow, brown full in the sun; dark specks and patches; stem extremely long, slender, in a broad, deep cavity; calyx large, rather open, in a broad, shallow basin; flesh white, rather tender, juicy, of a rich, mild, delicious, sprightly, aromatic flavor. First-rate for the dessert or cooking. Sept. 1st, to the last of Oct. Good and constant bearer. Origin, East Bridgewater, Ms."
LONG STEM OF CONNECTICUT. Downing (4) describes this variety as having young shoots of dull reddish-brown, somewhat downy, with prominent, flattened buds. Fruit medium, roundish oblate, yellow; flesh fine-grained, sweet, rich, good. Season September to January.