Long Stem
AppleOrigin/History
"Long Stem" is a collective name applied to several distinct apple varieties that share the characteristic of a notably long stem but are otherwise unrelated. Downing identifies four separate apples under this name, distinguished by the wood of their young shoots. Beach concurs, noting that the references cited for "Long Stem" do not all refer to the same variety, and that the Long Stem of Pennsylvania was separately described in Volume I of his work. Elliott also explicitly distinguishes among the regional variants, noting that his Pennsylvania description is distinct from "the 'Long Stem' of Cole" (Massachusetts origin) and "the 'Long Stem' of Conn[ecticut]."
The Long Stem of Connecticut is characterized by Downing as perhaps the oldest variety of the group.
The Long Stem of Massachusetts originates from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, according to Cole's 1849 description as cited by Beach.
The Long Stem of Pennsylvania originates from Berks County, Pennsylvania, according to Elliott.
Beach cites the following references for the group: Cole (1849:106), Hooper (1857:55), Warder (1867:725), Downing (1869:256), Ragan, U.S. B.P.I. Bul. 56:183 (1905).
Subtypes/Variants
Long Stem of Connecticut
Tree: Young shoots dull reddish brown, somewhat downy; buds prominent, rounded, flattened (Downing).
Fruit — Size and Form: Medium, roundish oblate (Downing).
Fruit — Skin: Yellow, with greenish dots and small patches of russet (Downing).
Fruit — Calyx and Basin: Calyx small, in a small basin (Downing).
Fruit — Flesh/Flavor: Flesh yellow, fine-grained, somewhat spicy, sweet, and rich. Quality: Good (Downing).
Season: September to January (Downing).
Long Stem of Massachusetts
Tree: Young shoots rather slender, reddish brown, somewhat grayish, slightly downy; buds small, clear red (Downing).
Bearing: Good and constant bearer (Cole via Beach).
Fruit — Size and Form: Downing describes the fruit as medium, roundish oblate. Cole (via Beach) and Elliott both describe a larger fruit: Cole gives "large medial, flattish-round"; Elliott describes it as "large, roundish." [NOTE: Downing's "medium, roundish oblate" conflicts with Cole's "large medial, flattish-round" for what both attribute to the Massachusetts variety. Both descriptions are retained here.]
Fruit — Stem and Cavity: Stem extremely long, slender, in a broad, deep cavity (Cole via Beach).
Fruit — Skin: Downing: yellow, with a slight blush in the sun, moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots. Cole (via Beach) and Elliott: pale yellow, brown full in the sun, with dark specks and patches (Cole) / brown in sun (Elliott).
Fruit — Calyx and Basin: Downing: calyx medium, closed. Cole (via Beach): calyx large, rather open, in a broad, shallow basin. Elliott: calyx large, basin broad, shallow.
Fruit — Flesh/Flavor: Downing: flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, sprightly subacid, aromatic. Quality: Good. Cole (via Beach): flesh white, rather tender, juicy, of a rich, mild, delicious, sprightly, aromatic flavor. Quality: first-rate for dessert or cooking. Elliott: flesh white, juicy, aromatic. [NOTE: Downing gives yellowish flesh; Cole gives white flesh — conflicting detail retained from both.]
Season: Downing: October to February. Cole (via Beach) and Elliott: September 1st to the last of October.
Uses: First-rate for dessert or cooking (Cole via Beach).
Long Stem of Pennsylvania
Tree: Young shoots yellowish brown; buds very small and short (Downing).
Fruit — Size and Form: Downing: medium or below, roundish, inclining to oblong, truncated. Elliott: below medium, roundish oblong, sometimes angular.
Fruit — Stem and Cavity: Stalk long, slender, curved, with bracts (Downing). Stem long; cavity medium, acuminate (Elliott).
Fruit — Skin: Downing: yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with red mostly over the whole surface; many small light and gray dots. Elliott: red in faint stripes, with a number of gray russet dots.
Fruit — Calyx and Basin: Downing: calyx closed; segments a little recurved; basin corrugated. Elliott: basin small, shallow, plaited.
Fruit — Flesh/Flavor: Downing: flesh whitish, crisp, tender, mild subacid, slightly aromatic. Quality: Good to very good. Elliott: flesh greenish white, tender, agreeably sub-acid flavor, with Spitzenberg aroma. Quality: very good.
Season: Downing: November to February. Elliott: September and October. [NOTE: Downing and Elliott give conflicting seasons — November–February vs. September–October — for what both identify as the Pennsylvania variety.]
Long Stem of Kentucky
Tree: Young wood reddish grayish brown, slightly downy; buds short, round, flattened (Downing).
Fruit — Size and Form: Medium, roundish oblate (Downing).
Fruit — Skin: Greenish, shaded, mottled, and rather indistinctly splashed and striped over all with dull dark red; many large light gray dots (Downing).
Fruit — Flesh/Flavor: Flesh greenish white, rather compact, mild, almost sweet, subacid. Quality: Good to very good (Downing).
Fruit — Core: Core small (Downing).
Season: December to March (Downing).
Tree
See individual variant entries above. The four variants are explicitly distinguished by their young wood characters: Connecticut has dull reddish brown, somewhat downy shoots with prominent rounded flattened buds; Massachusetts has slender reddish brown grayish slightly downy shoots with small clear red buds; Pennsylvania has yellowish brown shoots with very small short buds; Kentucky has reddish grayish brown slightly downy wood with short round flattened buds.
Fruit
See individual variant entries under Subtypes/Variants above for full per-variety fruit descriptions.
Season
Connecticut: September to January. Massachusetts: September–October (Cole) or October–February (Downing). Pennsylvania: September–October (Elliott) or November–February (Downing). Kentucky: December to March.
Uses
Massachusetts variety: first-rate for dessert or cooking (Cole via Beach).
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— 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.
— 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.