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Longfield

Apple

Origin/History

Longfield was imported from Russia by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1870. Later it was imported from various European sources for the Iowa Agricultural College by Professor Budd-Hansen and others. It became frequently listed by nurserymen and was planted to a limited extent in various parts of New York state, though as of 1905 it had not yet come to be commonly known among New York fruit growers (Beach). Lowther (1914) notes it was being planted to a limited extent in most of the Northern States. Stark Bros. (1910) calls it "a valuable apple for northern planting."

Tree

Tree medium in size with short, moderately stout, crooked branches and drooping laterals filled with small spurs. Form roundish or spreading, dense, rather low. Twigs medium in length, curved, moderately stout; terminal buds large; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarfskin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oval, not raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.

A moderate grower, very hardy and very productive; bears such heavy crops that the fruit is liable to be deficient in size, requiring much care in thinning. Stark Bros. (1910) describes the tree as "productive from the ground-up" and "a good bearer," though one passage in the Stark catalog describes it as "moderately hardy," conflicting with the "very hardy" assessment of Beach, Lowther, and another passage in the same Stark catalog.

Fruit

Size: Medium to small, usually below medium; uniform in size and shape. Thomas (1903) and Stark Bros. (1910) both describe it simply as medium.

Form: Roundish conic, slightly ribbed (Beach). Thomas describes it as round-conic and regular.

Stem: Medium to short, rather slender (Beach). Thomas describes the stem as large and slender.

Cavity: Acuminate to acute, medium to rather deep, narrow, quite symmetrical, usually slightly russeted. Thomas notes the cavity as narrow.

Calyx: Small, leafy, closed or partly open; lobes long, rather narrow, acute to acuminate.

Basin: Small, shallow to medium in depth, narrow, somewhat abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled.

Skin: Thin, tender, smooth, glossy, pale waxen yellow or whitish usually with a lively pinkish blush but not striped. Dots few, small, inconspicuous, whitish, usually submerged. Prevailing effect attractive bright pale yellow partly blushed with lively red. The texture is so tender and the color so delicate that it shows bruises very readily.

Calyx Tube: Narrow and elongated, often extending to the core. Stamens basal to median.

Core/Seeds: Core medium to above, axile or nearly so; cells symmetrical, not uniformly developed, closed or partly open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish, slightly emarginate. Seeds rather large, moderately dark brown, long, acute approaching acuminate.

Flesh/Flavor: Nearly white, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy, subacid, sprightly, aromatic, good to very good (Beach). Thomas (1903) describes the flesh as "white, melting, juicy, sub-acid, quality good." Stark Bros. (1910) rates the quality as "good and pleasing." [NOTE: The Stark Bros. catalog text contains a garbled phrase — "after exam ably lasting flavor" — likely an OCR or printing artifact; the intended meaning appears to relate to the flavor's lasting quality.]

Season

September to October or later. In ordinary storage at Geneva, New York, the commercial limit is late September or early October; in cold storage it may be kept till December (Beach). As grown further north it may be kept through the winter. Thomas (1903) calls it "a fine fall or early winter apple." Stark Bros. (1910) describes it as a "late fall and early winter apple."

Uses

Classed among the fancy dessert apples; also good for culinary uses. In marketing, it is necessary to handle with great care because its texture is so very tender and its color so delicate that it shows bruises very readily. Not well adapted for holding outside of cold storage. Recommended for planting for home use and for local and special markets (Beach). Stark Bros. (1910) calls it "a good commercial variety."

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 15 catalogs (1891–1921) from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington

View original book sources (4)

LONGFIELD.

REFERENCES. [1-12 on preceding page.] 13. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1889:8. 14. Gibb, Can. Hort., 12:27. 1889. 15. Ib., 13:207, 216, 301. 1890. 16. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul, 1890:19. 17. Ia. Sta. Bul., 19:536. 1892. 18. Can. Hort., 15:29. 1892. 19. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:57, 58. 20. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 21. Amer. Gard., 14:50, 177, 305. 1893. 22. Can. Hort., 16:204, 360. 1893. 23. Craig, Ont. Fr. Gr. Assn. An. Rpt., 26:16. 1894. 24. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:582. 1894. 25. Troop, Ind. Sta. Bul, 53:123. 1894. 26. Craig, Can. Dept. Agr. Rpt., 1894:126. figs. 27. Freeborn, Nat. Nurseryman, 2:133. 1894. 28. Van Deman, Rural N. Y., 55:848. 1896. 29. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:75. 30. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul, 43:105. 1896. 31. Buckman, Rural N. Y., 56:39. 1897. 32. Waugh, Vt. Sta. Bul, 61:31. 1897. 33. Thomas, 1897:291. fig. 34. Am. Gard., 19:650, 682. 1898. 35. Rural N. Y., 57:736, 819. 1898. 36. Troop, Ind. Sta. Rpt., 1899:80. 37. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul, 76:67. 1902. fig. 38. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 18:84, 85, 87, 95. 1902. 39. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul, 48:47. 1903. 40. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul, 205:45. 1903. 41. Budd-Hansen, 1903:116. 42. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul, 248:129. 1904.

SYNONYMS. English Pippin (26). 57 M (16). 56 M (2, 3, 6, 10). Good Peasant (9). LANGERFELDSKOE (1, 4, 5, 7, 13). Langerfeldskoe (8). LONGFIELD (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42). Longfield (4, 7). Long-Reid's Apple (1, 5). No. 161 (2, 3, 6, 8, 16, 24, 29, 37).

The fruit of Longfield is usually below medium size but decidedly attractive in appearance for a yellow apple, being clear waxen yellow, lightly blushed with bright red. Its flesh is white, crisp, fine, very tender and of pleasant quality. It may well be classed among the fancy dessert apples; it is good also for culinary uses. In marketing this fruit it is necessary to handle it with great care because ordinarily its texture is so very tender and its color so delicate that it shows bruises very readily. It is not well adapted for holding outside of cold storage. In ordinary storage its commercial limit at Geneva is late September or early October (42) and in cold storage it may be kept till December (42); but as grown further north it may be kept through the winter (26). The tree is a moderate grower, very hardy and very productive; in fact it bears such heavy crops that the fruit is liable to be deficient in size. On account of the hardiness and productiveness of the tree and the beauty and good quality of the fruit Longfield is recommended for planting for home use and for local and special markets.

Historical. Longfield was first imported from Russia by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1870; later it was imported from various European sources for the Iowa Agricultural College by Professor Budd-Hansen, and others. It is now frequently listed by nurserymen (20) and is being planted to a limited extent in various parts of the state, but it has not yet come to be commonly known among New York fruit growers.

TREE.

Tree medium in size with short, moderately stout, crooked branches and drooping laterals filled with small spurs. Form roundish or spreading, dense, rather low. Twigs medium in length, curved, moderately stout; terminal buds large; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarfskin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oval, not raised. Buds medium size, broad, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to small, usually below medium; uniform in size and shape. Form roundish conic, slightly ribbed. Stem medium to short, rather slender. Cavity acuminate to acute, medium to rather deep, narrow, quite symmetrical, usually slightly russeted. Calyx small, leafy, closed or partly open; lobes long, rather narrow, acute to acuminate. Basin small, shallow to medium in depth, narrow, somewhat abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled.

Skin thin, tender, smooth, glossy, pale waxen yellow or whitish usually with a lively pinkish blush but not striped. Dots few, small, inconspicuous, whitish, usually submerged. Prevailing effect attractive bright pale yellow partly blushed with lively red.

Calyx tube narrow and elongated, often extending to the core. Stamens basal to median.

Core medium to above, axile or nearly so; cells symmetrical, not uniformly developed, closed or partly open; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish, slightly emarginate. Seeds rather large, moderately dark brown, long, acute approaching acuminate.

Flesh nearly white, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy, subacid, sprightly, aromatic, good to very good.

Season September to October or later.

S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Longfield

The fruit of the Longfield is below the medium in size, but is decidedly attractive in appearance for a yellow apple, being clear waxen yellow, lightly blushed with bright red. Its flesh is crisp, white, fine, very tender and of pleasant quality. It is classed among the fancy dessert apples and is good for cooking. In marketing this fruit it is necessary to handle it with more than ordinary care, because its texture is so tender, and its color so delicate, that it shows bruises very readily. Its season is September and October; but in cold storage it is sometimes held until winter, especially if grown in the North.

The tree is a moderate grower, very hardy and very productive, and requires much care in thinning, in order that the fruit may not be deficient in size. Form roundish or spreading, dense, rather low. Twigs medium to stout, large terminal buds, internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarf skin; pubescent.

Historical. The Longfield was imported from Russia by the United States department of Agriculture in 1870. Later it was imported from various European sources for the Iowa Agricultural College. It is now frequently listed by nurserymen, and is being planted to a limited extent in most of the Northern States.

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

Longfield.* Medium, round-conic, regular; yellow; cavity narrow; stem large, slender; basin small; flesh white, melting, juicy, sub-acid, quality good. A fine fall or early winter apple. Fig. 374. Russian.

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

A Russian origin, Medium size, after exam ably lasting flavor. Moderately hardy. A valuable apple for northern planting. Tree is productive from the ground-up. Very hardy, productive and a good bearer. Late fall and early winter apple. The quality is good and pleasing. A good commercial variety. NCS

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)
56 M 57 M English Pippin Good Peasant Langerfeldskoe Long-Reid's Apple No. 161 Golden Reinette Orleans Reinette Court Pendu de Tournay Haute Bonté Yellow Foster English Pippin Good Peasant Birth