Longworth's Red Winter
AppleLongworth's Red Winter
Origin/History
Longworth's Red Winter originated with William Longworth of Dubuque, Iowa (Downing). It was received for trial at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in 1889 from Benjamin Buckman of Farmingdale, Illinois (Beach).
Tree
The tree is hardy and a vigorous grower, with a roundish head inclining to be upright (Downing). It comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper (Beach). Downing describes it as an early and good bearer annually, with larger crops on alternate years; Beach characterizes the bearing habit as moderate to rather heavy crops biennially, or sometimes annually. Both sources agree on the biennial tendency with the capacity for annual bearing.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium in size (Downing); Beach corroborates as "not very large." Form roundish oblate conical, regular (Downing).
Stem: Medium length, slender (Downing).
Cavity: Rather large, smooth (Downing).
Calyx: Closed or nearly so (Downing).
Basin: Medium, slightly corrugated (Downing).
Skin: Whitish yellow ground, shaded, striped, and splashed with light and dark rich red over most of the surface, and thickly sprinkled with light dots (Downing). Beach notes the color as "fairly good."
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white and fine, with sometimes veins of red around the core; tender and juicy, mild subacid, having a slight peculiar quince-like flavor. Quality rated very good (Downing). Beach considers it inferior in quality to standard varieties of its season.
Core and Seeds: Not described in source beyond the note of occasional red veining around the core.
Season
Season November to February (Downing). Beach notes the season is variable: some years Longworth's Red Winter keeps fairly well until midwinter, but as grown at the New York station its commercial limit in ordinary storage is generally November.
Uses
Not recommended for planting in New York (Beach). The quince-like flavor noted by Downing, combined with Beach's assessment of below-standard quality relative to other late-keeping varieties of the same season, suggests limited commercial value outside its region of origin.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach and Clark reported on this variety in the New York Station Bulletin 248:129 (1904), and Downing's 1881 edition was the first published reference (cited by Beach as Downing 1881:94 app.).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Longworth's Red Winter.
Originated with William Longworth, Dubuque, Iowa, who writes that the tree is hardy, a vigorous grower, with a roundish head, inclining to be upright: an early and good bearer annually, but larger crops on alternate years.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate conical, regular; skin whitish yellow, shaded, striped and splashed with light and dark rich red over most of the surface, and thickly sprinkled with light dots; stalk medium, slender; cavity rather large, smooth; calyx closed or nearly so; basin medium, slightly corrugated; flesh white, fine, sometimes veins of red around the core, tender, juicy, mild subacid, having a slight peculiar quince-like flavor; very good. November, February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)LONGWORTH.
REFERENCES, i. Downing, 1881:94 app. 2. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bui., 248:129. 1904.
SYNONYMS. LONGWORTH (2). LONGWORTH RED WINTER (i).
Fruit of fairly good color but not very large; inferior in quality to standard varieties of its season. It is variable in season (2); some years it keeps fairly well till midwinter, but generally speaking, as grown at this Station, its commercial limit in ordinary storage is November. The tree comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper, yielding moderate to rather heavy crops biennially or sometimes annually. Not recommended for planting in New York.
Historical. Originated at Dubuque, Ia. (i). It was received for testing here in 1889 from Benjamin Buckman, Farmingdale, Ill.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Longworth", pp. 214–215]
LONGWORTH.
References. 1. Downing, 1881:94 app. 2. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:129. 1904.
Synonyms. Longworth (2). Longworth Red Winter (1).
Fruit of fairly good color but not very large; inferior in quality to standard varieties of its season. It is variable in season (2); some years it keeps fairly well till midwinter, but generally speaking, as grown at this Station, its commercial limit in ordinary storage is November. The tree comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper, yielding moderate to rather heavy crops biennially or sometimes annually. Not recommended for planting in New York.
Historical. Originated at Dubuque, Ia. (1). It was received for testing here in 1889 from Benjamin Buckman, Farmingdale, Ill.