Lowland Raspberry
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Lowland Raspberry
Origin/History
Russian origin. The name "Lievland" is the name of a Russian province (Livonia), bordering on the Baltic Sea; the translated name "Lowland Raspberry" is now preferred to "Livland Raspberry," as suggested by Mr. Gibb (Hansen). Introduced from Russia about 1880 (Hedrick). Carried under the accession number No. 340.
A. G. Tuttle of Baraboo, Wisconsin, from his experience with many Russian apples, stated: "There is no early apple East or West of better quality than Lowland Raspberry. The tree is perfect and a good bearer, and the fruit is handsomely colored." (Hansen; Budd-Hansen)
According to Beach, the variety had not been tested in New York as of 1905. Hedrick notes it became very popular in the apple regions of the Great Plains, surpassing all other Russian apples in both appearance and quality among early apples.
Tree
Medium in size, upright, round-topped (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Hedrick describes the tree as vigorous, not large, upright, very hardy, and productive. Tuttle calls the tree "perfect" and a good bearer (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Stark Bros. (1910) describes it as "a very large annual bearer of the group" that "bears every year without fail."
Fruit
Size: Medium to large (Hansen, Beach, Budd-Hansen, Hedrick); medium (Thomas, Lowther); size 6 (Hansen, Rus. Nom. Com.). Stark Bros. (1910) gives medium to large.
Form: Roundish conical, regular (Hansen); round conical (Hansen, Rus. Nom. Com.); roundish, conic (Thomas); round conic, regular (Budd-Hansen); round (Lowther).
Stem: Medium (Hansen, Thomas, Rus. Nom. Com.); medium to long (Budd-Hansen).
Cavity: Deep, regular, acute (Hansen); narrow, acute (Thomas; Budd-Hansen); medium broad, rather deep (Rus. Nom. Com.).
Calyx: Small, closed (Hansen); small, closed, or half open (Budd-Hansen); closed or half open (Rus. Nom. Com.).
Basin: Small, regular (Hansen); small (Thomas); small, smooth, or slightly wrinkled (Budd-Hansen); small, wrinkled (Rus. Nom. Com.).
Skin/Color: Thin (Hansen). Surface smooth, polished, clear waxen white, striped, splashed, shaded and marbled with fine light crimson — "a beautiful fruit" (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Thomas describes it as "clear; waxen, white, shaded and marbled crimson." Rus. Nom. Com. (in Hansen) gives the color as "orange yellow, striped, splashed and shaded with red, showing gray dots through the color." Hedrick gives "waxen white, striped, shaded and marbled with light carmine." Lowther gives color as "ys" (yellow striped). Stark Bros. (1910) gives "deep, almost crimson red in color" — this differs notably from the pomological consensus of a white/waxen ground with crimson striping.
Dots: Minute, greenish, obscure (Hansen; Budd-Hansen); gray dots showing through the color (Rus. Nom. Com.).
Flesh/Flavor: Snow white, stained with red next the skin, often much colored with red veinings; very tender, fine grained, delicate, crisp, juicy, mild, very pleasant subacid, almost sweet, excellent (Hansen). Thomas: "snow-white, tinged with pink next the skin; tender, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, almost sweet, quality good." Budd-Hansen: "white, often stained with red, very tender, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, very pleasant, mild subacid, almost sweet, excellent." Rus. Nom. Com. (in Hansen): "light yellow, often stained with red, fine, tender, juicy; flavor subacid, good." Hedrick: "white, often stained with red, fine, very tender, pleasant, mild subacid, almost sweet." Lowther rates quality "good." Note the conflict: Hansen and Thomas describe flesh as snow-white/white tinged with red; Rus. Nom. Com. describes it as light yellow stained with red.
Core/Seeds: Core wide open (Hansen); core medium open (Rus. Nom. Com.); core large, clasping, open (Budd-Hansen). Cells abaxile, large, roomy, entire, ovate (Hansen); cells very large, abaxile, roomy, ovate, entire (Budd-Hansen). Tube funnel-shaped (Hansen); tube wide, long, funnel-shaped (Budd-Hansen). Stamens marginal (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Seeds small, short, fifteen or more, and one or more imperfect, brown black (Hansen); seeds many, rather small, brown black (Budd-Hansen).
Season
August (Hansen, Thomas, Rus. Nom. Com., Budd-Hansen). As early as Yellow Transparent (Hansen, Beach, Budd-Hansen, Hedrick). Lowther gives "early autumn."
Uses
Lowther: "both kitchen and market." Hedrick notes that despite the fruit's beauty and quality, "the skin is so tender that the fruit is suitable only for home use and local market."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach lists references documenting the variety from 1883 onward (Gibb in Iowa Hort. Soc. Rpt. 1883; Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt. 1883; Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 1887; Thomas 1897; U. S. Pom. Bul. 8, 1899; Hansen S. D. Sta. Bul. 76, 1902; Budd-Hansen 1903). Thomas (1903) references Fig. 397 of his work.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Liveland Raspberry
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 19 catalogs (1898–1932) from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1898 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Lievland Raspberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1910 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Lievland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon , Washington — 1921 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
- Stark Bro's Nurseries , Louisiana , Missouri — 1932 — listed as Liveland Raspberry
View original book sources (7)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Lowland Raspberry (No. 340)—Origin, Russia. The name Lievland is the name of a Russian province (Livonia), bordering on the Baltic Sea, the above translated name is now preferred to Livland Raspberry, as suggested by Mr. Gibb—Fruit medium to large, roundish conical, regular; skin thin; surface smooth, polished, clear waxen white, striped, splashed, shaded and marbled with fine light crimson, a beautiful fruit; dots minute, greenish, obscure; cavity deep, regular, acute; stem medium; basin small, regular; calyx small, closed. Core wide open; cells abaxile, large, roomy, entire, ovate; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; seeds small, short, fifteen or more, and one or more imperfect, brown black; flesh snow white, stained with red next the skin, often much colored, with red veinings, very tender, fine grained, delicate, crisp, juicy, mild, very pleasant subacid, almost sweet, excellent. August.
"LOWLAND RASPBERRY.
DESCRIPTION: Lowland Raspberry—Size, 6; form, round conical; color, orange yellow, striped, splashed and shaded with red, showing gray dots through the color; cavity, medium broad, rather deep; stem, medium; basin, small, wrinkled; calyx, closed or half open; flesh, light yellow, often stained with red, fine, tender, juicy; core medium open; flavor, subacid, good; season, August (as early as Transparent); tree, medium upright, round topped, excellent; origin, Russia.
A. G. Tuttle: There is no early apple east or west of better quality than Lowland Raspberry. The tree is perfect and a good bearer, and the fruit is handsomely colored." (Rus. Nom. Com.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Lowland Raspberry. Medium, roundish, conic, clear; waxen, white, shaded and marbled crimson; cavity narrow, acute; stem medium; basin small; flesh snow-white, tinged with pink next the skin; tender, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, almost sweet, quality good. Fig. 397. August. Russian.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)LOWLAND RASPBERRY.
REFERENCES. 1. Gibb, Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:438. 2. Ib., Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:94. 3. Ib., Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1887:46. 4. Thomas, 1897:254. fig. 5. U. S. Pom. Bul., 8:18. 1899. 6. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:69. 1902. fig. 7. Budd-Hansen, 1903:117. fig.
SYNONYMS. HIMBEERAPFEL LIEVLANDER (1, 2). Himbeerapfel Lievlander (3). Himbeerapfel Livlander (3). Lievland Raspberry (7). LIVELAND RASPBERRY (4). LIVLAND RASPBERRY (3). LOWLAND RASPBERRY (6). LOWLAND Raspberry (5, 7). Lowland Raspberry (1, 2, 3). No. 340 (1, 2, 6, 7).
A Russian apple which, according to Hansen (6, 7), is medium to large, clear waxen-white, striped, shaded and marbled with light crimson; flesh white, often stained with red, fine, very tender, pleasant mild subacid, almost sweet; season August; as early as Yellow Transparent. We do not know that this variety has been tested in New York.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Lowland Raspberry (No. 340, Lievland Raspberry).— Origin, Russia; tree medium, upright, round-topped. A. G. Tuttle of Baraboo, Wis., from his experience with many Russian apples says: "There is no early apple East or West of better quality than Lowland Raspberry. The tree is perfect and a good bearer, and the fruit is handsomely colored." Fruit medium to large, round conic, regular; surface smooth, polished, clear waxen white, striped, splashed, shaded and marbled with fine light crimson, a beautiful fruit; dots minute, greenish, obscure; cavity narrow, acute; stem medium to long; basin small, smooth, or slightly wrinkled; calyx small, closed, or half open. Core large, clasping, open; cells very large, abaxile, roomy, ovate, entire; tube wide, long, funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; seeds many, rather small, brown black; flesh white, often stained with red, very tender, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, very pleasant, mild subacid, almost sweet, excellent. August, as early as Yellow Transparent.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Liveland Raspberry. Size: medium. Form: round. Color: ys. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: early autumn.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)LOWLAND RASPBERRY. Liveland.
Lowland Raspberry, more often known as Liveland, is an early Russian apple very popular in the apple regions of the Great Plains. The fruit is beautiful and of very good quality for an early apple, surpassing all other Russian apples in both appearance and quality, but the skin is so tender that the fruit is suitable only for home use and local market. The variety was introduced from Russia about 1880. It is described in the catalogs as follows:
Tree vigorous, not large, upright, very hardy, productive. Fruit medium to large; color waxen white, striped, shaded and marbled with light carmine; flesh white, often stained with red, fine, very tender, pleasant, mild subacid, almost sweet; August or with Yellow Transparent.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)A very large annual bearer of the group. Fruit medium to large, deep, almost crimson red in color. Bears every year without fail...