Lyscom

Origin & History

Origin Southborough, Worcester county, Massachusetts (Beach). An old variety first referenced in the New England Farmer in 1830 (Beach) which has been quite widely disseminated. Warder (1867) noted it was "not generally known" as a "pleasant dessert apple." By 1905 it was nearly obsolete in New York and Beach did not recommend it for planting there, considering it "not superior to other varieties of its season." Beach described it as "a very large apple somewhat resembling Twenty Ounce in general appearance but less attractive."

Tree

Downing describes the tree as vigorous, upright, spreading, with young shoots dark brown and downy. Beach, by contrast, calls it a moderate grower that yields moderate to good crops. The discrepancy between "vigorous" (Downing) and "moderate grower" (Beach) may reflect different growing conditions or age of specimens observed.

Fruit

Size: Large (all sources agree). Beach specifies large or very large.

Form: Roundish. Warder adds flattened and regular. Beach gives the fullest description: roundish varying from a little oblate to slightly oblong conic, often broadly ribbed especially toward the apex.

Stem: Short (Warder, Downing, Elliott, Beach). Beach adds deep set and moderately thick. Thomas, however, describes the stalk as three-fourths of an inch long and slender — conflicting with Beach's "moderately thick."

Cavity: Deep (all sources). Warder describes it as regular; Downing as round and even. Beach provides the most detail: acuminate, very deep, broad, symmetrical, russeted and with outspreading russet rays.

Calyx: Warder and Downing describe the eye/calyx as large. Beach says medium to large, usually closed, pubescent. Elliott, in contrast, describes the calyx as small. Thomas describes the calyx as deep set.

Basin: Warder describes it as large and plaited; Downing as broad and plaited; Elliott as plaited. Beach describes it as often oblique, deep, moderately narrow to rather wide with broad, deep furrows.

Skin: The ground color is yellowish to greenish yellow (all sources). Warder describes the surface as smooth, yellowish, striped and splashed with red. Downing specifies greenish yellow with a few broken stripes or splashes of red. Beach calls the skin thick, tough, rather dull green or somewhat yellowish, striped, splashed and somewhat blushed with red. Thomas describes broad, broken, distinct, pale red stripes on a yellowish or greenish yellow ground.

Flesh & Flavor: Fine-grained (all sources; Beach qualifies as "rather fine"). Tender and juicy (Warder, Beach). Flavor mild subacid (Warder, Elliott, Beach). Warder calls the flesh whitish; Beach says somewhat tinged with yellow. Downing describes it as "exceedingly mild and agreeable in flavor" and rates it good to very good. Thomas calls it "mild, slightly sub-acid, moderately rich, good flavor." Beach describes the flavor as "subacid becoming very mild subacid" and rates it good, adding in his general remarks that the flesh is "tender, mild, not high in flavor but acceptable for either dessert or culinary uses." Warder rates it good.

Core & Seeds (Beach): Calyx tube wide, elongated cone-shape. Stamens median to basal. Core rather large, axile; cells closed; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels ovate, slightly emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds short, often nearly round, plump, obtuse.

Season

September to November (Warder, Downing, Elliott). Beach extends this to late September or October to November or December. Thomas describes it as middle and late autumn.

Uses

Table and kitchen (Warder). Warder calls it a "pleasant dessert apple." Beach says it is acceptable for either dessert or culinary uses.

Subtypes & Variants

Not described in source.

Other

The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) lists this variety only in a coded characteristic table:

Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.

Lyscom.........................................  L  |     | gy  | G  | b  | a  | 4*