Meister

Origin/History

Meister originates from Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is listed in Downing's The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) and Elliott's The Western Fruit Book (1865), both citing Berks Co., Pa. as the place of origin. Elliott attributes the variety to "Int. Rep." Thomas's The American Fruit Culturist (1903) lists this variety under the spelling "Keister," noting Pennsylvania as the origin.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size and Form

Below medium in size, roundish conical in form.

Stem

Nearly half an inch long, inserted in a wide, moderately deep cavity (Elliott).

Cavity

Wide, moderately deep (Elliott).

Calyx

Small, closed, set in a narrow, shallow basin (Elliott).

Basin

Narrow and shallow (Elliott).

Skin

Greenish yellow, striped with red, with numerous white spots and russet dots.

Flesh and Flavor

Flesh tender. Flavor described as sprightly and pleasant (Elliott); pleasant subacid (Downing). Quality rated "very good" (Elliott and Thomas); rated Good (Downing).

Core and Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

October.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Thomas's 1903 entry spells the variety name as "Keister" and gives a condensed description: "Small, roundish-conic, striped; pleasant, very good. October. Pa." This entry may represent a variant spelling of the same variety rather than a distinct entry, given the agreement in form, quality, season, and geographic origin with the Downing and Elliott descriptions.