Newtown Spitzenburg
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin & History
Originated in Newtown, Long Island. First described by Coxe in 1817 as Newtown Spitzenburg. Long known in New York as the Vandevere, but it is not the true Vandevere (Downing, Beach). It is quite different also from the Esopus Spitzenburg, which is commonly known among New York fruit growers by the simple name of Spitzenburg (Beach). Downing called it "a most excellent fruit, suited to more tastes than any other apple of its season." Elliott notes it was extensively and successfully grown in the West as Ox-Eye and highly estimated, and that when Downing wrote his description of Vandervere, he evidently had this apple before him and was not acquainted with the true Vandervere.
Beach reports it was at one time quite popular in some sections of New York, particularly in the districts along the Hudson, but by 1905 was seldom planted and gradually going out of cultivation. He considers it not a good commercial sort because it is an unreliable cropper, has too large a percentage of fruit of unmarketable size, and is not especially attractive in general appearance on account of its rather dull color. Warder notes the fruit is apt to be scabby and defective on old trees, and falls badly.
Tree
Tree moderate to medium-large in size, vigorous or moderately vigorous. Form spreading, with a compact, round head (Warder) or spreading to roundish, rather dense (Beach). Branches long, moderately stout, curved (Beach). Productive, especially in rich, light soil (Downing). Foliage rather small, curled, showing the whitish underside (Warder).
Twigs moderately long to short, straight, rather erect, geniculate, slender to moderately stout; internodes medium to long. Bark dull brown, rather heavily streaked with scarf-skin, pubescent in spots. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, quite numerous, small to medium, oblong or roundish, slightly raised. Buds medium to small, wide, plump, obtuse, free, with little pubescence or none (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Warder gives it as medium to large, noting it can be overgrown in young orchards.
Form: Roundish approaching cylindrical or somewhat oblate, pretty regular and uniform in shape and size (Beach). Warder describes it as regular, globular-oblate, often inclined or lop-sided when overgrown in young orchards. Downing gives oblate, slightly conic. Elliott gives round, flattened.
Stem: Beach gives very short to rather long, rather slender, pubescent. Warder and Downing describe it as short. Elliott describes it as long, slender.
Cavity: Acute, deep, broad, indistinctly furrowed, sometimes russeted (Beach). Warder describes it as regular, medium, brown. Downing gives wide. Elliott describes it as narrow, deep, regular.
Calyx: Small, closed, sometimes partly open; lobes broad, obtuse (Beach). Elliott describes the segments as erect.
Basin: Small to medium, wide to rather narrow, shallow and obtuse to rather deep and abrupt, slightly furrowed (Beach). Warder gives medium, regular. Downing gives regular, moderate depth. Elliott gives open, regular, not deep.
Skin: Smooth, tough, eventually becoming deep yellow blushed and mottled with dull red striped with carmine, streaked with grayish scarf-skin and often overspread with a light bloom giving it a peculiarly bluish cast (Beach). Warder describes the surface as smooth, deep red, mixed and striped on rich yellow ground, often over-spread with whitish, giving the fruit a gray appearance. Downing describes fine yellow, washed with light red, striped and splashed with deeper red, and richly shaded with carmine on the sunny side, covered with a light bloom, and sprinkled with peculiar gray specks. Elliott describes yellow ground, mostly striped and splashed with red, which often has the appearance as of a bloom, with russet dots and lines that near the calyx look like the crests of waves.
Dots: Characteristic, conspicuous, very numerous, yellowish or peculiarly gray; often with russet center, small, very numerous and crowded about the basin but less numerous, larger and irregular toward the cavity (Beach). Warder describes them as numerous, minute, fawn color on dark specimens.
Calyx Tube: Cone-shape or approaching funnel-form with short, truncate cylinder. Stamens median (Beach).
Flesh & Flavor: Yellowish, firm, fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy, "mild subacid mingled with sweet, rich, aromatic, very good to best in flavor and quality" (Beach). Warder describes the flesh as rich yellow, very fine-grained, very tender, juicy, with flavor "rich sub-acid and saccharine, aromatic, eminently satisfying," quality best. Downing gives yellow, crisp, tender, with "a rich, sprightly, vinous flavor, scarcely subacid," quality best. Elliott gives yellow, tender, slightly sweet, rich, aromatic.
Core & Seeds: Core above medium to rather small, more or less abaxile; cells usually pretty symmetrical and partly open, sometimes closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels smooth or nearly so, approaching elliptical, often nearly truncate at the base and narrowing somewhat toward the apex. Seeds numerous, below medium to rather large, rather narrow, plump, acute (Beach). Warder describes the core as regular, wide, somewhat open, meeting and sometimes clasping the eye, with seeds numerous, angular. Elliott describes the core as small, with seeds few, ovate pointed.
Season
Late fall through winter. In Southeastern New York, late fall or early winter; in Western New York easily kept till February or March in ordinary storage, and often some portion of the fruit remains in fairly good condition till the close of April (Beach). Downing gives October to February. Warder gives December. Elliott gives December to February.
Uses
Table and kitchen (Warder). Downing considered it suited to more tastes than any other apple of its season.
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Description absent in Lowther (1914); variety present in variety-characteristic table:
Newtown Spitzenburg. Size: M. Form: ob. Color: yr. Quality: VG. Use: f. Season: W.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1864–1904) from Illinois, Oregon
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Newtown Spitzenberg.—[COXE.]
VANDERVERE, OF NEW YORK (Downing)—OX-EYE—JOE BERRY, ETC.
Origin, Newtown, Long Island. Tree sufficiently vigorous, not of the largest size, spreading, compact, round head, foliage rather small, curled, showing the whitish underside. Productive. Fruit medium to large, regular, globular-oblate, often inclined or lop-sided when overgrown in young orchards, apt to be scabby and defective on old trees, and falls badly; Surface smooth, deep red, mixed and striped, on rich yellow ground, often over-spread with whitish, giving the fruit a gray appearance; Dots numerous, minute, fawn color on dark specimens. Basin medium, regular; Eye small, closed. Cavity regular, medium, brown; Stem short. Core regular, wide, somewhat open, meeting and sometimes clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, angular; Flesh rich, yellow, very fine-grained, very tender, juicy; Flavor rich sub-acid and saccharine, aromatic, eminently satisfying; Quality best, for table and kitchen, in December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Newtown Spitzenburg.
Vandevere of New York Spitzenburgh. Ox Eye. Burlington. Matchless. Kountz. Joe Berry. Barrett's Spitzenburgh. Spiced Ox Eye. Wine, erroneously.
This old and valuable Apple has been long known in New York as the Vandevere, but as it was first described by Coxe as Newtown Spitzenburg, we continue that name. It had its origin in Newtown, Long Island. Tree moderate, vigorous, spreading, and productive in rich, light soil, of most excellent fruit, which is suited to more tastes than any other Apple of its season.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, fine yellow, washed with light red, striped and splashed with deeper red, and richly shaded with carmine on the sunny side, covered with a light bloom, and sprinkled with peculiar gray specks. Stalk short, inserted in a wide cavity. Calyx small, closed, set in a regular basin of moderate depth. Flesh yellow, crisp, tender, with a rich, sprightly, vinous flavor, scarcely subacid. Best. October to February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)NEWTOWN SPITZENBURG.
REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:126. 2. Thacher, 1822:137. 3. Duel, N. Y. Bd. Agr. Mem., 1826:476. 4. Lindley, Pom. Mag., 3: No. 144. 1830. col. pl. 5. Cat. Hort. Soc. London, 1831:36. 6. Ronalds, 1831:19. 7. Floy-Lindley, 1833:40. 8. Manning, 1838:58. 9. Downing, 1845:139. 10. Downing, Horticulturist, 1:341. 1847. 11. Thomas, 1849:173. 12. Cole, 1849:125. 13. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 15:539. 1849. fig. 14. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:73. 1851. col. pl. fig. 15. Ib., 3:63. 1851. 16. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 17. Elliott, 1854:94. fig. 18. Hooper, 1857:65. 19. Warder, 1867:445. 20. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:8. 21. Fitz, 1872:121, 149, 153. 22. Downing, 1872:285. 23. Barry, 1883:350. 24. Hogg, 1884:156. 25. Wickson, 1889:246. 26. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 27. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:245. 28. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:50. 1903. 29. Budd-Hansen, 1903:134. fig. 30. Bruner, N. C. Sta. Bul., 182:21. 1903. 31. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:134. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Barretts Spitzenburgh (22). Burlington (22). Burlington Spitzemberg (1). Burlington Spitzenberg (9, 17, 24). English Spitzemberg (1). English Spitzenberg (3, 24). Flushing (18) but incorrectly. Joe Berry (17, 19, 22). Kountz (17, 22). Matchless (4, 7, 9, 17, 22, 24). NEWTON SPITZEMBERG (1). NEWTON SPITSZENBURGH (2). NEWTOWN SPITZEMBERG (7). NEWTOWN SPITZENBERG (3, 4, 12, 17, 19, 20, 24). NEWTOWN SPITZENBERGH (10). NEWTOWN SPITZENBURGH (15, 22, 23). Newtown Spitsenburgh (25). Ox Eye (17, 19, 22). Spiced Ox Eye (22). SPITZENBERG, NEWTOWN (9). SPITZENBURGH, NEWTOWN (11). Spitzenburgh (22). Staalclubs (13) but erroneously. VANDEVERE (13, 21, 25). Vandevere of New York (20, 22, 23, 26). VANDERVERE (14, 16). Vandervere of New York (19). Wine (erroneously, 22).
This is the old Vandevere of New York, but it is not the true Vandevere. It is quite different also from the Esopus Spitzenburg which is commonly known among New York fruit growers by the simple name of Spitzenburg. The Newtown Spitzenburg is not a good commercial sort because it is an unreliable cropper, has too large a percentage of fruit of unmarketable size, and is not especially attractive in general appearance on account of its rather dull color. It is crisp, aromatic, rich, and mildly subacid mingled with sweet. Downing remarks that it is a most excellent fruit, suited to more tastes than any other apple of its season (22).
Historical. This variety originated in Newtown, Long Island. It was at one time quite popular in some sections of this state, particularly in the districts along the Hudson, but is now seldom planted and is gradually going out of cultivation.
TREE. Tree medium to large, vigorous or moderately vigorous with long, moderately stout, curved branches. Form spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs moderately long to short, straight, rather erect, geniculate, slender to moderately stout; internodes medium to long. Bark dull brown, rather heavily streaked with scarf-skin, pubescent in spots. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, quite numerous, small to medium, oblong or roundish, slightly raised. Buds medium to small, wide, plump, obtuse, free, with little pubescence or none.
FRUIT. Fruit about medium size. Form roundish approaching cylindrical or somewhat oblate; pretty regular and uniform in shape and size. Stem very short to rather long, rather slender, pubescent. Cavity acute, deep, broad, indistinctly furrowed, sometimes russeted. Calyx small, closed, sometimes partly open; lobes broad, obtuse. Basin small to medium, wide to rather narrow, shallow and obtuse to rather deep and abrupt, slightly furrowed. Skin smooth, tough, eventually becoming deep yellow blushed and mottled with dull red striped with carmine, streaked with grayish scarf-skin and often overspread with a light bloom giving it a peculiarly bluish cast. Dots characteristic, conspicuous, very numerous, yellowish or peculiarly gray; often with russet center, small, very numerous and crowded about the basin but less numerous, larger and irregular toward the cavity. Calyx tube cone-shape or approaching funnel-form with short, truncate cylinder. Stamens median. Core above medium to rather small, more or less abaxile; cells usually pretty symmetrical and partly open, sometimes closed; core lines meeting or somewhat clasping. Carpels smooth or nearly so, approaching elliptical, often nearly truncate at the base and narrowing somewhat toward the apex. Seeds numerous, below medium to rather large, rather narrow, plump, acute. Flesh yellowish, firm, fine-grained, crisp, tender, juicy, mild subacid mingled with sweet, rich, aromatic, very good to best in flavor and quality.
Season in Southeastern New York late fall or early winter; in Western New York it is easily kept till February or March in ordinary storage and often some portion of the fruit remains in fairly good condition till the close of April (31).
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Newtown Spitzenburg. Size: M. Form: ob. Color: yr. Quality: VG. Use: f. Season: W.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Newtown Spitzenberg.
Spiced Ox-eye, Ox-eye, Burlington Spitzenberg, Matchless, Kountz, Joe Berry, Vandervere of New York, and Eastern States.
American. From Newtown, Long Island. Originally described by Coxe, in 1817. It is extensively and successfully grown in the West as Ox-Eye, and highly estimated. When Mr. Downing wrote his description of Vandervere, he evidently had this apple before him; and was not acquainted with the true Vandervere.
Fruit, medium; form, round, flattened; color, yellow ground, mostly striped and splashed with red, which often has appearance as of a bloom; russet dots and lines that near the calyx look like the crests of waves; stem, long, slender; cavity, narrow, deep, regular; calyx, small, segments erect; basin, open, regular, not deep; flesh, yellow, tender, slightly sweet, rich, aromatic; core, small; seeds, few, ovate pointed. December to February.