Osceola
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Osceola
Origin / History
Osceola originated in Indiana; Downing places its origin in Putnam County. Warder writes that it was "brought into notice by that earnest horticulturist, Henry Ward Beecher, who did much to stimulate the culture of fine fruits when a resident of that State." Writing in 1867, Warder judged that it "does not seem to have won its way into public favor to the extent that was expected for it some years ago."
Tree
Vigorous, upright spreading; shoots dark reddish brown, grayish (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium; Elliott alone calls it above medium.
Form: Flat or flattened, roundish oblate, inclined to conic (Downing), angular (Thomas), the sides unequal; Warder calls it "sometimes unequal, regular."
Stem: Short or small; Elliott alone calls it long.
Cavity: Medium to deep or large, acute (Warder), slightly russeted to russeted.
Calyx: Eye small, closed.
Basin: Deep and wide. Warder calls it regular; Downing calls it uneven.
Skin: Smooth; ground yellow, pale yellow, or yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with red. Warder describes it as slightly colored red and striped with the same.
Dots: Scattered, irregular, more frequent and minute about the apex, few and larger at the base of the fruit (Warder). Elliott describes them as dark spots; Downing calls them large and light.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish in three of the four accounts, whitish in Downing's. Firm, juicy, crisp (Thomas), rich (Warder), pleasant (Downing); flavor mild subacid. Quality "good" (Warder) to "very good" (Thomas), Downing giving "good to very good."
Core and seeds: Core small, round, closed, clasping. Seeds numerous, plump, dark (Warder).
Season
The recorded season runs from January to May. Warder and Downing give January to March; Elliott says it keeps till May. A good keeper.
Uses
Table and market (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Resembles the Newtown Spitzenberg (Elliott) and the New York Vandevere (Thomas). Figured by Warder (Fig. 103).
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1891–1913) from Illinois, Missouri
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Osceola.
From Indiana. Fruit, above medium, flat; yellow, striped with red, dotted with dark spots; stem, long; cavity, deep; flesh, yellowish, juicy, sub-acid: keeps till May. Resembles the Newtown Spitzenberg.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Osceola.
Originated in Indiana, brought into notice by that earnest horticulturist, Henry Ward Beecher, who did much to stimulate the culture of fine fruits when a resident of that State.
Fruit medium, flattened, sometimes unequal, regular;
Fig. 103.—OSCEOLA.
Surface smooth, slightly colored red, and striped with the same; Dots scattered, irregular, more frequent and minute about the apex, few and larger at base of the fruit.
Basin wide, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity medium, acute; Stem short.
Core small, round, closed, clasping; Seeds numerous, plump, dark; Flesh yellowish, firm, rich, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, mild; Quality good; Use table and market; Season January to March.
This variety does not seem to have won its way into public favor to the extent that was expected for it some years ago.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Osceola. Young
Origin, Putnam Co., Ind. Tree vigorous, upright spreading, shoots dark reddish brown, grayish.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate conic, sides unequal, pale yellow, shaded, splashed, and striped with red, large light dots. Stalk short. Cavity slightly russeted. Calyx closed. Basin deep, uneven. Flesh whitish, firm, juicy, pleasant, mild subacid. Good to very good. January to March.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Osceola. Size medium, roundish-oblate, angular; skin yellowish, shaded and striped with red; stalk small; cavity large, russeted; basin deep; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, mild sub-acid, "very good." A good keeper. Indiana. Resembles New York Vandevere.