Ostrakoff
AppleOstrakoff
Origin / History
Russian variety (Hansen, "Origin, Russia"). Described by Budd in 1885 under the name Ostrakoff's Glass and in 1890 under the name Ostrakoff. Received in 1884 for testing at the New York Station from Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester, N. Y., under the name Astravaskoe. Planted at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B. C., in spring 1895.
Beach: "A Russian variety of good size, greenish-yellow, brisk subacid, fair to good quality." Reported as a promising variety for portions of Northern New England and other regions where superior hardiness is a prime requisite. "It is of no value where our common standard varieties succeed."
Tree
Tree a vigorous or strong grower (Hansen; Agassiz, planted spring 1895); moderately vigorous at the Station (Beach). Form spreading or roundish, open. Twigs short, curved, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes medium. Bark dark brown tinged with green, heavily streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent near the tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, round, raised, rather conspicuous. Buds prominent, large, long, plump, obtuse, free.
Subject to blight; does best on high limestone and clay soils (Hansen).
Fruit
Size: Medium or above (Hansen, Beach), pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach); "good size" (Beach). Agassiz gives medium. Hansen's second description gives "size, 5".
Form: Round to roundish, somewhat ovate or oblong, slightly or somewhat conical, a little angular; unequal (Hansen). Agassiz gives oblong, conical.
Stem: Characteristically long, very long (Hansen), thin (Hansen's second description); often curved, twisted or irregularly enlarged, or inserted under a fleshy protuberance (Beach).
Cavity: Acute, approaching acuminate; regular (Hansen); shallow to moderately deep, medium in width to narrow. Partly covered with light greenish russet, often lipped (Beach). Hansen's second description gives medium.
Calyx: Closed (Hansen), closed or open (Beach), half open (Hansen's second description). Rather large, leafy; lobes rather broad, acute to obtuse (Beach); segments erect, convergent (Hansen). Calyx tube medium to large, rather wide, conical to peculiarly funnel-form, with broad truncate cylinder (Beach); broadly conical (Hansen). Stamens basal to median (Beach); median (Hansen).
Basin: Narrow to medium in width, shallow to medium in depth, abrupt. Characteristically irregular, corrugated, sharply ridged and wrinkled.
Skin: Moderately thin, rather tough, smooth. Pale waxen yellow, greenish yellow, or yellow approaching white, sometimes with a faint reddish shade or faint blush. Yellowish green shaded brown on the sun side, often covered with blackish fungus spots (Hansen's second description).
Dots: Very numerous, small, submerged, often areolar (Beach). White, minute, suffused, obscure (Hansen); many grayish spots (Hansen's second description).
Flesh and flavor: Yellowish white (white at Agassiz), fine grained or rather fine, firm, juicy; Agassiz gives crisp, moderately juicy. Brisk subacid, with a pleasant flavor (Agassiz). Quality fair to good (Beach); "good" (Hansen, Agassiz).
Core and seeds: Core medium size, axile; closed (Hansen). Cells closed or slightly open (Beach), ovate, entire (Hansen); core lines meeting. Carpels roundish to broadly ovate, emarginate. Seeds medium brown, large, wide, rather flat, obtuse to acute.
Season
Late fall and early winter (Beach); early winter (Hansen). At the Station commonly in prime from late September into November, a portion of the fruit often kept into the winter in very good condition; keeping qualities vary much in different seasons (Beach). At Agassiz, B. C., the last of August.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Ostrakoff (No. 4 M)—Origin, Russia—Fruit medium or above, round, slightly conical, unequal; surface yellow, approaching white; dots white, minute, suffused, obscure; cavity regular, acute; stem very long; basin narrow, rather shallow, corrugated; calyx closed, segments erect convergent. Core closed; cells ovate, entire; tube broadly conical; stamens median; flesh yellowish white, fine grained, subacid, good. Early winter.
"OSTRAKOFF.
DESCRIPTION:
Ostrakoff (4 M)—Size, 5; form, round; color, yellowish green, shaded brown on sun side, many grayish spots, often covered with blackish fungus spots; cavity, medium; stem, long, thin; basin, shallow, wrinkled; calyx, half open; flesh, yellowish white, fine; flavor, subacid: season, early winter; origin, Russia; tree, a vigorous grower. subject to blight, does best on high limestone and clay soils."
(Rus. Nom. Com.)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)OSTRAKOFF.
REFERENCES. 1. Gibb, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:106. fig. 2. Ib., Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:443. 3. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1885:18. 4. Schroeder, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-87:71. 5. Craig, Ib., 1886-87:103. 6. Budd, Rural N. Y., 47:692. 1888. 7. Ib., Ia. Agr. Coll. Bull., 1890:238. 8. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246. 9. Budd, Ia. Sta. Bul., 19:540. 1892. 10. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:58. 11. Can. Hort., 16:402. 1893. 12. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:583. 1894. 13. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:75. 14. Thomas, 1897:648. 15. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1902:84. 16. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:80. 1902. fig. 17. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:136. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Astravaskoe (12). OSTRAKOFF (7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17). OSTRAKOFF GLASS (11). Ostrakoff Glass (12). OSTREKOFF (3, 5). Ostrekoff's Glass (1, 2). Ostrekoi'skaya Steklianka (3). OSTREKOWSKAJA STEKLIANKA (1, 2). OSTROKOFF (6, 8, 14). OSTROKOFF'S GLASS (4). No. 4 M (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16). No. 472 (1, 3).
A Russian variety of good size, greenish-yellow, brisk subacid, fair to good quality. Its keeping qualities vary much in different seasons. As grown at this Station it is commonly in its prime from late September into November but a portion of the fruit may often be kept into the winter in very good condition. It is reported as a promising variety for portions of Northern New England and other regions where superior hardiness is a prime requisite. It is of no value where our common standard varieties succeed.
Historical. Described by Budd in 1885 under the name Ostrakoff's Glass and in 1890 under the name Ostrakoff (3, 7). It was received in 1884 for testing at this Station from Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester, N. Y., under the name Astravaskoe.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous. Form spreading or roundish, open. Twigs short, curved, stout with large terminal buds; internodes medium. Bark dark brown tinged with green, heavily streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, round, raised, rather conspicuous. Buds prominent, large, long, plump, obtuse, free.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium or above, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish to somewhat ovate or oblong, somewhat conical, a little angular. Stem characteristically long, often curved, twisted or irregularly enlarged or inserted under a fleshy protuberance. Cavity acute or approaching acuminate, shallow to moderately deep, medium in width to narrow, partly covered with light greenish-russet, often lipped. Calyx closed or open, rather large, leafy; lobes rather broad, acute to obtuse. Basin characteristically irregular, medium in width and depth, abrupt, sharply ridged and wrinkled.
Skin moderately thin, rather tough, smooth, pale waxen-yellow sometimes with a faint reddish shade. Dots very numerous, small, submerged, often areolar.
Calyx tube medium to large, rather wide, conical to peculiarly funnel-form, with broad truncate cylinder. Stamens basal to median.
Core medium size, axile; cells closed or slightly open; core lines meeting. Carpels roundish to broadly ovate, emarginate. Seeds medium brown, large, wide, rather flat, obtuse to acute.
Flesh yellowish-white, firm, rather fine, juicy, brisk subacid, fair to good.
Season late fall and early winter.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1895. Tree a strong grower. Fruit of medium size, oblong, conical. Skin pale yellow, with sometimes a faint blush. Flesh white, crisp, moderately juicy, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season last of August.