Park Spice
AppleOrigin/History
Originated on the Park farm in Harrison, Westchester County, New York. In 1864, Carpenter reported that the original tree was then supposed to be over a hundred years old and was still vigorous and productive. As of 1905 (Beach), the variety was considered obsolete.
Tree
Thrifty, upright spreading, very productive. Young shoots pretty smooth, dark reddish brown. No further tree description in sources.
Fruit
Size: Downing describes the fruit as medium; Beach (summarizing Carpenter, Downing, and Thomas) gives it as medium to rather large.
Form: Roundish oblique (Downing).
Stem: Short, slender (Downing).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small, closed (Downing).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Downing describes the ground color as whitish yellow, shaded with red, obscurely splashed and striped, moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots. Beach (summarizing earlier authorities) describes it as yellowish, shaded with red and striped with crimson.
Flesh/Flavor: Downing gives the flesh as yellowish, rather firm, moderately juicy, mild subacid, slightly aromatic, very good in quality. Beach (summarizing Carpenter, Downing, and Thomas) describes it as yellowish-white, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, pleasantly aromatic, very good in quality.
Core/Seeds: Core medium (Downing). Seeds not described in source.
Season
December to March (both sources agree).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety is referenced in Carpenter's Horticulturist (1864, with figures), the American Pomological Society Report (1867), Downing (1869), Thomas (1897), and Ragan's U.S. B.P.I. Bulletin 56 (1905).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Park Spice.
Park Apple.
Origin, Westchester Co., N. Y. Tree thrifty, upright spreading, very productive. Young shoots pretty smooth, dark reddish brown.
Fruit medium, roundish oblique, whitish yellow, shaded with red, obscurely splashed and striped, moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots. Stalk short, slender. Calyx small, closed. Flesh yellowish, rather firm, moderately juicy, mild subacid, slightly aromatic. Core medium. Very good. December to March.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)PARK SPICE.
REFERENCES. 1. Carpenter, Horticulturist, 19:114. 1864. figs. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1867. (cited by 5). 3. Downing, 1869:298. 4. Thomas, 1897:648. 5. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:225. 1905.
SYNONYMS. PARK (5). Park Apple (3, 4, 5). Park Spice (5).
As described by Carpenter, Downing and Thomas (1, 3, 4) the fruit of the Park Spice apple is medium to rather large, yellowish shaded with red and striped with crimson; the flesh is yellowish-white, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, pleasantly aromatic, very good in quality; in season from December to March.
Historical. Originated on the Park farm in Harrison, Westchester county, New York. In 1864 Carpenter stated that the original tree, then supposed to be over a hundred years old, was still vigorous and productive (1). So far as we can learn the variety is now obsolete.