Pickman

Origin/History

Originated in Massachusetts. Also known as the Pickman Pippin.

Tree

Vigorous (Downing). Young shoots dull brown and downy. Buds knobby at base (Downing).

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium, roundish. Downing and Thomas describe the shape as roundish oblate; Elliott gives it simply as roundish without the oblate qualifier.

Stem: Short. Cavity: The two detailed sources disagree — Downing describes the cavity as medium; Elliott describes it as acuminate.

Calyx: The sources conflict. Downing gives the calyx as closed; Elliott describes it as large and half closed.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Yellow, with scattered shades of russet and small russet dots (Downing) or specks (Elliott).

Flesh and Flavor: Yellowish white, crisp. The sources conflict on flavor character: Downing describes the flesh as pleasant subacid, rating the variety good to very good; Elliott describes it as sharp acid and notes it is valued for cooking.

Core and Seeds: Core medium, centre somewhat hollow; seeds light brown (Elliott). Not described by Downing or Thomas.

Season

January to April.

Uses

Cooking (Elliott, Thomas). Downing rates it good to very good as a table fruit, in tension with the other sources' emphasis on cooking use.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.