Pifer
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Pifer
Origin / History
Originated in Springfield township, Pennsylvania (Beach); Downing gives the origin as Bucks Co., Pa. Brought to the attention of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1853. Beach: it "does not appear to be known among New York fruit growers"; he describes it as "a dull red fruit of medium size and fair quality" and does not recommend it for planting in New York.
Tree
Downing calls the tree a rapid grower, upright spreading; Beach, moderately vigorous, with moderately long, slender, curved branches. Form upright to roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium in length to very short, straight or nearly so, slender, with large terminal buds; internodes rather short. Bark clear reddish or olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small to very small, elongated, usually not raised. Buds rather small, plump, acute, appressed, slightly pubescent. Does not come into bearing very young, but so far as tested by Beach it appears a reliable bearer, yielding full crops biennially.
Fruit
Size: Below medium to above medium, uniform in size and shape; Beach calls it of medium size.
Form: Roundish inclined to oblate, regular or sometimes obscurely ribbed, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal.
Stem: Short to medium, rather slender.
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately broad, smooth and greenish or occasionally slightly russeted.
Calyx: Small to medium, closed or partly open; lobes long, recurved. Calyx tube long, very narrow below, funnel-shape. Stamens median to basal.
Basin: Varies from moderately deep and abrupt to rather shallow and obtuse, rather narrow to moderately wide, slightly furrowed or wrinkled.
Skin: Tough, leathery, smooth. Ground dull greenish yellow, blushed with dull red, becoming deep pinkish red in highly colored specimens, with numerous narrow stripes of dark carmine; overspread with a thin bloom that gives a dull effect. Downing gives the ground as yellowish green, sparsely streaked with red, fawn-colored next the sun.
Dots: Small, gray.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh tinged with yellow, firm, hard, pretty coarse, somewhat crisp, not tender, juicy (Beach); Downing gives white and tender. Mild subacid, somewhat aromatic. Quality "fair or possibly good" (Beach); "Good" (Downing).
Core and seeds: Core medium in size, axile or nearly so; cells usually partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels obcordate, emarginate. Seeds numerous, medium or above, rather wide, plump, somewhat acute.
Season
January to July. Beach: its chief merit is that it keeps fresh and firm till very late in the season.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Seems to be distinct from Pfeiffer.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Pifer.
Pfeifer.
Origin, Bucks Co., Pa. Tree rapid grower, upright spreading.
Fruit below medium, roundish, sparsely streaked with red on a yellowish green ground, fawn-colored next the sun. Flesh white, tender, subacid. Good. January to July.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)PIFER.
REFERENCES. 1. Mag. Hort., 19:210. 1853. 2. Horticulturist, 8:342. 1853. 3. Warder, 1867:728. 4. Downing, 1869:304. 5. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:336. 1896. 6. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:52. 1903. 7. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:138. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Pfeifer (4, 7). PFEIFFER (1, 2, 3). PIPER (6).
A dull red fruit of medium size and fair quality. Its chief merit is that it keeps fresh and firm till very late in the season. The tree does not come into bearing very young but so far as tested here it appears to be a reliable bearer yielding full crops biennially. Not recommended for planting in New York.
Historical. Originated in Springfield township, Pennsylvania. Brought to the attention of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1853 (1, 2). It does not appear to be known among New York fruit growers.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous with moderately long, slender, curved branches. Form upright to roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium in length to very short, straight or nearly so, slender, with large terminal buds; internodes rather short. Bark clear reddish or olive-green, lightly streaked with scarfskin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, small to very small, elongated, usually not raised. Buds rather small, plump, acute, appressed, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit below medium to above, uniform in size and shape. Form roundish inclined to oblate, regular or sometimes obscurely ribbed, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal. Stem short to medium, rather slender. Cavity acute to acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately broad, smooth and greenish or occasionally slightly russeted. Calyx small to medium, closed or partly open; lobes long, recurved. Basin varies from moderately deep and abrupt to rather shallow and obtuse, rather narrow to moderately wide, slightly furrowed or wrinkled. Skin tough, leathery, smooth, dull greenish-yellow blushed with dull red, becoming deep pinkish-red in highly colored specimens, with numerous narrow stripes of dark carmine, and overspread with a thin bloom which gives a dull effect. Dots small, gray. Calyx tube long, very narrow below, funnel-shape. Stamens median to basal. Core medium in size, axile or nearly so; cells usually partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels obcordate, emarginate. Seeds numerous, medium or above, rather wide, plump, somewhat acute. Flesh tinged with yellow, firm, hard, pretty coarse, somewhat crisp, not tender, juicy, mild subacid, somewhat aromatic, fair or possibly good. Season January to July.