Pifer

Pifer

Origin/History

Originated in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Brought to the attention of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1853 (Beach, citing Magazine of Horticulture and Horticulturist, 1853). Does not appear to have been known among New York fruit growers at the time of Beach's writing. Its chief merit, according to Beach, is that it keeps fresh and firm until very late in the season.

Tree

Downing describes the tree as a rapid grower with an upright spreading habit. Beach, by contrast, describes it as moderately vigorous — a conflicting assessment of vigor — with moderately long, slender, curved branches. Form upright to roundish, rather dense (Beach; Downing gives upright spreading). 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.

The tree does not come into bearing very young, but so far as tested at the New York Station it appears to be a reliable bearer, yielding full crops biennially (Beach). Not recommended for planting in New York (Beach).

Fruit

Size: Downing gives below medium. Beach gives below medium to above — a slight conflict, with Beach's range extending higher. Uniform in size and shape (Beach).

Form: Roundish (Downing). Beach gives roundish inclined to oblate, regular or sometimes obscurely ribbed, usually symmetrical; sides sometimes unequal.

Stem: Short to medium, rather slender (Beach).

Cavity: Acute to acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately broad, smooth and greenish or occasionally slightly russeted (Beach).

Calyx: Small to medium, closed or partly open; lobes long, recurved (Beach).

Basin: Varies from moderately deep and abrupt to rather shallow and obtuse, rather narrow to moderately wide, slightly furrowed or wrinkled (Beach).

Skin: Downing describes the skin as sparsely streaked with red on a yellowish-green ground, fawn-colored next the sun. Beach gives a fuller account: 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.

Flesh/Flavor: The two sources conflict materially here. Downing describes the flesh as white and tender, subacid, and rates it Good. Beach describes the flesh as tinged with yellow — not white — firm, hard, pretty coarse, somewhat crisp, not tender, juicy, mild subacid, somewhat aromatic, and rates it fair or possibly good. The difference in texture (tender vs. not tender) and color (white vs. yellowish) is a direct conflict between the two sources; Beach's account is the more detailed and later of the two.

Core/Seeds: Calyx tube long, very narrow below, funnel-shaped. 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 (all Beach).

Season

January to July (both sources agree).

Uses

Not described in source. The exceptionally long keeping season — fresh and firm from January through July — is identified by Beach as the variety's chief merit, suggesting its primary value is as a late-keeping storage apple.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach notes the variety is also known under the spellings Pfeifer (Downing; Beach) and Pfeiffer (Mag. Hort.; Horticulturist; Warder), and was listed as Piper in Powell and Fulton's U.S. Bureau of Plant Industry Bulletin 48 (1903). Beach summarizes the variety as a dull red fruit of medium size and fair quality whose principal virtue is exceptionally late keeping.