THE RED ASTRACHAN APPLE.

Red Astrachan. Pomological Magazine, vol. iii. pl. 123.

If a fruit should be entitled to the attention of cultivators for its beauty alone, the Red Astrachan, among our great number of varieties, would bear off the palm. It has not only a rich, deep crimson, skin, often heightened by the peculiar abruptness of the coloring from the sunny to the shaded side, but it is covered with a soft bloom, as beautiful as that of a plum. Its fine appearance, however, is not its only recommendation ; for, although not quite equalling the Early Harvest, which ripens at about the same season, it is an excellent apple, and one without which no collection can be complete.

It was first introduced into England, from Sweden, about the year 1816, and fruited in the garden of Mr. Atkinson, at Grove End, near London, in 1820, at which period it was exhibited before the London Horticultural Society, and noticed in their Transactions, (vol. iv.) Its beauty as well as excellence commended it to the notice of cultivators, and it was very generally disseminated. At what time it was introduced into this country we have no precise information. Though in many collections of fruit, it is by no means extensively cultivated, and we believe that it has not yet been so abundantly raised as to be found in our markets, only in exceedingly small quantities.

It is a hardy and exceedingly vigorous variety, admirably adapted for dwarf trees, which, when loaded with fruit, have a very showy appearance. It comes into bearing rather early, young and thrifty trees often producing fruit the fourth or fifth year. The fruit should be gathered as soon as ripe, for, if allowed to hang upon the tree, it soon becomes mealy.

Tree. — Vigorous, upright, and regular in growth, forming a handsome and rather compact head ; young trees very erect, with short spurs on the main stem : our vignette is from a tree two years from the bud.

Wood. — Clear reddish chestnut, sprinkled with distinct whitish specks, stout, rather short-jointed, pubescent at the ends ; buds large, broad, with rather stout shoulders, and somewhat flattened : Flower-buds oval.

Leaves. — Medium size, roundish oblong, wavy on the margin, shortly acuminate, rather deeply and obtusely serrated ; petioles of medium length, and moderately stout ; stipules narrow.

Flowers. — Medium size.

Fruit. — Large, about three inches broad, and two and a half deep : Form, roundish, flattened at the base, and narrowing little towards the eye : Skin, very fair, smooth, rich brilliant crimson on the sunny side, paler in the shade, though occasionally little greenish, sometimes russeted around the stem, dotted with large yellow specks, and covered with a thin whitish bloom : Stem, short, about half an inch in length, rather stout, straight, and moderately inserted in a broad, rather shallow basin : Eye, rather large, partially closed, and slightly depressed in a broad, shallow, and somewhat ridged basin : Flesh, white, with occasional stains of pink, fine, crisp, and tender : Juice, tolerably abundant, subacid and good : Core, large, rather close : Seeds, small, ovate.

Ripe from the middle of August to the beginning of September.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

RED ASTRACHAN.

Foreign. Most valuable as a hardy, strong grower, regular, moderate bearer of fruit, always fair. As a dessert fruit, it is rather acid, unless fully ripe; but, for marketing or cooking, it has few equals, at its time. Shoots stout, dark brown, broad foliage.

Fruit, medium to large; form, roundish, tapering toward the apex; color, greenish yellow, mostly overspread with rich purplish crimson, a little russet near the stem and a white bloom; stem, varying, generally short: cavity, narrow; calyx, large; basin, shallow, uneven; flesh, white, crisp, juicy, acid; core, small; seeds, ovate, dark brownish black. August.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Red Astrachan.

This Russian fruit has been perfectly adopted by our countrymen, and has proved itself a great favorite, particularly in the North, by its hardiness and productiveness, beauty and good qualities.

Tree vigorous, upright, productive, hardy ; Shoots reddish brown, foliage large, rich green.

Fig. 100.—RED ASTRACHAN.

Fruit medium to large, regular, oblate ; Surface smooth, mottled, marbled and striped crimson on greenish-yellow ; Dots minute, heavy bloom.

Basin medium, regular ; Eye small, closed.

Cavity shallow, regular ; Stem long, yellow.

Core regular, closed ; Seeds angular, small, dark ; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy ; Flavor quite acid, not rich ; Quality first rate for market and cooking, poor for table ; Season July.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

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— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

Red Astrachan.

Deterding's Early. Vermilion d'Ete. Astrachan Rouge. Abe Lincoln. Rother Astrakan.

A fruit of extraordinary beauty, first imported into England, with the White Astrachan, from Sweden, in 1816. It bears abundantly with us, and its singular richness of color is heightened by an exquisite bloom on the surface of the fruit, like that of a plum. It is one of the handsomest dessert fruits, and its quality is good, but if not taken from the tree as soon as ripe it is liable to become mealy. Tree a vigorous grower, upright spreading. An early and abundant bearer. Young shoots clear reddish brown.

Fruit pretty large, rather above the middle size, and very smooth and fair, roundish, a little narrowed towards the eye. Skin almost entirely covered with deep crimson, with sometimes a little greenish yellow in the shade, and occasionally a little russet near the stalk, and covered with a pale white bloom. Stalk rather short and deeply inserted. Calyx partially closed, set in a slight basin, which is sometimes a little irregular. Flesh quite white, crisp, moderately juicy, with an agreeable, rich, acid flavor. Good to very good. Ripens from last of July to middle of August.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Red Astrachan—Origin, Russia—First imported into England with the White Astrachan from Sweden in 1816. Tree of vigorous, upright, spreading growth, an early and abundant bearer—Fruit above medium, roundish, somewhat conical; surface smooth, greenish yellow, almost entirely covered with mottled, marbled and striped deep crimson, with delicate white bloom, a beautiful fruit; dots minute; cavity shallow, regular, obtuse, russeted; stem short; basin shallow, smooth, sometimes a little irregular; calyx small, closed. Core closed, barely clasping; cells open, obovate; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal or median; seeds many, angular, plump, small; flesh white, crisp, juicy, brisk acid, good. Late July, early August.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

Red Astrachan.* Rather large, sometimes quite large, roundish-oblate, slightly approaching conical, rather smooth; nearly whole surface brilliant deep crimson, with a thick bloom like a plum; stalk one-half to three-fourths of an inch long; calyx in a small slightly uneven basin; flesh white, rather crisp; good, rather acid, slightly austere. A few days after Early Harvest. Excellent for cooking. Shoots stout, dark brown, diverging and ascending; leaves broad. This apple, although of second-rate flavor, because of its earliness and very handsome and fair appearance, by the vigor and productiveness of the tree, and its excellent culinary qualities, is now in general cultivation. It should be picked a few days before fully mature. Hardy far West. Russian. Fig. 367.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

RED ASTRACHAN.

REFERENCES. 1. London Hort. Soc. Trans., 4:522 (cited by 2). 2. Forsyth, 1824:131. 3. Pom. Mag., 1830:No. 123, col. pl. 4. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 31. 5. Kenrick, 1832:90. 6. Floy-Lindley, 1833:4. 7. Kenrick, 1835:58. 8. Mag. Hort., 1:391. 1835. 9. Manning, 1838:50. 10. Ib., Mag. Hort., 7:48. 1841. 11. Downing, 1845:75. fig. 12. Horticulturist, 1:146. 1846. 13. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 14:15. 1848. fig. 14. Cole, 1849:98. fig. 15. Goodrich, 1849:49. 16. Thomas, 1849:143. 17. Waring, 1851:29. 18. Barry, 1851:279. 19. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:14. 1851. col. pl. No. 53. 20. Hovey, 1:35. 1851. col. pl. and fig. 21. Mass. Hort. Soc. Trans., 1852:103. col. pl. 22. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 23. Horticulturist, 7:437. 1852. 24. Elliott, 1854:103. fig. 25. Horticulturist, 10:443. 1855. fig. 26. Hooper, 1857:13, 77. 27. Gregg, 1857:38. fig. 28. Mag. Hort., 30:162. 1864. 29. Ib., 32:17, 51. 1866. 30. Warder, 1867:456. fig. 31. Downing, 1869:323. fig. 32. Todd, 1871:210. fig. 33. Fitz, 1872:143, 160, 172. 34. Leroy, 1873:82. fig. 35. Hatch, Horticulturist, 29:51. 1874. 36. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1876:8. 37. Hogg, 1884:185. 38. Wickson, 1889:243. 39. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:296. 40. Can. Hort., 14:261. 1891. 41. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234, 247. 42. Am. Gard., 15:404. 1894. fig. 43. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 2:10. 1895. fig. 44. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:337. 1896. 45. Waugh, Vt. Sta. Bul., 61:131. 1897. 46. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354. 47. Craig, Cyc. of Am. Hort., 1901:1404. 48. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:305. 1901. 49. Can. Hort., 25:305. 1902. figs. 50. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:90. 1902. 51. Bruner, N. C. Sta. Bul., 182:21. 1903. 52. Budd-Hansen, 1903:160. fig.

SYNONYMS. Abe Lincoln (31, 32, 34, 48). AMERICAN RED (4, 46). Anglesea Pippin (37). ASTRACAN ROUGE (34). ASTRACHAN (23). ASTRACHAN RED (2, 18). Astrachan Rouge (31). Astrakhan Rouge (32). Deterding's Early (31, 32). Hamper's American (37). RED ASTRACAN (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19). RED ASTRACHAN (1, 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52). Red Astrachan (34). RED ASTRAKHAN (32). Rother Astrakhan (31, 32). Vermilion d'Ete (31, 32, 34). Waterloo (37).

This is a very beautiful early summer apple of good medium size, yellow, largely covered with light and dark red, presenting a striped appearance, and overspread with bluish bloom. It is generally well known throughout the state, being valued particularly for home use. It is fit for culinary purposes before it becomes fully ripe, so that for home use it is in season from late July to September. When fully ripe and mellow it is desirable for dessert use. The tree is of medium size, a good grower, moderately long-lived, comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper, yielding moderate to good crops biennially or sometimes annually. The fruit hangs to the tree pretty well till it is fully ripe, but as the crop matures unevenly there is apt to be considerable loss from the dropping of the fruit unless several pickings are made. It is not very uniform in size, and a considerable amount of it is small or otherwise unmarketable. It is very perishable, and on this account not well adapted for shipping to distant markets. It is very common in local markets, but often the supply so much exceeds the demand that prices are consequently low.

Historical. Hogg states that Red Astrachan was imported from Sweden into England in 1816 but Lindley (6) states that "This very beautiful apple was imported from Sweden, and first fruited by William Atkinson, Esq., of Grove End, Paddington, in 1816." It was one of the first of the Russian apples imported into America. It was received by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from the London (Eng.) Horticultural Society about 1835 but this was not the first importation for fruit of Red Astrachan was included in one of the exhibitions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1835 (8). It has become generally disseminated throughout the apple-growing districts of the continent and is commonly listed from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf states.

TREE.

Tree medium to rather large, moderately vigorous to vigorous. Form upright spreading to roundish, rather dense. Twigs medium to long, curved, stout to rather slender; internodes long. Bark clear brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, pubescent near the tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium to small, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium in size, plump, obtuse to acute, free, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to sometimes large, not very uniform in size or shape. Form roundish to roundish oblate, inclined to conical, somewhat ribbed; sides a little unequal. Stem medium, rather slender, bracted. Cavity acute to sometimes obtuse, medium to deep, moderately broad, often thinly russeted with greenish russet, usually symmetrical, sometimes lipped. Calyx medium to rather large, open or closed; lobes rather long, moderately broad. Basin shallow, narrow to medium in width, obtuse, wrinkled. Skin rather thin, moderately tender, smooth, pale yellow or greenish often nearly or quite overspread with light and dark red splashed and irregularly striped with deep crimson or carmine and covered with rather heavy distinct bluish bloom. Dots numerous, small, whitish. Calyx tube long, funnel-form. Stamens median to marginal. Core small, somewhat abaxile; cells closed or somewhat open; core lines clasping or sometimes nearly meeting. Carpels broadly ovate or obovate, slightly tufted. Seeds small, moderately wide, plump, obtuse. Flesh white often strongly tinged with red, rather fine, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, aromatic, sometimes slightly astringent, good to very good. Season late July to September.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Red Astrachan.

Red Astrachan. — Origin, Russia ; first imported into England with the White Astrachan from Sweden in 1816. Tree of vigorous, upright, spreading growth, an early and abundant bearer. Fruit above medium, roundish, somewhat conical; surface smooth, greenish yellow, almost entirely covered with mottled, marbled and striped deep crimson, with delicate white bloom, a beautiful fruit; dots minute; cavity shallow, regular, obtuse, russeted; stem short; basin shallow, smooth, sometimes a little irregular; calyx small, closed. Core closed, barely clasping; cells open, obovate; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal or median; seeds many, angular, plump, small; flesh white, crisp, juicy, brisk acid, good. Late July, early August.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Red Astrachan

This is an early summer apple, medium size, yellowish red, some parts being a dark red, and causing the apple to present a striped appearance, and is also overspread with a bluish bloom. It is good for culinary purposes before it becomes fully ripe, so that it is valued for home use.

The tree is of medium size, a good grower, moderately long lived, comes into bearing young and produces well. The crop matures unevenly and in order to save the fruit it is important to give several pickings. The fruit is tender and perishable, and for this reason not well adapted to commercial purposes.

Historical. Hogg states that the Red Astrachan was imported into England from Sweden in 1816. It was one of the first Russian apples imported into America, and was received by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from London, England, about 1835; but this was not the first importation, for the same year fruit of this variety grown in Massachusetts was exhibited at the meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

ASTRACHAN RED. Ronalds, p. V. (American Red, Anglesea Pippin.) Dessert, early August, medium, 2¼ by 2¼, flattened round, fairly regular. Colour, deep crimson, unstriped. Flesh, crisp, white, sweet. Eye, closed in a shallow basin. Stem, short in a scaly russet cavity. Growth, moderate, fertility poor. Leaf, long oval, pale green, held flat, crenate. Origin, probably from the country of its name. Introduced to England in 1816. A most attractive fruit but too poor a cropper for general use.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

RED ASTRACHAN. Fig. 45. Red Astrachan is the standard red summer apple for home orchards in the United States and Canada, not because it is best in any of its characters, but because it is considerably above the average in all. The apples are beautiful in color and shape when well grown, but are often poorly colored and lacking in uniformity of size and shape. They are fit for cooking long before maturity, and, when fully ripe, are fair for dessert, having a long season of usefulness. The trees come into bearing young and bear regularly and abundantly, but are short-lived and subject to most of the ills that apple-trees are heir to. The apples cannot be handled or stored, and, therefore, the variety has small place as a market fruit. Red Astrachan is a Russian apple introduced into America in 1835, and has long been grown in all of the apple regions of America.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense.

Fruit medium to large, not uniform in size or shape, round-oblate, conical, ribbed, sides unequal; stem slender, bracted; cavity acute, deep, broad, often russeted with greenish-russet, usually symmetrical, sometimes lipped; calyx large, open, or closed; lobes long, broad; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth, pale yellow often overspread with light and dark red, splashed and irregularly striped with deep crimson or carmine and covered with heavy bloom; dots numerous, white; calyx-tube long, funnel-form; stamens median; core small, abaxile; cells closed or open; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly ovate, tufted; seeds small, wide, plump, obtuse; flesh white often tinged with red, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, aromatic, sometimes astringent; good to very good; late July to September.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous grower, and productive. Fruit above medium size, roundish. Skin green, nearly overspread with deep crimson. Flesh white, crisp, juicy, with a rich flavour, quality good. Season August.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

Medium pale yellow with rosy cheek, but not very flavory. Good for stewing. Season Aug-Sept.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)

Has precedent with light and dark red. A handy and prolific variety, being sure to produce good crops...

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)

large; a pleasant medium flavour; a prime - Aug & Sept.

— Thomas Rivers & Son, Thomas Rivers Catalogue of Fruits (1914) (1914)