Richard's Graft.

RED SPITZENBERG — STRAWBERRY — WINE.

Supposed to have originated in Ulster County, New York. Tree vigorous, upright, very productive.

Fig. 110. — Richard's graft.

Fruit medium to large, regular, oblate ; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow, mixed and splashed red ; Dots numerous, white. Basin medium, abrupt, folded ; Eye small, closed. Cavity wide, regular ; Stem long, red. Core small, closed, clasping the eye ; Seeds numerous, plump ; Flesh yellowish-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy ; Flavor rich, sub acid ; Quality best ; Use for the dessert ; Season September and October. Downing says : "One of the best dessert apples of its season."

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

Richard's Graft.

Derrick's Graft. Red Spitzenburgh. Derrikinan. Strawberry. Wine. Dirck's Graft. Uncle Richard's Graft.

Originated at Greenport, Columbia Co., N. Y. An excellent fall Apple, worthy of extended cultivation. Tree a free, upright spreading grower, productive. Young shoots very dark reddish brown, downy. Fruit medium, roundish oblate. Color yellow, nearly covered with splashes, marblings, and shades of rich red. Stalk medium length, slender. Cavity large. Calyx small, closed. Segments sometimes recurved. Basin medium, slightly uneven. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant, rich, aromatic subacid. Very good. September, October.

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

RICHARD GRAFT.

References. 1. Mag. Hort., 18:492. 1852. 2. Downing, 1857:101. fig. 3. Warder, 1867:457. fig. 4. Thomas, 1875:204. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1877:14. 6. Barry, 1883:340. 7. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1888. 8. Hendricks, Rural N. Y., 47:759, 811. 1888. 9. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:248. 10. Budd-Hansen, 1903:166.

Synonyms. Derrick and Ann (8). Derrick's Graft (2, 4). Red Spitzenburg (3). Red Spitsenburgh (2, 4, 6). Richard (1). Richard Graft (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Strawberry (2, 3). Wine (2, 3).

This is a very fine fall apple of superior dessert quality. It begins to ripen during late August or early September; the crop ripens in succession during a period of several weeks, and some portion of the fruit may be kept till late autumn. Several pickings are required in order to secure the fruit in prime condition. The tree is upright, of medium size, moderately vigorous, long-lived and a reliable cropper yielding good crops biennially. It is an excellent variety for home use and is being grown to a limited extent in commercial orchards with profit.

Historical. This variety was originated at Greenport, Columbia county, N. Y., by Richard Delamatter. It was introduced about 1860 by E. G. Studley, a nurseryman of Claverack, Columbia county, N. Y. Its cultivation is being extended somewhat in Columbia county, but as yet it is but little known outside of the Hudson valley.

Tree. Tree of medium size, moderately vigorous. Form upright or roundish, open. Twigs moderately long, curved, moderately stout; internodes medium. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, round, not raised. Buds medium size, broad, acute to obtuse, free, pubescent.

Fruit (2, 8). Fruit medium size. Form roundish oblate. Stem of medium length, slender. Cavity large. Calyx small, closed. Basin medium size. Skin yellow, nearly covered with stripes and splashes of deep red. Flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, aromatic, subacid, very good. Season September.

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

Richard's Graft is a medium-sized apple of roundish (oblate) form with yellow-red skin. Quality is very good. Use is both kitchen and market. Season is winter. The Northern Division of the American Pomological Society reports 2 stations, with the asterisk indicating the variety is reported in more than one division.

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

Richard's Graft. Derrick's Graft, | Wine Strawberry, Red Spitzenberg. An old fruit, supposed from Ulster County, N. Y., but as yet little known. Tree, a free, upright grower, good bearer of an apple, fine for the dessert. Fruit, above medium, roundish flattened; yellow, striped with red; stem, inch long; cavity, deep, broad; calyx, closed; segments reflexed; basin, deep; flesh, fine grained, tender, juicy, vinous. September to October.

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

Richards' Graft. (Derrick's Graft, Red Spitzenburgh.) Rather large, roundish-oblate; striped red on yellow; cavity large; basin deep; flesh fine grained, tender, with a refreshing, sub-acid, very good flavor. September and October. Cultivated on the Hudson River.

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

Richards Graft. — Originated at Greenport, New York. Downing said "one of the best apples of its season." Cultivated on the Hudson River.

Fruit above medium to large, roundish, regular, truncated; surface smooth, yellow, nearly covered with splashed, striped, marbled, and dotted rich red, overlaid with whitish; dots many, obscure, whitish; cavity wide, deep, obtuse, with much stellate russet; stem long, red; basin abrupt, medium, nearly smooth; calyx small, closed, segments erect convergent. Core half open, small; cells ovate, entire; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median ; seeds many, plump; flesh yellowish, white, tender, juicy, fine-grained, rich, pleasant aromatic subacid; very good to best. September and October.

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

RICHARD GRAFT. Red Spitzenberg. Strawberry. Wine. Richard Graft is a product of the Hudson Valley, New York, and at present is grown only there. It is a fall apple, superior because choicely good in quality, but suitable for a home product only, as the crop ripens in a succession of several weeks. The trees are satisfactory except in bearing biennially. The variety was introduced in 1860 by E. G. Studley, Claverack, New York.

Tree of medium size, vigorous, upright, open. Fruit of medium size, round-oblate; stem of medium length, slender; cavity small, closed; basin of medium size; skin yellow, covered with stripes and splashes of deep red; flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, aromatic, subacid; very good; September.

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