NO. 54. ROMAN STEM.

This apple was first propagated in the neighbourhood of Burlington New-Jersey, where the original

— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

Roman Stem.

Origin Burlington, New Jersey. Tree moderately vigorous, very productive.

Fruit medium, globular, regular; Surface smooth, yellow, often blushed; Dots minute, dark.

Fig. 205.—ROMAN STEM.

Basin shallow, regular, or wavy, russet; Eye small, closed.

Cavity acute, lipped; Stem long.

Core rather large, heart-shaped, regular, clasping; Seeds numerous, plump; Flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor mild sub-acid, rich; Quality good to very good; Use, table; Season, December, January.

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

Roman Stem.

Originated at Burlington, in New Jersey, and is much esteemed in that neighborhood. Tree very productive, moderately vigorous, spreading, irregular.

Fruit scarcely of medium size, roundish, whitish yellow, with a faint brownish blush, sprinkled with patches of dark russet, and, when ripe, having a few reddish specks, unless the fruit is very fair. Stalk three-fourths of an inch long, inserted in a shallow cavity under a fleshy protuberance. Calyx set in a rather narrow basin, with a few plaits. Core hollow. Flesh tender, juicy, with a rich, pleasant, musky flavor. Very good. November to March.

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

ROMAN STEM.

REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:132. fig. 2. Thacher, 1822:135. 3. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:33. 4. Downing, 1845:131. 5. Kirtland, Horticulturist, 2:545. 1848. 6. Thomas, 1849:185. 7. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:472. 1850. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:86. 1851. 9. Elliott, 1854:155. 10. Horticulturist, 10:87. 1855. 11. Hooper, 1857:81. 12. Mag. Hort., 24:110. 1858. 13. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 14. Warder, 1867:579. fig. 15. Barry, 1883:354. 16. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:296. 17. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:248. 18. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:94. 1902. 19. Budd-Hansen, 1903:166. 20. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:142. 1904.

SYNONYMS. French Pippin of some (9). ROMAN STEM (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20).

Fruit about medium size, whitish-yellow, often somewhat blushed. The flesh is juicy, aromatic, subacid and very good in quality, particularly for dessert use. It is in season from midautumn to midwinter. "A good fruit but in a great measure superseded by other sorts" (15). The tree is moderately vigorous, spreading, irregular, very hardy and very productive. In the trying climate of the upper Mississippi valley it has proved hardier than most of the old varieties from the East and has succeeded well where the varieties of the grade of hardiness of Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening have failed. It is not well suited for commercial purposes because it is yellow, lacks good size and is not a late keeper.

Historical. Coxe published the following description of Roman Stem in 1817: "This apple was first propagated in the neighbourhood of Burlington, New-Jersey, where the original tree is now standing. It is an excellent early winter fruit, much admired for its tender, mild, juicy and agreeable properties; the size is small, the form round, the stalk of singular appearance, from a fleshy protuberance of the neighboring part, resembling an aquiline nose, whence the apple derives its name — the skin is rough, the color yellow, with black clouds and spots — the tree is of handsome and vigorous growth, with long shoots, and great fruitfulness; it is in every respect deserving of extensive cultivation."

Roman Stem has been pretty widely disseminated and considerably cultivated in various parts of the Southern, Central and Western states but it is now generally superseded by other kinds. It is but little grown in New York.

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

Roman Stem: size Mo; form ojr; skin color yellow-russet; quality very good; use both kitchen and market; season winter. Reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, 15 stations in the Central Division, and 1 station in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division count indicates the variety is reported as adapted to more than one division.

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

Roman Stem. French Pippin, of some. From New Jersey. Shoots, slender, diverging; succeeds finely on the dry prairies, and on all rich limestone soils; productive. Fruit, medium, roundish oblong, whitish yellow, with brownish or red russet, and patches of blackish russet, unless well grown; stem, with a fleshy knob one side; cavity, russeted; calyx, small, closed: basin, narrow; core, open, long ovate: seeds, ovate pointed; flesh, tender, juicy, sub-acid, sprightly: "very good." November to February. One of the best at the Southwest.

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

Roman Stem—Origin, Burlington, New Jersey. Tree very productive, of moderate vigor, spreading, irregular. One of the hardiest of the old eastern varieties for central and northern Iowa; the size and color are against it for market—Fruit medium or below, roundish, often irregular and unequal; surface smooth, rich yellow, with faint bronze blush, sometimes with patches of russet, and a few reddish specks; dots distinct, many, russet or green, size variable, mostly small; cavity wide, shallow, obtuse, usually with a large lip or fleshy protuberance against the stem, this is typical of the variety although occasionally absent; stem short; basin narrow, abrupt, wavy, somewhat corrugated; calyx closed, segments erect convergent. Core closed, barely clasping; cells ovate, slit; tube conical; stamens median; seeds many, plump, pointed; flesh yellow, with yellow veinings, tender, juicy, spicy, rich subacid, excellent. November to March.

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

Roman Stem. Medium in size, round ovate; whitish yellow, with a faint brownish blush; stalk one-half to three-fourths of an inch long, with a fleshy protuberance at insertion; cavity shallow; basin narrow, slightly plaited; flesh tender, juicy, mild sub-acid, good flavor. Keeps through winter. A New Jersey fruit which succeeds well throughout the Ohio Valley and Middle States. Hardy far West.

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

Roman Stem. — Origin, Burlington, New Jersey; tree very productive, of moderate vigor, spreading, irregular. One of the hardiest of the old eastern varieties for central and northern Iowa; the size and color are against it for market.

Fruit medium or below, roundish, often irregular and unequal; surface smooth, rich yellow, with faint bronze blush, sometimes with patches of russet, and a few reddish specks; dots distinct, many, russet or green; size variable, mostly small; cavity wide, shallow, obtuse, usually with a large lip or fleshy protuberance against the stem — this is typical of the variety although occasionally absent; stem short; basin narrow, abrupt, wavy, somewhat corrugated; calyx closed; segments erect convergent. Core closed, barely clasping; cells ovate, slit; tube conical; stamens median; seeds many, plump, pointed; flesh yellow, with yellow veinings, tender, juicy, spicy, rich, subacid, excellent. November to March.

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

ROMAN STEM. French Pippin. This apple, described as early as 1817, is still more or less grown in the South, in the Mississippi Valley, and in the Pacific states. In the trying climate of the Great Plains, it is hardier than almost any other excepting Russian apples. The fruits are suitable for home use only, lacking in size and in keeping qualities. The original tree was found near Burlington, New Jersey, where it still stood in 1817. Tree moderately vigorous, spreading, irregular, very hardy and very productive; fruit small to medium, round, uniform; stem with a fleshy protuberance from the neighboring part, resembling a Roman nose, whence the name Roman Stem; skin rough, yellow, clouded and spotted; flesh tender, mild, juicy, with an agreeable flavor; good; early winter.

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