Romna

Romna

Origin/History

A Russian variety received from Dr. T. H. Hoskins of Newport, Vermont, in 1888 for testing at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station. It is also known in the Russian literature as Romenskoe, Romnenskoe, and under experiment station designations No. 11 M and No. 599 Dept. It was described in an 1896 station report (Beach, Paddock and Close, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 15:275) as being in season during the last of August and the first of September — a statement subsequently acknowledged as erroneous and incomplete. While the fruit began to come into season during late August and early September, some portion of it was kept in ordinary storage until midwinter. A later station bulletin (Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:142, 1904) correctly states that as fruited at this Station, the commercial limit of this variety is early October and its season in ordinary storage extends from September to January; it is properly classed as a fall and early winter apple in New York.

The fruit at the New York Station corresponds very closely with the illustrated descriptions given by Troop and Waugh but varies considerably from those of Budd and Hansen, particularly in that it is usually oblate conic and is in season during the autumn and early winter rather than late winter and spring. Budd's own description of the variety reads: "This succeeds best on dry soil where its roots run very deep. Fruit medium in size, conical, smooth, handsomely colored. Flesh white, firm, quite acid and best for cooking, but when matured it is much better for dessert use than Willow or Missouri Pippin or other coarse sorts found in our markets. Season, midwinter here, and late winter north of 43d parallel."

Beach notes that the variety does not appear to be worthy of the attention of fruit growers in New York except possibly where superior hardiness is a prime requisite.

Tree

Moderately vigorous to vigorous. Branches short, stout, curved, crooked, and drooping. Form spreading, drooping, and flat. Twigs short to medium, straight, moderately slender to stout, with large terminal buds; internodes medium to long. Bark brown, somewhat tinged with red, streaked with grayish scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, roundish or oval, slightly raised. Buds moderately small to very large and prominent, broad, very plump, acute, free or nearly so, scarcely pubescent.

The tree comes into bearing rather young and yields good crops biennially. Hardy.

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium or sometimes rather large (Beach); Thomas describes the fruit simply as medium. Not very uniform in shape or size. Form usually oblate conic (Beach), described by Thomas as oblate. Irregularly elliptical or broadly and obscurely angular, often unsymmetrical with sides unequal (Beach).

Stem: Medium length to short, stout, pubescent.

Cavity: Beach describes the cavity as medium to rather large, acute or sometimes nearly obtuse, medium in depth to rather deep, rather wide to narrow, somewhat furrowed, occasionally lipped, russeted, and often with conspicuous outspreading russet. Thomas describes the cavity simply as deep.

Calyx: Above medium to large, open or partly closed; lobes often separated at the base, medium in length, rather broad, acute.

Basin: Beach describes the basin as medium to large, often oblique, moderately narrow to wide, sometimes compressed, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled. Thomas, in contrast, describes the basin as wide and shallow — the two sources conflict on this point.

Skin: Thick, tough, smooth or partly roughened with flecks of russet. Color greenish becoming yellow, more or less blushed and overspread with thin bloom (Beach); Thomas describes the color as greenish yellow with a dull red blush. Beach adds that well-colored specimens are covered to a considerable extent with pinkish-red, blushed and striped with bright carmine.

Dots: Small, numerous, pale yellow or grayish, sometimes rather conspicuous.

Calyx Tube: Rather long, wide, funnel-shape.

Stamens: Median.

Core and Seeds: Core medium to small, axile or nearly so; cells closed; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels roundish ovate, somewhat emarginate, slightly tufted. Seeds medium to small, rather short, narrow, plump, obtuse to acute, rather dark brown.

Flesh and Flavor: Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately coarse, juicy; flavor briskly subacid and slightly astringent; quality fair to good (Beach). Thomas describes the flesh as firm, mild sub-acid, juicy, and good — the two sources conflict on the intensity of acidity, Beach reporting brisk subacidity with slight astringency and Thomas reporting mild subacidity.

Budd's separate description characterizes the flesh as white, firm, quite acid, best for cooking, but when fully matured substantially better for dessert use than coarse market sorts such as Willow or Missouri Pippin.

Season

September to January in ordinary storage (Beach). Commercial limit at the New York Station is early October; season extends from September into January. Thomas lists the variety as a winter apple. Budd gives the season as midwinter in Iowa, and late winter north of 43° latitude — a description Beach notes as inconsistent with results at the New York Station.

Uses

Cooking and dessert. Budd emphasizes cooking use but notes that when fully matured the fruit is considerably better for dessert than coarse commercial sorts.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Budd notes the variety succeeds best on dry soil where its roots run very deep. Reported in experimental trials by multiple stations including Iowa Agricultural College, Indiana, Vermont, South Dakota, and the New York Station between 1883 and 1904.