Roseau

Origin/History

Period sources disagree on geographic origin. Elliott (1865), Downing (1900), and Thomas (1903) describe Roseau simply as "Foreign." However, the same variety appears in these and later sources under the historical synonyms Baltimore, Flushing Spitzenburg, Cable's Gilliflower, and Royal Pippin, and under those names the attribution shifts to America. Warder (1867), writing of it as Baltimore (also called Flushing Spitzenberg of Northwest, Cable's Gilliflower, or Royal Pippin in Illinois), states the origin "is unknown, though it is extensively cultivated in western orchards, especially in the lake country, for it is scarcely known within the Ohio river fruit region." Downing (1900), under Baltimore, gives "Origin unknown." Beach (1905) records that "this variety probably originated in America. Although it has long been known in cultivation it is not regarded favorably by commercial orchardists and is now seldom planted." Hedrick (1922) writes "Nothing is known of the early history of Flushing Spitzenburg, but it has been cultivated since 1800, when it was first described." Budd & Hansen (1914) state simply "Of American origin." Beach (1905) additionally notes that a variety known in portions of Ontario under the name Red Canada or Canada Red is said to be quite different from the Red Canada of Western New York. Downing (1900) records, as a separate identification, that "an apple received from Maryland as Baltimore proves identical with Fallawater." Earliest references trace to the North American Pomological Convention, 1849, and to Thacher 1822 and Kenrick 1832 under the Flushing Spitzenburg name (per Beach).

Tree

Sources conflict sharply on tree character.

Under the name Roseau, judgments are dismissive: Downing (1900) "Tree poor grower and unprofitable"; Thomas (1903) "of little value"; Elliott (1865) "unprofitable."

Under the Baltimore form, the tree is rated more highly. Elliott (1865): "Tree, thrifty, slender, very productive, on warm, rich soils." Warder (1867): "Tree thrifty, sufficiently vigorous but with slender growth, very productive, spreading." Downing (1900): "Tree healthy, hardy, moderately vigorous, making a round head that when loaded with fruit appears almost drooping. Young shoots slender, dull reddish brown. A profitable variety for market or table use."

Under the Flushing Spitzenburg form, the tree is consistently described as vigorous with stout, distinctively reddish-brown shoots, repeatedly contrasted with the slender yellowish-gray shoots of Esopus Spitzenburg — a variety with which Roseau has frequently been confounded due to the similarity of the names. Elliott (1865): "Tree, vigorous, strong brown shoots." Downing (1900): "The tree makes strong reddish brown shoots, different from the slender yellowish ones of [Esopus Spitzenburgh]." Thomas (1903): "Shoots strong, brown, unlike the slender, gray shoots of Esopus Spitzenburgh." Beach (1905): "Tree large, vigorous. Form round-headed or spreading. Twigs stout, reddish-brown, quite distinct from the small yellowish gray shoots of Esopus Spitzenburg." Hedrick (1922): "Tree large, vigorous, round-headed or spreading." Budd & Hansen (1914): "The young shoots are strong reddish brown, unlike the slender yellowish shoots of the Esopus Spitzenburg." Beach (1905) further notes the tree "generally has the reputation of being a shy bearer," with "considerable loss from the dropping of the fruit before it is fully mature."

Fruit

Size

Under Roseau: Elliott (1865), Downing (1900), and Thomas (1903) all give "large." Under Baltimore: Elliott "medium to large"; Warder "medium"; Downing "medium"; Thomas "medium." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott, Warder, Downing, Thomas, and Budd & Hansen all give "medium"; Beach "medium to nearly large"; Hedrick "medium to large."

Form

Under Roseau: Elliott and Thomas describe "irregular in size and form." Under Baltimore: Elliott "round, or roundish ovate"; Warder "regular, oblate, almost round in some specimens"; Downing "roundish, conical, regular"; Thomas "roundish." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott "roundish, slightly conical"; Downing "roundish conical"; Thomas "roundish conical"; Budd & Hansen "regular, roundish conical"; Beach "roundish conic or sometimes oblate conic, obscurely ribbed, pretty symmetrical"; Hedrick "round-conic or sometimes oblate-conic, obscurely ribbed, symmetrical."

Stem

Under Baltimore: Elliott "short"; Warder "short to medium"; Downing "short." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott "slender"; Beach "short to medium"; Hedrick "short"; Budd & Hansen "medium."

Cavity

Under Baltimore: Elliott "open, deep, regular"; Warder "wide, regular, brown"; Downing "medium size, rather thinly russeted." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott "narrow"; Downing "narrow, projecting beyond the fruit"; Thomas "small"; Beach "acuminate, moderately deep to deep, narrow to rather broad, smooth and red or greenish, sometimes more or less overspread with greenish or red russet"; Hedrick "acuminate, deep, narrow, smooth and red or greenish"; Budd & Hansen "deep, wide, regular, obtuse, some radiating russet."

Calyx

Under Baltimore: Elliott "small, half open"; Warder (eye) "small, closed"; Downing "small, closed. Segments drawn to a point." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott "small"; Downing "small, in an even basin"; Thomas "small"; Beach "medium to rather small, closed or partly open; lobes broad, obtuse"; Hedrick "small, closed or open; lobes broad, obtuse"; Budd & Hansen "open; segments flat convergent."

Basin

Under Baltimore: Elliott "shallow, regular"; Warder "shallow, regular"; Downing "shallow, nearly smooth." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott "shallow"; Beach "varying from narrow and shallow to medium in width and depth, obtuse to abrupt, sometimes somewhat furrowed and wrinkled"; Hedrick "narrow and shallow, obtuse, sometimes furrowed and wrinkled"; Budd & Hansen "very shallow, wide, with many small corrugations and ribs."

Skin and Color

Under Roseau: Elliott (1865), Downing (1900), and Thomas (1903) all describe the skin as "dark red."

Under Baltimore the color picture is more elaborate and significantly lighter. Elliott (1865): "light yellow, striped, and splashed with purplish red, a little bronzed russet about the stem, large whitish dots, and often a blue tinge marbled toward the stem, resembling a bloom." Warder (1867): "Surface smooth, red, striped with deep red and often covered with whitish or gray markings that give it a blue appearance like a bloom; dots scattered, large, yellow or fawn color." Downing (1900): "pale yellow, shaded with light red, striped and splashed with dark red, almost purplish, having a grayish appearance of bloom, large light dots, with a dark centre." Thomas (1903): "striped purplish red."

Under Flushing Spitzenburg, the skin is yellow or greenish-yellow ground heavily covered with red and dotted with whitish or fawn spots. Elliott (1865): "greenish yellow, mostly covered with warm yellowish red, russet dots, with suffused fawn shade surrounding." Warder (1867) quotes Elliott. Downing (1900): "Skin nearly covered with red, on a greenish yellow ground, dotted with large fawn spots, and coated with a slight bloom." Thomas (1903): "rich red on yellow, with large whitish or fawn spots." Beach (1905): "Skin tough, yellow or greenish overspread with orange-red, becoming a bright deep red on the exposed side, coated with a light bloom. Dots conspicuous, whitish, scattered over the base but very numerous around the basin." Hedrick (1922): "skin tough, yellow, overspread with orange-red, becoming bright deep red on the exposed side, coated with light bloom; dots conspicuous, white." Budd & Hansen (1914): "surface yellow, mostly covered with mixed dark red, overlaid with whitish; dots distinct, numerous, minute, russet."

Flesh and Flavor

Under Roseau: Downing (1900) gives "Flesh crisp, juicy, rich. Good."

Under Baltimore: Elliott (1865) "white, with a slight tinge of yellow, tender, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, sprightly." Warder (1867) "yellow, fine grained, juicy, almost sweet, aromatic, lacking character; Of second quality, but valuable for market." Downing (1900) "whitish, tender, juicy, mild, subacid... Very good." Thomas (1903) "sub-acid, very good."

Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott (1865) "white, tinged yellow, juicy, mild, crisp, nearly sweet; 'very good.'" Warder (1867) quotes Elliott. Downing (1900) "white, juicy, crisp, nearly sweet, and of pleasant flavor, but without the brisk richness or yellow color of the Esopus Spitzenburgh. Good." Thomas (1903) "whitish yellow, crisp, with a very mild sub-acid, moderate flavor." Beach (1905) "whitish tinged with yellow, sometimes streaked with red, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, not very tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid, not high in flavor, good in quality." Hedrick (1922) "yellow, sometimes streaked with red, firm, coarse, crisp, juicy, mild subacid; good in quality." Budd & Hansen (1914) "white, juicy, pleasant, nearly sweet, good."

Core and Seeds

Under Baltimore: Elliott (1865) "core, medium, or small; seeds, obovate pyriform." Warder (1867) "Core large, closed; Seeds numerous, plump." Downing (1900) "Core medium."

Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott (1865) "core, rather large." Beach (1905) gives the fullest dissection: "Calyx tube long, funnel-form, extending to the core. Stamens median. Core distant, abaxile with a wide hollow cylinder at the center, varying to nearly axile; cells pretty symmetrical, partly open or closed; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish, wide, mucronate, slightly emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds dark, medium to large, wide, plump, acute to obtuse, sometimes tufted." Hedrick (1922): "calyx-tube long, funnel-form, extending to the core; stamens median; core distant, abaxile with a wide hollow cylinder at the center, nearly axile; cells symmetrical, partly open or closed; core-lines clasping; carpels round, wide, mucronate, emarginate, somewhat tufted; seeds dark, large, wide, plump, acute, sometimes tufted." Budd & Hansen (1914): "Core closed; cells round, entire; tube conical; stamens median; seeds plump."

Season

Under Roseau: Downing (1900) "November, February"; Thomas (1903) "Winter." Under Baltimore: Elliott (1865) "December to March"; Warder (1867) "December and January"; Downing (1900) "December to April"; Thomas (1903) "Winter." Under Flushing Spitzenburg: Elliott (1865) "November to February"; Downing (1900) "October to February"; Thomas (1903) "Early winter"; Beach (1905) "October to February"; Hedrick (1922) "October to February"; Budd & Hansen (1914) "October to February."

Uses

Judgments range from dismissive to commercially favorable. Elliott (1865), under Roseau: "unprofitable." Thomas (1903): "of little value." Hedrick (1922), under the Flushing Spitzenburg name: "passing into deserved oblivion." Beach (1905): "Fruit of good color but not very good in quality."

Under the Baltimore form, the verdict is more positive. Warder (1867): "valuable for market; Not disposed to rot, does not show bruises." Downing (1900): "A profitable variety for market or table use." Warder rates it "second rate" overall but commercially worthwhile in the western/lake-country orchards.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Multiple authorities stress that under the Flushing Spitzenburg name the variety has frequently been confounded with Esopus Spitzenburg, but the two are reliably distinguished by shoot character — strong reddish-brown in Roseau versus slender yellowish or gray in Esopus Spitzenburg — and by the lack of "the brisk richness or yellow color of the Esopus Spitzenburgh" in the flesh (Downing 1900). Beach (1905) further notes the variety has been called by a wide range of regional names — Canada Red and Red Canada of Ontario (distinct from the Red Canada of Western New York), French Spitzenburg of Vermont, Pomme de Fer of Quebec, and Winesap of Vermont — reflecting independent reception across French Canadian, Ontario, and New England orchards. Downing (1900) separately records that an apple received from Maryland as Baltimore "proves identical with Fallawater," a distinct identification that should not be conflated with Roseau itself.