Scarlet Cranberry

Origin / History

Originated in Scott County, Virginia, from seed of an unknown variety, forty or more years ago (Rural New-Yorker, 1886, as cited by Beach). Yields very large, handsome and showy fruit in that region. Disseminated by nurserymen in the South Atlantic states and in the Central Mississippi Valley (Bailey, 1892), but practically unknown among northern fruit growers. Beach calls it a southern variety and does not recommend it for planting in New York. A very different variety from Cranberry Pippin. Trees were planted in spring 1892 at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, and listed in its 1900 catalogue of fruit trees under test.

Tree

Said to be a vigorous grower and very productive in its native Virginia region. Grown as far north as New York, it does not develop properly either in quality or in size, although it often colors pretty well (Beach). Tree a vigorous grower in the trial planting at Agassiz, B.C.

Fruit

Size: Medium, but in the South grows large; very large in its native Virginia region. Below medium at Agassiz.

Form: Roundish, varying to slightly oblate or to broadly ovate, often somewhat ribbed, usually symmetrical. Agassiz describes it as oblate, conical.

Stem: Short to rather long, moderately thick.

Cavity: Moderately large, acute to acuminate, deep to moderately deep, rather narrow to moderately wide, pretty symmetrical, gently furrowed, sometimes lipped, often partly russeted.

Calyx: Medium to rather large, closed or partly open; lobes acute to acuminate, sometimes separated at the base. Calyx tube wide, cone-shaped to urn-shaped. Stamens marginal to median.

Basin: Often oblique, very shallow to moderately shallow, narrow to moderately wide, obtuse, furrowed, wrinkled.

Skin: Rather thick, tough, smooth; yellow, largely overspread with pinkish red striped with purplish carmine, mottled and striped over the base with thin scarf-skin that produces a grayish appearance. Prevailing effect attractive red. Agassiz describes the skin as green, nearly covered with splashes of dark red.

Dots: Conspicuous, numerous, small to large, pale, often areolar with russet center. Agassiz describes them as grayish and sprinkled over the surface.

Flesh and flavor: Whitish tinged with yellow, firm, rather coarse, moderately crisp, a little tough, moderately juicy, slightly astringent, mild subacid; "fair to good" (Beach). Agassiz gives the flesh as white, firm, not juicy, "of pleasant flavour, nearly sweet."

Core and seeds: Core small to above medium, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells often not uniformly developed, usually symmetrical, closed or sometimes open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels rather flat, broadly ovate to somewhat elliptical, mucronate, usually not emarginate, smooth or slightly tufted. Seeds medium or above, moderately narrow, plump, acute, sometimes tufted.

Season

Late winter to late spring; February to May at Agassiz. Keeps in ordinary storage till late spring; held in cold storage till May without scald or decay (Powell and Fulton, cited by Beach).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.