Spafford Russet
Apple
Spafford Russet
Origin/History
Supposed to have originated near old Fort Miami, in Northern Ohio. Introduced to the notice of the Ohio Pomological Society by its Vice-President, J. Austin Scott, of Toledo, who cultivates the variety on the banks of the Maumee, near the place of its supposed origin (Warder).
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium. Warder describes the shape as flattened-conical and regular; Downing describes it as roundish conical, flattened at ends.
Stem: Medium (Warder).
Cavity: Wide, wavy, green (Warder).
Calyx: Eye small, closed (Warder).
Basin: Medium, abrupt, narrow, regular (Warder).
Skin: Surface smooth. Color greenish-yellow (Warder) or yellowish (Downing), lightly or slightly russeted. Warder notes the surface is rarely bronzed.
Dots: Minute, green (Warder).
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh described as white and fine grained by Warder; greenish white and soft by Downing. Juicy (Warder) or moderately juicy (Downing). Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic, and agreeable, with quality rated good to very good (Warder). Downing characterizes it as mild subacid and rates it "hardly good."
Core and Seeds: Core small, open, regular, meeting the eye; axis short. Seeds numerous, plump, angular (Warder).
Season
December through March (Warder); December to February (Downing).
Uses
Table (Warder).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Spafford Russet.
This apple is supposed to have originated near old Fort Miami, in Northern Ohio, and was introduced to the notice of the Ohio Pomological Society by its Vice-President, J. Austin Scott, of Toledo, who cultivates the variety on the banks of the Maumee, near the place of its supposed origin.
Fruit medium, flattened-conical, regular; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow, lightly russeted, rarely bronzed; Dots minute, green.
Basin medium, abrupt, narrow, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, wavy, green; Stem medium.
Core small, open, regular, meeting the eye; Axis short
Seeds numerous, plump, angular; Flesh white, fine grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic, agreeable; Quality good to very good; Use, table; Season, December until March.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Spafford Russet.
Origin, Ohio.
Fruit medium, roundish conical, flattened at ends, yellowish, slightly russeted. Flesh greenish white, soft, moderately juicy, mild subacid. Hardly good. December, February.