Spice Russet

Apple

Origin/History

Origin unknown. Downing notes the variety has been erroneously called "Sweet Russet" by some.

Tree

A good grower and productive (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Below medium (Downing, Elliott). Thomas describes it as small.

Form: Roundish flattened (Downing, Elliott). Thomas describes it as round oblate.

Skin: Light yellow russet, with numerous small fine dots; exposed to the sun, carmine and yellow bronzed. Thomas describes simply as yellow russet.

Stem: Slender.

Cavity: Narrow (Elliott).

Calyx: Closed.

Basin: Shallow (Elliott).

Core/Seeds: Core large, somewhat hollow; seeds ovate (Elliott).

Flesh/Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as "whitish, fine-grained, juicy, almost sweet, aromatic subacid." Elliott describes it as "white, slightly tinged with yellow, fine-grained, juicy, slightly sweet, aromatic" and rates it "very good." (Downing attributes his description to Elliott, but the wording differs slightly — Downing adds "subacid" while Elliott does not.) Thomas describes it simply as aromatic, good.

Season

December to March. Thomas gives simply "Winter."

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists Spice Russet in a variety-characteristic table only:

Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.

Size: S; Form: fl c; Color: yru; Quality: VG; Use: f; Season: W; N. Div.: 1*; C. Div.: 1*; S. Div.: ...

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Spice Russet.

Sweet Russet of some, erroneously.

Origin unknown. Tree a good grower and productive.

Fruit below medium, roundish flattened, light yellow russet, with numerous small fine dots, exposed to the sun carmine and yellow bronzed. Stalk slender. Calyx closed. Flesh whitish, fine-grained, juicy, almost sweet, aromatic subacid. December to March. (Elliott.)

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

Spice Russet

Size: S; Form: fl c; Color: yru; Quality: VG; Use: f; Season: W; N. Div.: 1*; C. Div.: 1*; S. Div.: ...

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

Spice Russet. Sweet Russet, of some erroneously.

Fruit, below medium, roundish flattened; light yellow russet, numerous small fine dots; exposed to sun, carmine and yellow bronzed; stem, slender; cavity, narrow; calyx, closed; basin, shallow; core, large, somewhat hollow; seeds, ovate; flesh, white, slightly tinged with yellow, fine-grained, juicy, slightly sweet, aromatic; "very good." December to March.

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

Spice Russet. Small, round oblate, yellow russet; aromatic, good. Winter.

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

Sweet Russet Pumpkin Russet Sweet Russet Lyman's Pumpkin Sweet Pumpkin Sweet Cheeseboro Moore's Sweet Moore's Sweeting Sweet Romanite Ross Nonpareil Cheeseborough Russet