Starkey
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
Originated on the farm of Moses Starkey, North Vassalboro, Kennebec County, Maine. In Maine it is said to be popular in market (Beach). Downing describes it as highly esteemed in its locality as a profitable market variety as well as for home use. Beach notes it had not been sufficiently tested to determine its value for New York, but appeared worthy of testing.
Tree
Tree medium to rather large, moderately vigorous to vigorous with long, moderately stout, curved branches (Beach). Form spreading or roundish, open (Beach). Downing concurs: hardy, vigorous, spreading. A regular good bearer (Downing); comes into bearing rather young and is a good biennial cropper (Beach).
Twigs: Medium to long, stout, geniculate, often irregularly crooked; internodes long to below medium (Beach).
Bark: Brownish-red mingled sometimes with olive-green, irregularly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips (Beach).
Lenticels: Scattering, inconspicuous, medium size or below, round, raised (Beach).
Buds: Medium to large, prominent, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Thomas) to rather large (Beach).
Form: Oblate or oblate conical, regular or faintly ribbed, symmetrical (Beach). Downing describes it as oblate, slightly conic, regular. Thomas gives roundish-oblate.
Stem: Short, small (Downing). Medium length (Beach).
Cavity: Medium size, rather shallow, partly covered with greenish russet (Beach). Downing describes the cavity as medium, sometimes with slight russet.
Calyx: Large, closed or nearly so (Beach). Downing agrees: closed or nearly so.
Basin: Medium size, shallow, somewhat wrinkled (Beach). Downing describes the basin as medium, slightly corrugated.
Skin: Pale yellow, washed or deeply blushed with lively red, splashed and striped with carmine (Beach). Downing describes the skin as pale yellow, shaded, striped and splashed with light and dark bright red, and moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots. Thomas gives nearly all rich red. Prevailing effect red (Beach).
Dots: Pale gray or russet (Beach). Moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots (Downing).
Calyx Tube: Conical or somewhat funnel-form (Beach).
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish, firm, rather fine, juicy, crisp, pleasant, lively subacid, becoming mild subacid, very good (Beach). Downing describes the flesh as whitish, half fine, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid. Thomas gives mild subacid, very good.
Core/Seeds: Core rather small (Beach). Core small (Downing).
Season
October to January (Beach, Downing). Thomas gives early winter. Beach states the season extends to midwinter.
Uses
Excellent for dessert or culinary use (Beach). Profitable market variety as well as for home use (Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) lists Starkey in a coded variety-characteristic table:
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Starkey. L obr ys G m A
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Starkey.
Origin, town of North Vassalboro, Maine, on the farm of Moses Starkey; tree hardy, vigorous, spreading; a regular good bearer, and highly esteemed in its locality as a profitable market variety as well as for home use.
Fruit medium, oblate, slightly conic, regular; skin pale yellow, shaded, striped and splashed with light and dark bright red, and moderately sprinkled with light and gray dots; stalk short, small; cavity medium, sometimes slight russet; calyx closed or nearly so; basin medium, slightly corrugated; flesh whitish, half fine, tender, juicy, mild pleasant subacid; core small. October, January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)STARKEY.
REFERENCES. 1. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1875:65. 2. Downing, 1876:69 app. 3. Thomas, 1885:524. 4. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:133. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:14. 6. Budd-Hansen, 1903:179.
SYNONYMS. None.
Fruit of good size, fair, well colored, largely striped and splashed with red, pleasant subacid, excellent for dessert or culinary use. Season, October to midwinter. In Maine, where it originated, it is said to be popular in market. It has not been sufficiently tested to determine its value for this state, but it appears to be worthy of testing. Tree a hardy and vigorous grower in the nursery, becoming rather large and spreading in the orchard; comes into bearing rather young and is a good biennial cropper.
Historical. Originated on the farm of Moses Starkey, North Vassalboro, Kennebec county, Me.
TREE.
Tree medium to rather large, moderately vigorous to vigorous with long, moderately stout, curved branches. Form spreading or roundish, open. Twigs medium to long, stout, geniculate, often irregularly crooked; internodes long to below medium. Bark brownish-red mingled sometimes with olive-green, irregularly mottled with scarf-skin; pubescent near tips. Lenticels scattering, inconspicuous, medium size or below, round, raised. Buds medium to large, prominent, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to rather large. Form oblate or oblate conical, regular or faintly ribbed, symmetrical. Stem medium length. Cavity medium size, rather shallow, partly covered with greenish russet. Calyx large, closed or nearly so. Basin medium size, shallow, somewhat wrinkled. Skin pale yellow, washed or deeply blushed with lively red, splashed and striped with carmine. Dots pale gray or russet. Prevailing effect red. Calyx tube conical or somewhat funnel-form. Core rather small. Flesh whitish, firm, rather fine, juicy, crisp, pleasant, lively subacid, becoming mild subacid, very good. Season October to January.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Starkey. L obr ys G m A
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Starkey. Medium, roundish-oblate, nearly all rich red, mild sub-acid, very good. Early winter. Me.