Tetofsky
Apple
Tetofsky
Origin / History
Russian. Tetofsky is one of the pioneers of the Russian varieties in this country. Beach, citing Craig, says it was imported by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from the London, England, Horticultural Society about 1835; Hedrick gives 1835. Beach's earliest reference is the London Horticultural Society's Catalogue of 1831. Manning described it as early as 1841 as a new fruit of value.
Warder printed the name "Tetofski" and called it "this little foreigner," which "seems as well adapted to our climate and tastes as are its companions from the same region." Budd and Hansen record that "Dowling's spelling Tetofsky is usually preferred to Warder's version Tetofski."
Widely disseminated, particularly in regions where its superior hardiness "renders it peculiarly valuable" (Beach). Never commonly grown in New York state and now seldom planted there (Beach). It "succeeds at the North" (Downing).
Hedrick calls it "the standard early apple in the northern limits of apple culture." He allows it some value in more southerly regions, the fruits being attractive in color and pleasantly acidulous in flavor. In his view the apples are small, however, and "fall short, when all characters are considered, of several other summer apples in the great fruit regions."
Lowther's station table reports it from 9 stations in the Northern Division, 5 in the Central Division, and 1 in the Southern Division. The table marks it as adapted to more than one division.
Tree
Hardy to very hardy; upright to very upright or very erect. Warder calls it vigorous and Elliott calls the growth "very stout." Thomas, Beach, and the Agassiz, British Columbia, farm (trees planted spring 1890) give a moderate grower or moderately vigorous.
Tree medium size to dwarfish, deep rooted, with moderately stout branches filled with small spurs (Beach). Downing describes an upright spreading grower forming an open head; Beach gives the form very erect and rather dense.
Twigs short, straight, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark dull brown with tinge of red, lightly coated with gray scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, oblong, not raised. Buds small, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent (Beach). Young shoots yellowish reddish brown (Downing). Leaves large to very large, broad, pale or light green; Elliott calls them "peculiar."
Comes early into bearing; productive. Elliott calls it a regular annual bearer, and Hansen an early annual bearer; Downing also says it comes early into bearing and produces annually. Beach says it yields full crops biennially or sometimes annually. A gross feeder, requiring good soil; needs little pruning (Elliott). Desirable for planting in regions where superior hardiness is particularly desired (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Small to medium. Most authors give medium. Hansen gives medium or below, and Warder small to medium. Beach gives medium to rather small but usually below medium, uniform in size. Elliott gives medium, and says his own figure is "far too small for an average."
Form: Oblate or round to roundish oblate, somewhat or slightly conic; also oblate conic, sometimes nearly round, or round, flattened. Angular (Warder, Hansen). Pretty regular and fairly uniform in shape (Beach).
Stem: Short to medium. Elliott gives it short and stout, and Warder short and yellow. Beach gives it medium in length and rather slender.
Cavity: Wide to moderately broad, medium to deep, furrowed or wavy. Obtuse (Hansen, Beach); regular (Hansen); usually symmetrical and gently furrowed (Beach). Warder gives it wide and wavy, or deep and acute.
Calyx: Large or rather large, closed; segments large, long, moderately broad. Calyx tube long, broad, funnel-shaped. Beach adds a broad cylinder to the tube, varying to nearly urn-shape. Stamens median to nearly marginal; Hansen gives median.
Basin: Shallow, medium in width, folded, furrowed and wrinkled, much corrugated and ribbed. Elliott alone gives it abrupt, deep, irregular, and furrowed.
Skin: Smooth, waxy, moderately thick, somewhat tough. Ground yellow, light yellow to greenish yellow. Striped and splashed with red, carmine (Warder), bright crimson (Hansen), or rather attractive bright red (Beach). Marbled and mixed on the sunny side (Hansen). Lowther's table gives the skin as yellow-red. Beach says many specimens have little or no red.
Overspread with white or whitish bloom, from very faint (Beach) or thin (Agassiz) to heavy (Hansen). Downing says that "like most apples of that country" it is covered with this bloom, under which is a shining skin. A handsome fruit, beautiful and attractive in color.
Dots: Inconspicuous, pale or greenish, submerged (Beach).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, yellowish white (Warder); juicy, tender. Beach gives it firm, crisp, a little coarse; Warder gives it breaking, fine grained.
Flavor sprightly, acid to subacid, pleasant, agreeable, fragrant, and aromatic. Elliott gives "slightly acid or sharp sub-acid, with a peculiar aromatic taste," Beach "slightly aromatic," and Hedrick "pleasantly acidulous."
Quality "good" by most accounts; Beach rates it "fair to good." Elliott places it "in quality about with Red Astrachan."
Core and seeds: Core large, closed, clasping (Warder, Hansen). Beach gives the core axile or somewhat abaxile, the core lines clasping, and the cells open. Elliott alone calls the core small and fleshy. Cells obovate or round, slit (Hansen; the 1914 Budd–Hansen text reads "ovate"). Carpels broadly roundish, concave (Beach).
Seeds plump, brown to light brown, numerous (Warder). Beach gives them medium size, short, moderately plump, somewhat obtuse.
Season
Summer, from June into early September. Most authors place it in late July and August. Warder alone gives June and July, before Early Harvest. Elliott has it maturing some ten days or two weeks earlier than Red Astrachan, at the last of July. Beach finds it suitable for culinary use in July and ripe in August, with a season of late July to early September, and but little earlier than Yellow Transparent.
Uses
Kitchen and market, with kitchen as its primary use in Lowther's table. Its authors judge it "very valuable for cooking or marketing" (Elliott), "profitable for market growing" (Downing), and "valuable for market" (Thomas). Beach finds Yellow Transparent superior to it in size and dessert qualities, and reports a limited demand for the fruit in some local and special markets.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867) — listed as Tetofski
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902) — listed as Tetofski (Tetofsky)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Tetofski
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
This is Warder's spelling. It is doubtless correct.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 29 catalogs (1850–1921) from Alabama, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- J. B. Pilkington , Nurseryman, Portland, OR (nurseries near Newberg, forty miles from Portland) — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921
View original book sources (10)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Tetofsky.
A Russian variety. Trees, very stout and upright growth ; leaves large, broad, light green, peculiar ; regular annual bearer ; in quality about with Red Astrachan, but maturing some ten days or two weeks earlier ; very valuable for cooking or marketing ; a gross feeder, requiring good soil ; needs little pruning. Our figure does not well represent it, being far too small for an average.
Fruit, medium ; form, roundish, slightly conical ; color, light yellow ground, striped and splashed with red, and a beautiful white bloom ; stem, short, stout ; cavity, deep, furrowed ; calyx, rather large, long segments ; basin, abrupt, deep, irregular, furrowed ; flesh, white, tender, sprightly, juicy, slightly acid or sharp sub-acid, with a peculiar aromatic taste ; core, small, fleshy ; seeds, plump, light brown. Last of July.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Tetofski.
This little foreigner was brought from Russia, and seems as well adapted to our climate and tastes as are its companions from the same region.
Tree vigorous, hardy, productive, upright, leaves broad, pale or light green.
Fruit small to medium, round, flattened, somewhat conic, angular; Surface smooth, yellow, striped, splashed carmine, white bloom.
Basin shallow, folded; Eye large, closed.
Cavity wide, wavy, or deep, acute; Stem short, yellow.
Core large, closed, clasping; Seeds numerous, plump, brown; Flesh yellowish-white, breaking, fine grained, juicy; Flavor acid; Quality good; Use, market, kitchen; Season, June, July — before Early Harvest.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Tetofsky.
The Tetofsky is a Russian Summer Apple, which proves profitable for market growing. The tree is an upright spreading grower, forming an open head, comes early into bearing, and produces annually. Very hardy. Young shoots yellowish reddish brown, leaves very large.
Fruit of medium size, oblate conic, sometimes nearly round, smooth, with a yellow ground handsomely striped with red, and, like most apples of that country, covered with a whitish bloom, under which is a shining skin. The flesh is white and juicy, sprightly acid, fragrant, and agreeable. Good. August. Succeeds at the North.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Tetofski. (Tetofsky)
Tetofski (Tetofsky)—Origin, Russia; tree hardy, very upright, an early annual bearer—Fruit medium or below, oblate to roundish oblate, somewhat conical, angular; surface smooth, yellow, striped and splashed with bright crimson, marbled and mixed on sunny side, overlaid with heavy, whitish bloom, a handsome fruit; cavity wide, obtuse, regular; stem short to medium; basin shallow, much corrugated and ribbed; calyx closed, segments large. Core large, closed, clasping; cells obovate or round, slit; tube broad, long, funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds plump; flesh white, juicy, sprightly acid, good.
August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Tetofski.* Medium, roundish, or oblate conic, handsomely striped with red and covered with a whitish bloom; flesh white, sprightly, sub-acid, pleasant. Tree a moderate grower, very hardy and productive. Valuable for market. July and August. Russian.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)TETOFSKY.
REFERENCES. 1. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 1291. 2. Manning, Mag. Hort., 7:50. 1841. 3. Downing, 1845:78. 4. Thomas, 1849:141. 5. Elliott, 1854:111. fig. 6. Hooper, 1857:93. 7. Horticulturist, 14:425. 1859. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 9. Horticulturist, 21:294. 1866. fig. 10. Warder, 1867:657. 11. Todd, 1871:120. fig. 12. Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1872:458. fig. 13. Horticulturist, 29:317. 1874. 14. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1876:18. 15. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1876:251. 16. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1879:22. 17. Barry, 1883:335. 18. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-87:27. 19. Hoskins, Rural N. Y., 45:593. 1886. 20. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:298. 21. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 22. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:588. 1892. 23. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:76. 24. Can. Hort., 19:358. 1896. 25. Waugh, Vt. Sta. Bul., 61:32. 1897. 26. Troop, Ind. Sta. An. Rpt., 12:81. 1899. 27. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:310. 1901. 28. Craig, Cyc. of Hort., 1901:1404. 29. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:104, 132. 1902. fig. 30. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1902:85. 31. Dickens and Greene, Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:56. 1902. 32. Budd-Hansen, 1903:188. fig.
SYNONYMS. TETOFFSKY (2). TETOFSKI (10, 12, 27, 29). TETOFSKY (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32). Tetofsky (29).
A Russian apple below medium size, yellow, striped with crimson, sprightly acid, suitable for culinary use in July, ripe in August. The tree is very hardy, very upright, deep rooted, comes into bearing young and yields full crops biennially or sometimes annually. Desirable for planting in regions where superior hardiness is particularly desired. It is but little earlier than Yellow Transparent which is superior to it in size and dessert qualities. There is a limited demand for the fruit in some local and special markets.
Historical. Tetofsky is one of the pioneers of the Russian varieties in this country having been imported by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from the London, England, Horticultural Society about 1835 (28). Manning (2) described it as early as 1841 as a new fruit of value. It has been widely disseminated particularly in regions where its superior hardiness renders it peculiarly valuable. It has never been commonly grown in New York state and is now seldom planted here.
TREE.
Tree medium size to dwarfish, moderately vigorous, deep rooted with moderately stout branches filled with small spurs. Form very erect, rather dense. Twigs short, straight, moderately stout; internodes short. Bark dull brown with tinge of red, lightly coated with gray scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small, oblong, not raised. Buds small, plump, obtuse, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to rather small but usually below medium; uniform in size and fairly uniform in shape. Form oblate or roundish, a little inclined to conic, pretty regular. Stem medium in length, rather slender. Cavity obtuse, medium to rather deep, moderately broad, usually symmetrical, gently furrowed. Calyx rather large, closed; lobes long, moderately broad. Basin shallow, medium in width, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin moderately thick, somewhat tough, smooth, waxy, greenish-yellow, more or less striped and splashed with rather attractive bright red, overspread with very faint bloom. Many specimens have little or no red. Dots inconspicuous, pale or greenish, submerged. Calyx tube long, wide, funnel-shape with broad cylinder varying to nearly urn-shape. Stamens median to nearly marginal. Core large, axile or somewhat abaxile; cells open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish, concave. Seeds medium size, short, moderately plump, somewhat obtuse. Flesh white, firm, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, slightly aromatic, subacid, fair to good. Season late July to early September.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Tetofsky (Tetofski). — Origin, Russia; tree hardy, very upright, an early annual bearer. Dowling's spelling Tetofsky is usually preferred to Warder's version Tetofski.
Fruit medium or below, oblate to roundish oblate, somewhat conical, angular; surface smooth, yellow, striped and splashed with bright crimson, marbled and mixed on sunny side, overlaid with heavy whitish bloom, a handsome fruit; cavity wide, obtuse, regular; stem short to medium; basin shallow, much corrugated and ribbed;
Tetofsky.
calyx closed; segments large. Core large, closed, clasping; cells ovate or round, slit; tube broad, long, funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds plump; flesh white, juicy, sprightly acid, good. August.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Tetofsky is a medium-sized apple of flat conical form with yellow-red skin. Quality is good; primary use is kitchen. It ripens in summer. It is reported by 9 stations in the Northern Division, 5 stations in the Central Division, and 1 station in the Southern Division; the asterisks indicate the variety is reported as adapted to more than one division.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)TETOFSKY. Tetofsky is the standard early apple in the northern limits of apple culture. It has, too, some value in more southerly regions, the fruits being attractive in color and pleasantly acidulous in flavor. The apples are small, however, and fall short, when all characters are considered, of several other summer apples in the great fruit regions. Tetofsky is a pioneer Russian variety, having been imported in 1835 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Tree dwarfish, vigorous, very erect, dense, with stout branches, filled with small spurs. Fruit small, uniform in size and shape, oblate or round, sometimes conic, regular; stem medium in length, slender; cavity obtuse, medium to deep, broad, usually symmetrical, gently furrowed; calyx large, closed; lobes long, broad; basin shallow, furrowed and wrinkled; skin thick, tough, smooth, waxy, greenish-yellow, more or less striped and splashed with bright red, overspread with faint bloom; dots inconspicuous, pale, submerged; calyx-tube long, wide, funnel-shape; stamens median; core large, axile or somewhat abaxile; cells open; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly round, concave; seeds short, plump; flesh white, firm, coarse, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic, subacid; fair to good; late July to early September.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a moderate grower. Fruit of medium size, roundish. Skin yellowish, with stripes of red, and a thin white bloom. Flesh white, juicy, sprightly, acid, quality good. Season early August.