Titovka
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Titovka
Origin / History
Titovka is a Russian apple. It was imported from Russia by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1870 (Beach; Hedrick). Beach notes that it was received at the New York State Station in 1883 from Ellwanger and Barry of Rochester, N. Y., for testing. In 1897 it was entered in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society as a variety of value in the pomological district which includes the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. Beach observes that it is but little known in New York and that, so far as could be learned, its cultivation was not increasing in that state. Hedrick records that Titovka is valuable in the upper Mississippi Valley and has considerable merit in all regions where hardiness must be taken into account; Beach calls it one of the best Russian apples of its season tested at the New York Station.
Beach further notes a nomenclatural point: this appears to be the variety which Hansen describes under the name Titovka Department, a name Hansen adopts to distinguish it on the one hand from a variety called Titovka with Titus Riga as a synonym and on the other from a variety called Titovka Speer.
Tree
The tree is a vigorous grower, comes into bearing rather young, and is moderately productive (Beach). Hedrick describes the tree as dwarfish but vigorous, upright, dense, with stout, twiggy branches, and adds that the trees, besides being hardy, are vigorous, healthy, and productive.
Fruit
Size. Large.
Form. Sources give somewhat differing accounts. Hansen (1902) and Budd-Hansen (1914) describe the fruit as oblong, truncated, regular. Beach describes it as roundish or somewhat oblong, a little inclined to conic, nearly regular, pretty symmetrical. Hedrick describes it as round or oblong, sometimes conic, regular, symmetrical.
Stem. Very short (Hansen; Budd-Hansen); short, usually not exserted (Beach; Hedrick).
Cavity. Very deep, acute, yellow (Hansen; Budd-Hansen); acuminate, very deep, sometimes slightly russeted (Beach); acuminate, very deep, sometimes russeted (Hedrick).
Calyx. Closed; segments small, erect convergent (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Medium size, closed; segments small, convergent (Beach; Hedrick).
Basin. Hansen and Budd-Hansen describe it as deep, very abrupt, with corrugations in the bottom. Beach gives it as moderately shallow to deep, very abrupt, wrinkled. Hedrick gives it as shallow, very abrupt, wrinkled.
Skin. Smooth, very unctuous, yellow, mostly covered with fine marbled red, with carmine splashes and stripes (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Beach describes the skin as smooth, pale green becoming yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and overspread with light bloom; he adds that when fully mature the ground color is yellow and the red is bright and dark, often nearly covering the fruit. Hedrick gives the skin as smooth, yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and overspread with light bloom.
Dots. Minute, white, obscure, few (Hansen; Budd-Hansen).
Flesh / Flavor. Hansen and Budd-Hansen describe the flesh as yellow, juicy, subacid, good. Beach gives it as whitish, coarse, crisp, juicy, subacid, good to very good for culinary uses. Hedrick gives it as white, coarse, crisp, juicy, subacid; good to very good. Beach notes the apples are suitable for culinary use and quality is good to very good for culinary use; Hedrick likewise notes they are suitable for culinary use, but scarcely so for dessert.
Core / Seeds. Core wide open, sessile, clasping, roundish oblate; cells obovate, roomy, widely slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, short, plump, several minute imperfect seeds (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). Beach describes the core as rather large, somewhat abaxile, with cells pretty symmetrical and open, core lines clasping; carpels broadly roundish or somewhat obovate, emarginate; calyx tube elongated cone-shape or funnel-form; stamens median or below; seeds few, rather small, plump. Hedrick describes the core as large, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly round or obovate, emarginate; calyx-tube elongated-cone-shape; stamens median; seeds few, small, plump.
Season
September, October (Hansen; Budd-Hansen). August and September (Beach; Hedrick). Hansen places it in season following Duchess; Budd-Hansen place it in season following Oldenburg. Beach notes that the crop does not ripen uniformly and more than one picking is required in order to secure the fruit in prime condition for market.
Uses
Primarily culinary. Beach rates quality as good to very good for culinary use. Hedrick states the apples are suitable for culinary use, but scarcely so for dessert. Beach considers Titovka perhaps worthy of testing for market where fruit of this type and season is desired.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source — though Beach notes the existence of related but distinct varieties Hansen names Titovka with Titus Riga as a synonym, and Titovka Speer, from which Hansen distinguishes the present variety under the name Titovka Department.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1890–1909) from Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890 — listed as Sitovka
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893 — listed as Sitovka
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898 — listed as Sitovka
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899 — listed as Sitovka
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901 — listed as Sitovka
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909 — listed as Sitovka
View original book sources (4)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Titovka (Titus Riga)—Origin, Russia; a large, beautifully colored apple, following Duchess in season—Fruit large, oblong, truncated, regular; surface smooth, very unctuous, yellow, mostly covered with fine marbled red, with carmine splashes and stripes; dots minute, white, obscure, few; cavity very deep, acute, yellow; stem very short; basin deep, very abrupt, with corrugations in bottom; calyx closed, segments small, erect convergent. Core wide open, sessile, clasping, roundish oblate; cells obovate, roomy, widely slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, short, plump, several minute imperfect seeds; flesh yellow, juicy, subacid, good. September, October.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)TITOVKA.
REFERENCES. 1. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 8:44. 1881-82. fig. 2. Ib., 8:74. 1881-82. 3. Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1882:80. 4. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1883:31. 5. Gibb, Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:431. 6. Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:173. 7. Barry, 1883:335. 8. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1885:8. 9. Thomas, 1885:526. 10. Gibb, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-87:15. 11. Schroeder, Ib., 1886-87:78. 12. Hoskins, Can. Hort., 13:175. 1890. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 14. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:58. 15. Troop, Ind. Sta. Bul., 53:124. 1894. 16. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:584. 1894. 17. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1896:77. 18. Mass. Hatch Sta. Bul., 44:4. 1897. 19. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:15. 20. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 6:11. 1899. figs. 21. Troop, Ind. Sta. Rpt., 1899:81. 22. Eneroth-Smirnoff, 1901:470. 23. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:105. 1902. fig. 24. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 18:85. 1902. 25. Budd-Hansen, 1903:188. fig. 26. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:58. 1903. 27. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:46. 1903.
SYNONYMS. No. 131 (11). No. 230 Gov. (4). TITOVCA (9). TITOVKA (1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27). TITOWKA (5). TITUS APPLE (2, 3, 4). Titus Apple (1, 5, 7). Titus Riga (25).
A Russian apple, large, roundish or somewhat oblong, greenish-yellow, handsomely shaded and striped with red and covered with light bloom. When fully mature the ground color is yellow and the red is bright and dark often nearly covering the fruit. Quality good to very good for culinary use. Season August and September. The tree is a vigorous grower, comes into bearing rather young and is moderately productive. It is one of the best Russian apples of its season which we have tested. The crop does not ripen uniformly and more than one picking is required in order to secure the fruit in prime condition for market. Titovka is perhaps worthy of testing for market where fruit of this type and season is desired.
This appears to be the variety which Hansen describes under the name Titovka Department, which name he adopts to distinguish it on the one hand from a variety called Titovka with Titus Riga as a synonym and on the other from a variety called Titovka Speer (23).
Historical. Imported from Russia by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 1870. It was received in 1883 from Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester, N. Y., for testing at this Station. In 1897 it was entered in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society as a variety of value in the pomological district which includes the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming (19). It is but little known in New York and so far as we can learn its cultivation is not increasing in this state.
FRUIT.
Fruit large. Form roundish or somewhat oblong, a little inclined to conic, nearly regular, pretty symmetrical. Stem short, usually not exserted. Cavity acuminate, very deep, sometimes slightly russeted. Calyx medium size, closed; segments small, convergent. Basin moderately shallow to deep, very abrupt, wrinkled.
Skin smooth, pale green becoming yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and overspread with light bloom.
Calyx tube elongated cone-shape or funnel-form. Stamens median or below.
Core rather large, somewhat abaxile; cells pretty symmetrical, open; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish or somewhat obovate, emarginate. Seeds, few, rather small, plump.
Flesh whitish, coarse, crisp, juicy, subacid, good to very good for culinary uses.
Season August and September.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Titovka (Titus Riga). — Origin, Russia. A large, beautifully colored apple, following Oldenburg in season.
Fruit large, oblong, truncated, regular; surface smooth, very unctuous, yellow, mostly covered with fine marbled red, with carmine splashes and stripes; dots minute, white, obscure, few; cavity very deep, acute, yellow; stem very short; basin deep, very abrupt, with corrugations in bottom; calyx closed; segments small, erect convergent. Core wide open, sessile, clasping, roundish oblate; cells obovate, roomy, widely slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds few, short, plump, several minute imperfect seeds; flesh yellow, juicy, subacid, good. September, October.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)TITOVKA. Titus Apple. Titus Riga.
Titovka is valuable in the upper Mississippi Valley, and has considerable merit in all regions where hardiness must be taken into account. The apples, which are large and handsome, are suitable for culinary use, but scarcely so for dessert. The trees, besides being hardy, are vigorous, healthy, and productive. The variety was imported from Russia in 1870 by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Tree dwarfish but vigorous, upright, dense, with stout, twiggy branches. Fruit large, round or oblong, sometimes conic, regular, symmetrical; stem short, usually not exserted; cavity acuminate, very deep, sometimes russeted; calyx of medium size, closed; segments small, convergent; basin shallow, very abrupt, wrinkled; skin smooth, yellow, shaded and striped with bright red and overspread with light bloom; calyx-tube elongated-cone-shape; stamens median; core large, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly round or obovate, emarginate; seeds few, small, plump; flesh white, coarse, crisp, juicy, subacid; good to very good; August and September.