Tompkins King

TOMPKINS KING.

References. 1. New Genesee Farmer, 3:57. 1842. 2. Cultivator, 1:390. 1844. 3. Ellwanger and Barry, Ib., 2:57. 1845. 4. Thomas, Ib., 5:306. 1848. fig. 5. Cole, 1849:122. 6. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:73. 1851. col. pl. No. 38. 7. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 20:178, 509. 1854. fig. 8. Elliott, 1854:142. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1856. 10. Horticulturist, 11:397. 1856. fig. 11. Mag. Hort., 22:545. 1856. 12. Downing, 1857:84. fig. 13. Hooper, 1857:50. 14. Mag. Hort., 24:111. 1858. 15. Mattison, Horticulturist, 15:213. 1860. 16. Mag. Hort., 27:98. 1861. 17. Warder, 1867:655. fig. 18. Fitz, 1872:157. 19. Thomas, 1875:217. 20. Barry, 1883:348. 21. Hogg, 1884:124. 22. Wickson, 1889:245. 23. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:298. 24. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:242. 25. Rural N. Y., 53:28. 1894. 26. Hoskins, Ib., 53:310. 1894. 27. Woolverton, Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 2:10. 1895. fig. 28. Card, Gard. and For., 9:10. 1896. 29. U. S. Pom. Bul., 7:356. 1898. 30. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:356. 31. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:297. 1901. 32. Can. Hort., 26:405. 1903. 33. Budd-Hansen, 1903:190. 34. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:58. 1903. 35. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:147. 1904.

Synonyms. Flat Spitzenburg (28). King (5, 7, 17, 19, 24, 27, 31). King (15, 34). King Apple (1, 2, 3, 4, 32, of New York 10, of Western New York 8 and 13). King Apple (12). King of Tompkins County (12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 26, 30). King of Tompkins County (17, 27, 28, 33, 35). Toma Red (15). Tommy Red (21). Tompkins County King (19). Tom's Red (21). Winter King (6).

This apple is commonly called King. Less frequently it is called Tompkins County King or King of Tompkins County. Pomologists now accept Tompkins King as the correct name.

The fruit has a beautiful red color, with enough clearly contrasting yellow to make a very attractive appearance. It is symmetrical, uniformly large, and excellent in quality for either dessert or culinary uses. It is well adapted for marketing in fancy packages and is in good demand for both special and general trade, often selling at an advance over standard varieties in both domestic and foreign markets. The principal demand for it comes in late fall and early winter. It does not keep quite as late in storage as Rhode Island Greening, but rather later than Hubbardston. It is in season from October or late September to December and January or later. In common storage its commercial limit is December, or exceptionally January, and in cold storage usually February, but in some cases later. The fruit often begins to show some decay in November and sometimes even in October. Its keeping qualities do not vary so much in different seasons as is the case with many other sorts (35). Some of the fruit is often kept in cellars till spring, but not with prime flavor, for usually it begins to lose flavor by midwinter or earlier.

Tompkins King has been quite generally cultivated throughout the principal apple-growing districts of the state and often with fairly good success, particularly when planted on fertile, well-drained soils or top-worked upon thrifty, hardy stock. In the lake region of Central and Western New York in many cases it appears to succeed better on the uplands than it does close to the lakes. The fruit being large, there is often a considerable loss in windfalls, and on this account it is well to select a location for this variety that is well sheltered from prevailing winds. Generally it is regarded as more liable to loss from wormy fruit and less subject to injury from apple scab than either Baldwin or Rhode Island Greening. As a rule the tree does not come into bearing very young, but with maturity usually becomes a regular bearer, yielding rather light to moderately heavy crops biennially or sometimes nearly annually. Frequently it is regarded as a shy bearer and too unproductive for a good commercial variety, and it nowhere has the reputation of being a heavy cropper, yet many fruit growers find it a profitable commercial variety. Taking the state as a whole, it probably ranks fourth in commercial importance, being surpassed by Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening and Northern Spy.

Were the tree hardier, healthier, longer-lived and more productive, Tompkins King would be much more extensively grown in commercial orchards. In the nursery it makes but a moderate root growth, and in the orchard it is somewhat subject to sun-scald and canker as well as to injury at the surface of the ground from what is commonly called "collar rot" or "collar blight." The cause of this collar rot is not definitely known. Some suppose that it may be due to a parasitic fungus; others that it is caused primarily by winter injury. Tompkins King is certainly more liable to winter injury than are most of the standard sorts of this region. Even in some parts of Central New York, when standing in unfavorable locations, and particularly if on heavy, poorly drained soils, trees have sometimes been entirely killed by the winter, yet in many localities the variety has succeeded so well that it is regarded as pretty hardy and long-lived. E. W. Catchpole of North Rose, Wayne county, reports that in an orchard planted in that locality in 1861 with Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening and Tompkins King, the Tompkins King has been neither as hardy nor as productive as either of the other two varieties named and already shows a considerable number of vacancies in the rows. H. D. Cole of Interlaken, in southern Seneca county, reports that he has an orchard of Tompkins King top-grafted about seventy years ago upon trees which were planted about one hundred years ago. These trees are still bearing good crops. He regards this variety as not sufficiently hardy if grown on its own trunk, but vigorous, healthy, long-lived and reliably productive when top-worked upon hardy stock. The experience of many other fruit growers throughout the state corroborates that of Mr. Catchpole and Mr. Cole and goes to show, that because of its comparatively weak root development and liability to collar rot and winter injury, Tompkins King should be top-worked upon some variety which has a stronger root development and a more hardy trunk. Some have had good success in using common seedling stock for this purpose and others have found satisfactory results from top-working it upon Tolman Sweet, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Oldenburg, Golden Russet, Roxbury and other vigorous, hardy varieties.

Historical. Some have thought that the original tree of Tompkins King grew at Jacksonville, Tompkins county, N. Y., but Bailey found that that tree had been grafted and therefore it could not be the original seedling (28). The variety appears to have originated near Washington, Warren county, N. J. It is said to have been brought from that locality to Tompkins county, N. Y., by Jacob Wycoff in 1804 by whom it was named King. The Congress of Fruit Growers at Rochester added Tompkins County to its name to distinguish it from other King apples (15). James M. Mattison of Jacksonville, N. Y., investigated the subject of the origin of Tompkins King during the winter of 1860 and published an account of his investigation in the April number of the Horticulturist of that year. We quote his report in full.

"Having given the subject a pretty thorough investigation, I present the following as the true history of the King Apple of Tompkins County:

"About fifty-six years ago, Jacob Wycoff brought it from Warren county, N. J. Mr. Wycoff moved to this county about sixty years ago, and finding the art of grafting practised here, procured the grafts while on a visit fifty-six years ago. Mr. Wycoff is now dead, but always claimed it to be a seedling, and it was named by him, King. The Congress of Fruit Growers at Rochester added Tompkins County to it, to distinguish it from another of the same name.

"On a visit this winter I undertook to trace out its origin, and went to the place where it is said to have originated. This is about one and a half to two miles from Washington, Warren county, N. J. I found very old trees that had been grafted; they seemed to be over fifty years old; two aged men, Daniel Fleet and William Crivling, near Asbury, were both acquainted with it from boyhood. It originated on the north side of the Musconetcong mountain, about one mile from where these gentlemen live. Mr. Jesse Weller says he knew one very old tree on his farm forty years ago; it has been dead several years. They call the apple Toma Red throughout that section. It does not appear to be much disseminated, being confined to a small locality. I brought some of the apples with me, and compared them with mine. I also gave them some that were raised in my own orchard. They are not quite as high flavored in New Jersey as they are here between the lakes (Cayuga and Seneca).

"The tree is entirely distinct in growth. When I was in New Jersey I pointed out trees as I was going along the road, and inquired if they were not what we call the King of Tompkins County, and they said they were. The limbs grow so very horizontal that the tree needs scarcely any pruning, and one of its good qualities is, it is a regular bearer every year, and a fine, thrifty grower. Hundreds of barrels have been sold from this vicinity this year, and we are all of one mind, that it is the most productive, and will sell for the largest price per barrel of any market apple that is raised in this vicinity. Dealers realized four and five dollars per barrel last fall. The apple is one of those crimson red with yellow ground that attracts the eye, and its color will not disappoint you when you come to eat it. Its very agreeable perfumed flavor is equal to the Swaar. It wants gathering ten to fifteen days before the Baldwin or Greening, and if carefully done, will keep good until the first of May."

The first published description of the variety which we have found is that given in the New Genesee Farmer in 1842, under the name of King Apple (1). The earliest mention which we find of the propagation of this variety by nurserymen is the statement made by Ellwanger and Barry of Rochester, N. Y., in 1845, that they had trees of it for sale (3). In 1848 T. C. Maxwell and Brothers of Geneva, N. Y., began to propagate it extensively and were active in disseminating it. Thomas, in 1848, described it under the name of King and stated that it was cultivated in Tompkins and Cayuga counties but not widely spread (4). In 1849 Cole mentioned it under the name of King from Ellwanger and Barry, and in 1851 Emmons described it as the Winter King from Tompkins county (5, 6). In 1856 the American Pomological Society at its Rochester meeting included this variety in its catalogue under the name of Tompkins King, using the word Tompkins to distinguish it from other varieties which were then known under the name King. During the last sixty years its cultivation has extended through New England, portions of Canada, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. It has practically failed to establish itself in the Mississippi valley but is quite well known on the Pacific Coast, from Washington southward into California.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Tompkins King

This apple is commonly called King. Less frequently it is called Tompkins County King, or King of Tompkins County.

The fruit varies in color from striped to a beautiful red with enough contrasting yellow to make it an attractive appearance. It is symmetrical, uniformly large, and excellent in quality, either for dessert, or culinary purposes. It is well adapted for marketing in fancy packages, and is in good demand for the special or general trade. Its season is from late September to early December. It is probably better adapted to the northeastern part of the United States than in any other part but it does fairly well in some other parts. In the Pacific Northwest it does not reach that high degree of perfection that makes it one of the most desirable in New York. While in this section the tree is a very vigorous grower, and the fruit well developed and of good quality, it is not relatively as desirable as some other varieties.

Historical. It is supposed to have originated near Washington, Warren county, New Jersey, and to have been brought from that place to Tompkins county, New York, in 1804, by Jacob Wycoff, who gave it the name of King.

Form of tree spreading, open; lateral branches rather slender and somewhat drooping. Twigs long to above medium, curved or irregularly crooked, moderately stout with thick tips; internodes long to below medium. Bark dark brownish red, mingled with yellowish green. Skin smooth, somewhat roughened with russet dots, fine yellow mottled and washed with orange red, often shading to lively deep red, splashed and striped with bright carmine. Dots rather numerous, conspicuous, white or russet. Flesh attractive, yellowish, rather coarse, crisp, tender, aromatic, juicy subacid, very good.

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