Transcendent.

This is one of the best of early autumn varieties.

Fruit medium to large for its class, roundish oblong, flattened at its ends, slightly but regularly ribbed, golden yellow, with a rich crimson, red cheek in the sun, covered with a delicate white bloom ; when fully ripe the red nearly covers the whole surface. Stalk long and slender, set in an open, deep cavity. Calyx closed, with long reflexed segments. Flesh creamy yellow, crisp, subacid, a little astringent until fully mellow, when it is pleasant and agreeable. Early Autumn.

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

Transcendent.* Medium large, round; yellow striped with red; flesh crisp, juicy, good. Tree vigorous and productive. Said to blight badly. Early.

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

TRANSCENDENT.

REFERENCES. 1. Horticulturist, 22:125. 1867. 2. Warder, Ill. Jour. Hort., 5:205. 1869. fig. 3. Downing, 1869:426. 4. Todd, 1871:83. fig. 5. Fitz, 1872:147. 6. Gibb, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1:21. 1876. 7. Barry, 1883:360. 8. Gibb, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 10:139. 1884. 9. Wickson, 1889:249. 10. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 11. Thomas, 1897:300. 12. U. S. Pom. Bul., 6:11. 1897. 13. Can. Hort., 26:489. 1903. figs. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:226. fig.

SYNONYMS. TRANSCENDANT (5, 9, 10, 13). TRANSCENDENT (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14).

This beautiful fruit has for many years been one of the most popular of the crabapples cultivated in this state. The tree is a good grower, roundish, spreading, hardy and usually very productive yielding good to very heavy crops nearly annually. It is in season from late August to the middle of September or a little later.

Historical. The history of Transcendent seems to be unknown. Although our first reference to this variety is 1867, William Prince had it listed in his nursery catalogue as early as 1844.1 It seems to have been in the hands of nurserymen for years before it came to the attention of pomological writers, hence the obscurity in regard to its origin.

TREE. Tree large with stout, curved and drooping branches. Form very spreading, drooping, rather dense. Twigs moderately long, curved, slender, with large terminal buds; internodes long. Bark brown, tinged with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium to large, oval, raised, conspicuous. Buds medium to large, rather prominent, plump, obtuse or slightly acute, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT. Fruit medium to rather large. Form roundish or roundish oblong, flattened at the ends, somewhat ribbed. Stem medium to long, rather stout, bracted. Cavity narrow, shallow, obtuse. Calyx large, closed; lobes long, leafy, reflexed. Basin shallow, wrinkled. Skin thin, clear bright yellow with bright red cheek, overspread with bloom. Highly colored specimens are nearly covered with bright red. Calyx tube conical. Stamens marginal. Core medium size; cells closed. Flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, moderately fine, somewhat astringent, subacid, very good for culinary uses. Season late August to the middle of September.

1 Ragan, U. S. P. B. I. Bul., 66:373. 1905.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Transcendent. — Origin, America. One of the best market varie- ties, but in many sections is much subject to blight. Fruit medium to large, roundish to roundish oblong, flattened at ends, somewhat angular; surface a clear bright golden yellow, striped and thinly shaded with crimson, with delicate white bloom, a beautiful fruit; dots obscure, few, minute, white; cavity regular, obtuse; stem long, stout; basin nearly flat, somewhat corrugated; calyx closed; segments large, leafy. Core closed; tube conical; stamens marginal; flesh creamy yellow, crisp, acid, somewhat astringent, changing when fully ripe to a pleasant agreeable subacid. August, September. Transcendent Crab.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

TRANSCENDENT. Fig. 69. For many years Transcendent was the most popular crab-apple in America, its beautiful color and high quality commending it. The trees, too, are vigorous, hardy, and very productive. It is, however, a little too early in season for either home or market, and, with the advent of later and even handsomer and better flavored varieties, its popularity began to wane. It seems first to have been mentioned in 1844, but it was grown long before this. How long, or where it originated, no one knows. Tree large, very spreading, drooping, dense, with stout, curved and drooping branches. Fruit large, round or round-oblong, flattened at the ends, somewhat ribbed; stem medium to long, stout, bracted; cavity narrow, shallow, obtuse; calyx large, closed; lobes long, leafy, reflexed; basin shallow, wrinkled; skin thin, yellow with bright red cheek, overspread with bloom, highly-colored specimens covered with bright red; calyx-tube conical; stamens marginal; core medium size; cells closed; flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, fine, somewhat astringent, subacid; very good; late August to the middle of September.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1894. Tree a strong grower. Fruit of medium size, roundish, oblong. Skin golden with a bright red cheek, and a whitish bloom. Season September.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

One of the prettiest apples, when young has a pretty pink tinted cheek becoming orange red on the cheek side when quite ripe.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)

A beautiful crab with an abundance of fine fruit from medium size, flavor pleasant and agreeable, extremely hardy. Medium spreading tree, hardy, productive. There is scarcely one that grows as well or produces the same quantity of fruit in so respectable by height. NMRS.

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)

Fruits large, medium size; bright yellow with slight flesh produced upon a grand base. Very ornamental tree. Hardy. One of the most prolific. A fine fruit. Prolific. Perfect hardy. Good keeping.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)