Van Wyck
Crab AppleVan Wyck
Origin / History
A chance seedling on the farm of Miss Caroline Van Wyck, Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York. Hedrick says it seems to have been first described by Downing in 1872. Downing describes it as "Van Wyck's Siberian," a sweet crabapple.
Beach's references for Van Wyck run from Downing (1872) to Budd and Hansen (1903). Between them come Barry (1883), the Montreal Horticultural Society report (1884), Bailey (1892), the American Pomological Society catalogue (1897), and Thomas (1897). Beach (1905), citing Bailey's Annals of Horticulture (1892), notes that it is occasionally listed by nurserymen. He adds that it is not generally known in New York and that its cultivation there does not appear to be increasing. Hedrick (1922) finds it now seldom found in the eastern United States, though it is advertised by several western nurserymen.
Tree
Vigorous, upright, productive. At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, a tree planted in spring 1894 was reported a vigorous grower.
Fruit
Size: Large; large for a Siberian crab (Downing).
Form: Roundish to round, slightly conic.
Stem: Rather long to long, slender.
Cavity: Rather narrow to narrow, deep; russeted (Thomas).
Calyx: Closed.
Basin: Medium, smooth; shallow (Thomas).
Skin: Smooth, whitish, shaded and mottled with light bright red, covered with a thin bloom. The Agassiz report describes the fruit as yellow with a light red cheek.
Dots: Small (Thomas).
Flesh and flavor: Whitish, or yellowish according to Thomas. Fine, moderately juicy, rather rich to rich, honeyed sweet to very sweet. Downing calls the flesh rather firm; Beach and the Agassiz report call it tender. Beach adds that it sometimes watercores. Quality "good."
Core and seeds: Core small, close or closed.
Season
August and September, most authors giving September alone. Beach, drawing on Downing and Barry, gives August and September. Thomas calls it simply early.
Uses
A sweet crabapple. Hedrick holds that its only value is that it is one of a few sweet crab-apples.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Figured by Thomas (Fig. 486).
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 10 catalogs (1889–1912) from Alabama, California, Illinois, Missouri, Washington
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891 — listed as Van Wyck Sweet
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898 — listed as Van Wyck Sweet
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900 — listed as Van Wyck Sweet
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
View original book sources (6)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Van Wyck's Siberian.
A chance seedling on the farm of Miss Caroline Van Wyck, Fishkill, Dutchess County, N. Y. Tree vigorous, upright, productive.
Fruit large for a Siberian, roundish, slightly conic; skin smooth, whitish, shaded and mottled with light bright red, and covered with a thin bloom; stalk rather long, slender; cavity rather narrow, deep; calyx closed; basin medium, smooth; flesh whitish, fine, rather firm, moderately juicy, rather rich, honeyed sweet; good; core small and close. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Van Wyck. Large, round conical; whitish, shaded light red; dots small; stem long; basin medium, shallow; cavity narrow, deep, russeted; flesh yellowish, very sweet, moderately juicy, good. Early. Fig. 486. New York.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)VAN WYCK.
REFERENCES. i. Downing, 1872:39 app. 2. Barry, 1883:360. 3. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 10:37. 1884. 4. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:11. 6. Thomas, 1897:300. fig. 7. Budd-Hansen, 1903:227.
SYNONYMS. Brier Sweet (6). VAN WYCK CRAB (2, 4, 5, 6, 7). VAN WYCK SIBERIAN (i). VAN WYCK SWEET (3, 4).
A sweet crabapple which according to Downing (i) originated as a chance seedling in Fishkill, Dutchess county, N. Y. Fruit large for a Siberian crabapple, whitish shaded with bright red, covered with bloom; flesh whitish, tender, moderately juicy, sweet, rich; it sometimes watercores; core small, closed; season August and September (i, 2). This variety is occasionally listed by nurserymen (4). It is not generally known in New York and it appears that its cultivation in this state is not increasing.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Van Wyck. — A chance seedling on the farm of Miss Caroline Van Wyck, Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York. Tree vigorous, upright, productive.
Fruit large, roundish, slightly conic; surface smooth, whitish, shaded and mottled with light bright red, and covered with a thin bloom; stem rather long, slender; cavity rather narrow, deep; calyx closed; basin medium, smooth. Core small and closed; flesh whitish, fine, rather firm, moderately juicy, rather rich, honeyed sweet, good. September. (Downing.)
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)VAN WYCK. Van Wyck Sweet. Although this sweet crab-apple originated in Duchess County, New York, it is now seldom found in eastern United States, but is advertised by several western nurserymen. Its only value is that it is one of a few sweet crab-apples. It seems to have been first described by Downing in 1872.
Fruit large for a Siberian crab-apple, whitish shaded with bright red, covered with bloom; flesh white, tender, juicy, sweet, rich; core small, closed; quality good; August and September.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit large, yellow, with a light red cheek. Flesh sweet, tender. Season September.