Washington Strawberry
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Washington Strawberry
Origin/History
Originated on the farm of Job Whipple, Union Springs, Washington County, N. Y. First exhibited at the Fair of the State Agricultural Society in Syracuse in 1849. Included in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society in 1869. Still listed by nurserymen and disseminated to some extent in various parts of the continent. Although known for half a century, it failed to establish itself in the commercial orchards of New York state and is but little known among New York fruit growers.
Tree
Tree medium to large, vigorous to moderately vigorous. Form rather flat, spreading, open. (Downing describes the form as upright spreading; Beach describes it as flat, spreading, open.) Hardy, healthy, moderately long-lived, comes into bearing rather early and is a reliable cropper, yielding good crops biennially or almost annually.
Twigs below medium to short, straight or nearly so, rather slender to stout with large terminal buds; internodes medium or below. Bark clear brownish-red or with more or less olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Young wood reddish (Downing). Lenticels scattering, small to medium, round or somewhat elongated, slightly raised. Buds medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent; described by Downing as prominent and rounded.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium to large or very large. Form globular, usually inclined to conic, base rounding or sometimes flattened, nearly regular; sides often a little unequal. Thomas describes it as roundish-conic, slightly oblate; Downing as roundish conical, flattened at base. Fairly uniform in shape but somewhat variable in size.
Stem: Short and rather thick, or sometimes long (Beach). Downing notes the stalk as short.
Cavity: Below medium to medium, acute to somewhat acuminate, rather shallow to deep (Beach; Thomas gives depth as deep), narrow to moderately broad, occasionally lipped, often somewhat furrowed, usually thinly russeted.
Calyx: Below medium to rather large; usually somewhat open (Beach); Downing describes it as closed. Lobes a little separated and broad at the base, narrow above, long, acute to acuminate; segments rather long, reflexed (Downing).
Basin: Small to medium, narrow to moderately wide, medium in depth (Beach; Downing describes it as deep), abrupt, somewhat furrowed, wrinkled.
Skin: Rather thin, tough, smooth, somewhat waxy. Ground color greenish or yellow, washed and mottled with red, conspicuously splashed and striped with bright carmine, and overspread with thin bloom. Downing describes the coloring as yellow, shaded, splashed, and mottled with rich red or crimson; Thomas as striped and splashed with deep crimson on yellow. Prevailing effect striped red. Dots numerous, russet or whitish and rather conspicuous, often submerged.
Flesh and Flavor: Whitish tinged with yellow (Beach); Downing and Thomas describe the flesh as yellow. Firm, rather fine to a little coarse, crisp, tender, very juicy, pleasant subacid, sprightly. Quality good to very good. Downing rates it Very good; Beach good to very good.
Core and Seeds: Calyx tube rather large, wide, cone-shape with core lines meeting, sometimes becoming funnel-form with clasping core lines. Stamens basal or nearly so. Core below medium to above, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells not uniformly developed, usually symmetrical and more or less open, sometimes closed; core lines meeting when the calyx tube is cone-shape, clasping when funnel-form. Carpels variable, ovate to broadly obcordate, sometimes a little emarginate, often tufted. Seeds dark, medium in size, rather long, somewhat acute; often many are abortive.
Season
September or October into early winter. Quite variable in season in different years and in different localities. The fruit hangs well to the tree. In ordinary storage, commercial limit is October; in cold storage, November.
Uses
Desirable for either dessert or culinary uses. A good variety for home use, but evidently not wanted in the market. Its season is rather short, and it begins to mature at a time when markets are filled with other fruits.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Smooth fruit of pretty good color. Exhibited in the published literature from 1849 onward across New York, Michigan, and Louisiana experiment stations, and listed in pomological references by Downing, Thomas, Barry, Wickson, Budd-Hansen, and others through the early twentieth century.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Possibly identical with: Washington
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Washington Strawberry.
Originated on the farm of Job Whipple, Union Springs, Washington Co., N. Y. Tree hardy, vigorous, upright spreading, an early and abundant bearer. Young wood reddish. Buds prominent, rounded.
Fruit large, roundish conical, flattened at base, yellow, shaded, splashed, and mottled with rich red, or crimson. Stalk short. Cavity thinly russeted. Calyx closed. Segments rather long, reflexed. Basin abrupt, deep, furrowed. Flesh yellow, a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid. Very good. September, October.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)WASHINGTON STRAWBERRY.
REFERENCES. 1. N. Y. Agr. Soc. Trans., 1849:117. 2. Mag. Hort., 23:26. 1857. 3. Hovey, Ib., 24:79. 1858. fig. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1869. 5. Downing, 1869:396. fig. 6. Thomas, 1875:205. 7. Downing, 1881:11, index, app. 8. Barry, 1883:341. 9. Wickson, 1889:244. 10. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:298. 11. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:252. 12. Burnett, La. Sta. Bul., 27:926. 1894. 13. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:60. 1903. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:107. fig. 15. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:47. 1903. 16. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:150. 1904.
SYNONYMS. Juniata (7). WASHINGTON (2, 3). Washington of Maine (7). Washington County Seedling (2). WASHINGTON STRAWBERRY (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16). WASHINGTON Strawberry (14). Washington Strawberry (3).
Fruit smooth, of good size and pretty good color, fairly uniform in shape but somewhat variable in size, desirable for either dessert or culinary uses. It is quite variable in season in different years and in different localities. As fruited at this Station it comes in season in September or October, and some portion of the fruit may be kept in fair condition into the winter or sometimes through the winter. In ordinary storage its commercial limit is October, and in cold storage November (13, 16). The fruit hangs well to the tree. The tree is vigorous, hardy, healthy, moderately long-lived, comes into bearing rather early and is a reliable cropper, yielding good crops biennially or almost annually. It is a good variety for home use, but evidently is not wanted in market. Its season is rather short, and it begins to mature at a time when the markets are filled with other fruits.
Historical. Washington Strawberry was first exhibited at the Fair of the State Agricultural Society in Syracuse in 1849 (1, 3). It originated on the farm of Job Whipple, Union Springs, Washington county, N. Y. (1). It was included in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society in 1869 (4). It is still listed by nurserymen and has been disseminated to some extent in various parts of the continent. Although it has been known for a half century it has failed to establish itself in the commercial orchards of this state and is but little known among New York fruit growers.
TREE.
Tree medium to large, vigorous to moderately vigorous. Form rather flat, spreading, open. Twigs below medium to short, straight or nearly so, rather slender to stout with large terminal buds; internodes medium or below. Bark clear brownish-red or with more or less olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels scattering, small to medium, round or somewhat elongated, slightly raised. Buds medium to large, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to large or very large. Form globular, usually inclined to conic, base rounding or sometimes flattened, nearly regular; sides often a little unequal. Stem short and rather thick or sometimes long. Cavity below medium to medium, acute to somewhat acuminate, rather shallow to deep, narrow to moderately broad, occasionally lipped, often somewhat furrowed, usually thinly russeted. Calyx below medium to rather large, usually somewhat open; lobes a little separated and broad at the base, narrow above, long, acute to acuminate. Basin small to medium, narrow to moderately wide, medium in depth, abrupt, somewhat furrowed, wrinkled. Skin rather thin, tough, smooth, somewhat waxy, greenish or yellow, washed and mottled with red, conspicuously splashed and striped with bright carmine and overspread with thin bloom. Dots numerous, russet or whitish and rather conspicuous, often submerged. Prevailing effect striped red. Calyx tube rather large, wide, cone-shape with core lines meeting, sometimes becoming funnel-form with clasping core lines. Stamens basal or nearly so. Core below medium to above, axile or sometimes abaxile; cells not uniformly developed, usually symmetrical and more or less open, sometimes closed; core lines meeting if the calyx tube is cone-shape, clasping if it is funnel-form. Carpels variable, ovate to broadly obcordate, sometimes a little emarginate, often tufted. Seeds dark, medium in size, rather long, somewhat acute; often many are abortive. Flesh whitish tinged with yellow, firm, rather fine to a little coarse, crisp, tender, very juicy, pleasant subacid, sprightly, good to very good. Season from September or October into early winter.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Washington Strawberry. Rather large, roundish-conic, slightly oblate; striped and splashed with deep crimson on yellow; cavity deep; flesh yellow, a little coarse, brisk sub-acid. Growth vigorous. September, October. Origin, Washington County, N. Y.