Whitney's Russet
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Whitney's Russet
Origin / History
Elliott and Thomas give Canada as the place of origin. Downing calls the origin unknown and the variety "supposed Canadian." Warder gives it as "of uncertain or accidental origin in the extensive nurseries and orchards of my friend A. R. Whitney, of Franklin Grove, Lee County, Illinois, where my specimens and trees were procured."
Tree
A vigorous grower, productive, a good bearer. Young shoots reddish brown, grayish (Downing). Elliott says it "must be stock-worked the same as Rambo, when planted in Western orchards."
Fruit
Size: Small to medium. Most authors give medium or medium or small; Downing alone calls it small.
Form: Oblate to roundish-oblate, truncated, angular (Warder). Downing has it slightly inclining to conic.
Stem: Medium to long, slender (Warder), often with bracts (Downing).
Cavity: Large, deep, acute, wavy.
Calyx: Closed; eye medium (Warder).
Basin: Abrupt, regular, green, slightly corrugated (Downing).
Skin: Yellow and russeted, smooth (Warder), sometimes with a shade of crimson in the sun (Downing). The weight of russet is in conflict. Elliott has the skin almost wholly covered with thick yellow russet. Warder calls it rather thinly russeted, and Downing has it mostly covered with thin light russet.
Dots: Minute, prominent (Warder).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white (Elliott), greenish-yellow (Warder), or yellowish (Downing). Very fine-grained, juicy, breaking to tender, with "a very smooth, pear-like texture" (Elliott). Flavor rich, spicy, subacid, brisk, aromatic; Downing calls it mild subacid. Quality "best" (Warder); "very good" (Downing).
Core and seeds: Core regular, heart-shaped, rarely open, meeting the eye; seeds very numerous, medium, plump (Warder). Core size is in conflict: medium (Warder) against small (Downing).
Season
Winter, from December into April. Most authors end the season in February or March, and Elliott says it "keeps well till March." Downing extends it to April.
Uses
Especially a dessert apple (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Whitney's Russet.
From Canada. Medium, oblate, almost wholly covered with thick yellow russet; flesh, white, with a very smooth, pear-like texture, and rich, brisk, spicy flavor; keeps well till March; tree, is a good bearer, but must be stock-worked the same as Rambo, when planted in Western orchards.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Whitney Russet.
Of uncertain or accidental origin in the extensive nurseries and orchards of my friend A. R. Whitney, of Franklin Grove, Lee County, Illinois, where my specimens and trees were procured.
Fruit medium or small, roundish-oblate, truncated, angular; Surface smooth, yellow, rather thinly russeted; Dots minute, prominent.
Basin abrupt, regular, green; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity acute, deep, wavy; Stem medium to long, slender.
Core medium, regular, heart-shaped, rarely open, meeting the eye; Seeds very numerous, medium, plump; Flesh greenish-yellow, breaking, very fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, rich, spicy; Quality best; especially a dessert apple; Season, December to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Whitney Russet.
Origin unknown. Supposed Canadian. Tree a vigorous grower, productive. Young shoots reddish brown, grayish.
Fruit small, oblate, slightly inclining to conic, yellow, mostly covered with thin light russet, sometimes a shade of crimson in the sun. Stalk long, often with bracts. Cavity large, deep. Calyx closed. Basin slightly corrugated. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, rich, mild subacid. Very good. Core small. December to April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Whitney's Russet. Medium, oblate, russeted; flesh fine-grained, rich, spicy. Winter. Canada.