Volume 15 Number 1 Article 11 Pages: 16-16
Year 1960 Month 9
Title: Performance of the Spencer Apple in Massachusetts
Author: W.D. Weeks
Citation
Abstract:
We obtained our first fruit of Spencer
in 1950 from trees top-worked in
1946. Since that date, we have become
increasingly impressed with the performance
of Spencer.
The trees have
produced annual crops of large well-colored
apples.
The most outstanding characteristics
of Spencer are its high fruit quality
and its ability to retain this quality
over a long storage season.
We have
not observed any of the storage disorders
such as internal breakdown and
core flush which have been reported
from British Columbia.
It may be that
our soil and climatic conditions in
Massachusetts are not conducive to
these troubles.
We find that Spencer
keeps well until the middle of March
in regular 32°F. storage.
Spencer not only has fine eating
quality but it makes excellent pie and
sauce.
It appears to have inherited
much of the flavor and quality of its
Golden Delicious parent.
Spencer has a tendency to produce
some fruits which are too large for
commercial trade.
Our trees have produced
a considerable volume of fruit
over 3 1/4" in diameter.
The red color
of some Spencer fruits is a bit on the
pale side.
Also, the shape of the fruit
may be somewhat objectionable as it is
quite long.
However, none of these
weak points of Spencer are serious and
we believe that it has possibilities as
a high-quality, late winter apple.—
W. D. Weeks, Univ. of Mass., Amherst,
Mass.
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