FEDERAL PEARMAIN.
Illustrations 112a, 112b, 112c.
ederal Pearmain (Catalogue of the Fruits; hogg, the Fruit Manual, 3rd ed., page 17)
Staatenparmäne (Handbuch, I, page 493; oberdieck, Anleitung, page 148).
Most probably imported from America into Europe, if one goes by the name. More detailed information is not available at this moment, since both American and English authors do not mention the variety.
SHAPE: very regular.
SIZE: third grade.
EYE: closed, with long pointed, grey sepals, in a medium basin, surrounded by russeting, small ribs and a green ringlet.
STALK: 20 mms long, thick, woody, in a shallow, russeted cavity.
The COLOUR of the apple directly after picking is a bit more greener than in the illustration. The red is somewhat flamed, large occasional lenticels, occasional russeting. The skin is smooth.
The FLESH is yellowish white, fine, rather firm, pleasantly juicy as long as it keeps, with a sweetish sour and particular aromatic taste. The core is medium sized, with large, spacious cells and small, dark brown pips.
TIME OF USE: December - April; first grade for dessert, excellent.
The TREE is a strong grower and very fertile; the twigs are long and of medium thickness, violet-brown, with oval lenticels; the buds stand off; the shoots are violet-coloured and woolly; the leaf stalks are 20 - 30 mms long, very thick, strong, grooved; the leaves are almost round, unevenly and sharply serrated, with a small, pointed tip, dark green, woolly underneath.
We recommend the variety as a standard tree and we feel the apple to be important and excellent for the market.