More info
An excerpt from Beach’s Apples of New York, Volume 1:
DICKINSON.
REFERENCES, 1. Pa. Dept. Agr., Rpt. Hort. Assn., 1884:49. col. pl. 2. Chase, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:25. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 4. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 12:600. 1893. 5. Richman, Utah Sta. Bui, 45:15. 1896. 6. Beach, Western N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1896:52. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bui, 48:40. 1903. 8. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bui, 248:116. 1904.
SYNONYM. DICKENSON (5, 7), but incorrectly.
Tree not a good grower, but very productive. Fruit resembles Yellow Bellflower in shape, but the color is red. It is of good size and attractive enough in appearance to make a good market apple, but it is not above second rate in quality.
Historical. Grown from seed of the Yellow Bellflower by Sarah Dickinson, Westchester, Pennsylvania (1, 2).
Tree not large, not very vigorous ; branches short, stout, crooked. Form roundish, spreading, rather dense. Twigs small to medium, crooked, moderately stout; internodes short to above medium. Bark clear, light olive-green tinged with reddish-brown, streaked with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, rather numerous, small or below medium, usually roundish, not raised. Buds medium in size or below, broad, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent. Leaves medium in size, moderately broad.
Fruit medium to large, somewhat variable in size. Form oblong-conic,
sometimes compressed or broadly angular ; sides sometimes unequal. Stem medium to long. Cavity moderately broad, moderately deep, acute to acuminate, symmetrical or sometimes compressed, usually smooth. Calyx medium, closed or sometimes open. Basin shallow to moderately deep and abrupt, often oblique, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin smooth, light yellow or green, blushed and mottled with bright red, striped with darker red, sprinkled with inconspicuous, small, green and whitish dots. Prevailing effect red with well-colored fruit.
Calyx tube funnel-form. Stamens median to basal.
Core large, abaxile; cells not always symmetrical, usually open; core lines usually somewhat clasping. Carpels roundish oblong. Seeds numerous, medium or above, plump, obtuse.
Flesh yellowish, juicy to very juicy, moderately fine-grained, slightly aromatic, subacid, moderately firm, tender, fair to good.
Season November to April.
Beach, S.A. The Apples of New York, Volume I. J.B. Lyon Company, 1905
An excerpt from Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits:
DICKINSON. Dickinson is a seedling of Yellow Bellflower; the fruits of the offspring resemble those of the parent in shape and size, but are red instead of yellow. Though productive, the trees are otherwise of poor habit, and the quality of the fruit is second rate. The variety was grown from seed at West Chester, Pennsylvania, by Sarah Dickinson, about 1875, and has been rather widely disseminated throughout the United States.
Tree small, round-spreading, dense; branches short, stout, crooked. Leaves broad. Fruit medium to large, somewhat variable in size, oblong-conic, sometimes com- pressed or broadly angular, sides sometimes unequal ; stem medium to long ; cavity broad, deep, acuminate, symmetrical or sometimes compressed, smooth; calyx closed or sometimes open ; basin shallow to deep and abrupt, often oblique, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled ; skin smooth, light yellow or green, blushed and mottled with bright red, striped with darker red, sprinkled with inconspicuous, small, green and white dots ; prevailing effect red ; calyx-tube funnel-form ; stamens median to basal ; core large, abaxile ; cells open ; core-lines clasping ; carpels round-oblong ; seeds numerous, large, plump, obtuse ; flesh juicy, fine-grained, aromatic, subacid, firm, tender ; fair to good ; November to April.
Hedrick, U.P. Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits. The Macmillan Company, 1922