Benoni

Origin / History

Benoni is a native American apple that originated in Dedham, Massachusetts. Sources differ on the precise date of origin: Bunyard (1920) places the raising at Dedham "about the middle of the eighteenth century," while Hedrick (1922) and Fisher (1963) date the variety to about 1830, and Beach (1905) gives a first introduction date "shortly before 1832." Hovey (1852) records that Mr. E. M. Richards of Dedham — a zealous amateur who devoted much attention to apples and introduced several varieties of merit — first brought the variety to the notice of cultivators "about twenty years ago" (i.e., around 1832), and that the original tree, according to Richards's own account in the Magazine of Horticulture for 1835 (vol. i. p. 343), had originated in Dedham upwards of twenty-five years prior to 1835, first coming into bearing in 1831 or 1832. Beach notes that the original tree was still standing in 1848. The variety was introduced to England about 1870 (Bunyard).

Its good qualities caused its culture to be widely extended; it was generally listed by nurserymen throughout the middle and northern portions of the apple-growing regions of North America (Beach, citing Bailey 1892), and was highly esteemed throughout the country. Elliott (1865) reports it succeeds finely on the Western prairies. Hedrick (1922) states it was chiefly grown in Illinois, Missouri, and neighboring states by his date. Warder (1867) calls it "delicious and profitable" and "indispensable to the amateur" for the dessert.

Tree

Sources vary in their characterization of vigor and size. Warder (1867) describes the tree as small, upright, close, productive, and an early bearer. Hovey (1852) calls it moderately vigorous, with an erect and upright habit, the branches ascending at an acute angle with the main stem and forming, when fully grown, a handsome round head; he notes the habit is "peculiarly erect and handsome," greatly resembling the Northern Spy, and, if left to itself, forming a perfect pyramid, with annual branches shooting up to a height of four or five feet. Downing (1900) describes the tree as of vigorous, upright, spreading habit, hardy and productive. Elliott (1865) gives growth as vigorous, erect, a good bearer. Beach (1905) describes it as rather large, vigorous, erect to somewhat roundish in form, dense. Budd-Hansen (1914) gives it as vigorous, upright, spreading, productive. Bunyard (1920) calls growth moderate, making a roundish tree, moderately fertile. Hedrick (1922) reports tree large, vigorous, erect or round-topped, dense. Fisher (1963) records tree large, vigorous, erect, dense. Thomas (1903) gives tree erect, good bearer, but notes it "has not succeeded well in all localities."

The tree comes into bearing moderately young and yields fair to good crops biennially (Beach); Hedrick notes the variety falls short of being a most excellent market and home apple in part through "the unproductiveness and biennial bearing habit of the trees." Richards, as quoted by Hovey, said "it bears almost to a fault every second year." Hovey observed that it comes into fruit rather earlier than most varieties, and reports seeing young trees standing in nursery rows, not more than six or eight feet high, bearing several of its handsome apples; as a dwarf on its own stock it is especially desirable, the trees branching low and, from their naturally compact form, easier kept within a convenient size than many other varieties.

Wood / Twigs / Bark: Warder describes shoots slender, brown. Hovey describes wood as dull reddish chestnut, thickly dotted with round russet specks, moderately strong, and very short-jointed; ends of the annual shoots somewhat downy; old wood dull olive brown. Downing notes the bark as "light reddish brown." Beach gives twigs moderately long, straight, slender, with medium internodes; bark olive-green, shaded with light reddish-brown, lightly coated with scarf-skin, pubescent; lenticels scattering, medium, oblong, slightly raised.

Buds: Hovey describes buds as small, short, broad, flattened, with rather prominent shoulders, somewhat woolly; flower-buds medium size. Beach gives buds deeply set in bark, medium size, plump, obtuse, appressed, slightly pubescent.

Leaves: Warder calls leaves thin, long. Hovey describes them as medium size, oblong-oval, largest in the middle, narrowing to the base, terminating rather abruptly in a point at the apex, deep green, somewhat wavy, and regularly serrated; petioles medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, and moderately stout. The foliage is of a deep green, and a small tree loaded with its bright red fruit is at all times a fine object (Hovey).

Flowers: Hovey describes flowers as medium size, cupped, and tinged with blush.

Fruit

Size

Sources broadly agree on small to medium. Warder: small to medium. Downing: rather below medium size. Beach: medium to rather small. Hovey: medium size, about two and a half inches broad, and two and a half deep. Elliott: medium. Thomas: medium in size. Budd-Hansen: medium. Bunyard: small, 2¼ by 2¼. Hedrick: medium or small. Fisher: medium-small (also "medium sized fruit" from the Iowa source). Beach notes the variety is "not large enough to be a good market variety," and Hedrick says it "falls short of being a most excellent market and home apple through the smallness of the fruits."

Form

Warder: round, truncated, somewhat angular, irregular. Downing: roundish oblate conical. Hovey: roundish, narrowing towards the crown, which is angular. Elliott: roundish, narrowing towards the eye. Beach: roundish inclined to conic, faintly ribbed toward the apex; sides unequal. Thomas: roundish, sometimes obscurely conical. Budd-Hansen: roundish oblate, somewhat conical, obscurely angular. Bunyard: oval, regular. Hedrick: round-conic, faintly ribbed toward the apex, sides unequal.

Stem / Stalk and Cavity

Stem: Warder gives stem medium, green, often stout. Downing: stalk short, slender. Hovey: stem very short, scarcely half an inch in length, slender. Elliott: short, slender. Beach: short to very short, slender. Thomas: stalk half an inch long. Budd-Hansen: short, slender. Bunyard: short and rather slender. Hedrick: short or very short, slender. Warder's "stout" stem is the principal disagreement; most sources describe the stem as short and slender.

Cavity: Warder: acute, wavy, brown. Downing: deep, russeted. Hovey: rather contracted, deeply inserted. Elliott: narrow. Beach: acute, rather narrow, moderately deep, wavy, greenish-russet. Budd-Hansen: regular, acute, deep, slightly russeted. Bunyard: deep, even. Hedrick: acute, narrow, deep, wavy, greenish-russet.

Calyx, Eye, Basin

Calyx / eye: Warder: eye large, open or closed. Downing: calyx closed; segments persistent, sometimes a little recurved. Hovey: eye rather large, partially open, and considerably sunk; segments of the calyx medium length. Elliott: calyx large, open. Beach: calyx rather small to above medium, partly open, slightly pubescent. Budd-Hansen: calyx closed; segments divergent. Bunyard: eye small, a little open. Hedrick: calyx small, partly open, pubescent.

Basin: Warder: wide, abrupt. Downing: abrupt, quite deep, somewhat uneven. Hovey: deep, open, furrowed. Elliott: furrowed. Thomas: basin small. Beach: medium in width and depth, abrupt, somewhat wrinkled. Budd-Hansen: quite deep, abrupt, nearly smooth. Bunyard: fairly deep, even. Hedrick: medium in width and depth, abrupt, wrinkled.

Skin / Color / Dots

Warder: surface smooth, yellow, covered mixed red, striped scarlet and carmine; dots minute. Downing: pale yellow, shaded, striped, and marbled with dark crimson, and thinly sprinkled with bright dots. Hovey: fair, smooth, with a deep yellow or orange ground, nearly covered with red, distinctly striped with dark crimson, and covered with scattered, whitish specks. Elliott: deep yellow, striped with crimson, dotted with white specks. Beach: skin smooth, orange-yellow partly covered with lively red striped with deep carmine; dots scattering, minute, whitish. Thomas: deep red on rich yellow, in distinct broken stripes and dots. Budd-Hansen: surface rich yellow with a crimson cheek, with distinct broken dark crimson stripes and splashes, marbled and shaded on the sunny side; dots distinct, bright, numerous, minute, white. Bunyard: pale yellow, with crimson flush, and stripes. Hedrick: smooth, orange-yellow, partly covered with red striped with carmine; dots scattering, minute, white. Fisher: orange-yellow with 60% red, striped with carmine.

Flesh and Flavor

Warder: flesh yellow, fine-grained, juicy; flavor rich, subacid, spicy; quality best. Downing: flesh yellow, juicy, tender, pleasant, subacid; very good. Hovey: flesh yellow, fine, crisp and tender; juice abundant, rich, vinous, high flavored and excellent. Hovey elsewhere notes the variety has a firm and crisp flesh, and a rich, pleasant, subacid and sprightly flavor. Elliott: flesh yellow, crisp, tender, juicy, vinous; "very good." Thomas: flesh yellow, tender, rich; mild sub-acid, "very good." Beach: flesh yellow, firm, crisp, fine-grained, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid, good to very good. Budd-Hansen: flesh very yellow with orange veinings, tender, delicate, juicy, pleasant, spicy subacid, perfumed, very good. Bunyard: flesh tender, yellow, aromatic. Hedrick: flesh yellow, firm, crisp, fine-grained, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid; good to very good. Fisher: flesh yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, subacid; good to very good.

Core and Seeds

Warder: core small, closed, meeting the eye; seeds angular, dark. Downing: core small. Hovey: core medium size, rather close; seeds medium size, pale brown. Elliott: core close; seeds pale brown. Beach: core small to medium, axile; cells closed; core lines meeting; carpels roundish, slightly elongated, emarginate; seeds few, dark brown, medium in size, plump, obtuse; stamens basal. Budd-Hansen: core closed, small, meeting; cells obovate, axile, slit; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds plump, some abortive. Hedrick: core small, axile; cells closed; core-lines meeting; carpels round, elongated, emarginate; seeds few, dark brown, medium in size, plump, obtuse; stamens basal. (Beach and Hedrick give stamens basal; Budd-Hansen gives stamens median — a conflict between sources.) Seed-color disagreement: Warder gives dark, angular seeds; Hovey and Elliott give pale brown; Beach and Hedrick give dark brown.

Season

Warder: July and August. Downing: August. Hovey: ripe in August and September, and keeps well. Elliott: August and September. Thomas: late summer. Beach: begins to ripen early in August, season extends into September; August and early September. Budd-Hansen: August. Bunyard: dessert, mid-September. Hedrick: August and early September. Fisher: August–September.

Uses

A fine dessert apple — very attractive in appearance and excellent in quality (Beach). Warder: use — dessert, kitchen, and market. Downing: a valuable variety for market or table use. Beach: not large enough to be a good market variety, but a fine dessert apple. Hovey praises its productiveness and quality, and considers it claims a prominent place in every fruit garden or orchard. Bunyard: a very good early fruit, dessert. Hedrick: a beautiful and delicious dessert apple when well grown.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Hovey (1852) compares Benoni with Williams: "not quite so large as the Williams, which ripens about the same time, — nor has it the prepossessing appearance of that showy and excellent variety, — but it is fully equal to it in quality." Warder's classification places the variety in Class III (Round Apples), Order II (Irregular), Section 2 (Sour), Sub-section 2 (Striped). Beach records that the variety has no synonyms. Fisher (1963) records material received from R. C. Anderson, Kansas City 13, Mo., reported by station NyG (Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Pomology, Geneva, New York), and also received from Snyder Bros., Center Point, Iowa, station number A33606, reported by station WyC (U.S. Horticultural Field Station, P.O. Box 1250, Cheyenne, Wyoming). Beach references the variety appears as Fig. 259 in Warder (1867) and is illustrated in Hovey 1:183 (1851) as a colored plate and figure, and Budd-Hansen (1903) figure; Bunyard cites Herefordshire Pomona, 47.