Bietigheimer
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Bietigheimer
Origin / History
Of German origin. Hedrick (1922) gives its introduction from Germany about 1870 and says it was by then "more or less grown in the colder parts of America." Downing describes it under the name "Red Bietigheimer." E.A. Bunyard (1920) identified it with the German Rother Stettiner, which he called "the correct name," and counted more than twenty-five synonyms. The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz, B.C., planted it for trial in spring 1890.
The variety is handsome and showy. Its great size and its beauty of form and color are its chief distinction. Downing called it "a large and handsome early autumn apple, valuable for market and culinary purposes." Budd and Hansen call it "a large and showy autumn apple, attaining enormous size." Beach (1905) called the fruit "remarkable only for its great size and beauty." E.A. Bunyard found it "Remarkable for its distinct colouring" and judged it "Not worthy of cultivation." Hedrick counted the trees "among the unmanageables of orchard and nursery."
Tree
Tree large, moderately vigorous to vigorous, a free, strong grower. Form spreading, or upright spreading to roundish, dense, with laterals inclined to droop (Beach). Twigs short, curved, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes long. Bark dull brown tinged with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, conspicuous, medium in size, oval, raised. Buds prominent, large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent (Beach). Leaves large and shining (Downing). E.A. Bunyard describes the leaf as rather pale, flat, finely and sharply serrate. Hardy (Thomas, Hedrick) and healthy (Hedrick).
In the nursery a rough grower, forming many badly shaped trees. Beach therefore advises topworking it on some good straight stock. Veitch found it more suitable for culture as a bush than as a pyramid.
Comes into bearing early to rather early. Productiveness runs from abundant to seldom fruitful, and bearing from alternate years to annual. Downing calls it an abundant bearer on alternate years and Thomas a free bearer. Beach finds it an annual cropper under favorable conditions but only moderately productive; Hedrick calls it seldom fruitful, and the George Bunyard catalogue a shy bearer when young. The fruit, being extremely large, drops badly before the crop is ready to pick.
Fruit
Size: Large to very large, attaining enormous size (Budd and Hansen). Most of the book sources call it very large, and Hedrick says it is of the largest size. E.A. Bunyard and the nursery catalogues call it large. E.A. Bunyard measures it 3 by 2½. Budd and Hansen record a specimen from the State of Washington, shown at the Pan-American Exposition, that weighed 28½ ounces. Pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach).
Form: Oblate to roundish oblate, round, or roundish, slightly conical or inclined to conic, with a broad, flat base. Downing and E.A. Bunyard call it regular; Beach calls it somewhat irregular and Budd and Hansen somewhat angular.
Stem: Medium to very short, thick or rather stout, mostly short. Beach's range reaches medium, and Budd and Hansen call it very short.
Cavity: Large, broad, wide, regular, sometimes furrowed and occasionally lipped. Depth runs from rather shallow (Budd and Hansen) to deep (Downing), with Beach giving moderately shallow to rather deep; Beach calls it acute or approaching acuminate, Budd and Hansen obtuse. Often russeted. Beach finds it often much russeted with outspreading russet rays, while Budd and Hansen describe it as green with a trace of russet.
Calyx: Medium to small, closed. Lobes rather narrow and acute (Beach); segments flat and convergent (Budd and Hansen). Calyx tube conical to broadly conical. Stamens basal; Beach says usually basal or nearly so.
Basin: Shallow and obtuse to deep and abrupt, slightly corrugated or somewhat wrinkled, often marked with mammiform protuberances (Beach). Downing calls it large and deep; Beach gives it medium width, and Budd and Hansen call it narrow.
Skin: Thick, tough, smooth. Ground whitish, whitish yellow, or bright pale yellow to greenish; Thomas alone gives dark yellow. Shaded with light and dark red, washed with pinkish-red, or almost wholly covered with pale red, deepening to purplish crimson where fully exposed to the sun. Sometimes a few obscure stripes and sparing, obscure splashes of deeper red. Thomas has the fruit covered with purplish crimson; E.A. Bunyard gives "a rich crimson, with a curious milky tinge in the lighter portions," and the George Bunyard catalogue "a remarkable carmine flush." Finely colored, handsome and showy.
Dots: Numerous, small, inconspicuous, obscure or rather indistinct. Whitish, light, yellowish, or russet. Downing adds a few grayish dots among the many light ones.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, almost white, or greenish-white (E.A. Bunyard). Firm to quite firm, crisp, somewhat tough, juicy. Downing calls the flesh half fine; Beach calls it very coarse, and Hedrick also calls it coarse. Subacid to brisk subacid; Veitch adds "a brisk pleasant flavour." The George Bunyard catalogue gives an acid flavor, while E.A. Bunyard finds it "sweet but with no aroma." Thomas and Budd and Hansen rate it "good" and Beach "fair to nearly good"; Hedrick calls the apples "poor in quality."
Core and seeds: Core medium to large, axile to somewhat abaxile. Beach gives cells partly open, while Budd and Hansen call the core open and abaxile, with cells ovate and widely slit. Core lines clasping. Carpels cordate or broadly roundish, a little tufted. Seeds numerous, large to medium, rather wide, broadly acute, rather light brown (Beach).
Season
An autumn apple, the recorded season running from September into February. Most authors place it in September or October: Beach gives September and October, and Veitch October and November. E.A. Bunyard alone gives November to February.
Uses
Culinary: a good cooking apple. Downing values it for market. Beach finds it coarse and not desirable for dessert use, a fine fruit for exhibition but not worthy of cultivation for either home use or market. The George Bunyard catalogue recommends it for early exhibition.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The George Bunyard catalogue of 1901 offered standards at 2/6.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Bietigheimer (Red Bietigheimer)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Red Bietigheimer
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 37 catalogs (1886–1921) from Alabama, California, England, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Oregon Wholesale Nurseries , Salem , Oregon — 1893 — listed as Red Beitigheimer
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894 — listed as Beitigheimer
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903 — listed as Red Beitigheimer
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907 — listed as Red Beitigheimer
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as Beitigheimer
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Union Nurseries , J.B. Weaver & Sons, Union , Oregon — 1915 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- Benedict Nursery Co. , Portland , Oregon — 1921 — listed as Red Bietigheimer
- North-Western Nurseries , Walla Walla , Washington — listed as Red Bietigheimer
View original book sources (9)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Bietigheimer.
Of German origin, a large and handsome early autumn apple, valuable for market and culinary purposes. Tree a free grower, having large shining leaves, spreading; an abundant bearer on alternate years.
Fruit large to very large, oblate, slightly conical, regular; skin smooth, whitish or whitish yellow, shaded with light and dark red, (purplish crimson where fully exposed to the sun,) sometimes obscure stripes and splashes, a few grayish and many rather indistinct light dots; stalk short, rather stout; cavity broad, deep, regular, often russeted; calyx closed; basin large, deep, slightly corrugated; flesh white, half fine, quite firm, juicy, with a brisk subacid flavor; core medium or rather large. Season September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bietigheimer. (Red Bietigheimer.) Very large, round, oblate; dark yellow, covered with purplish crimson; flesh firm, sub-acid, good. Tree a vigorous grower and free bearer, hardy. German.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)BIETIGHEIMER.
REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1881:101 app. 2. Thomas, 1885:521. 3. Hoskins, Rural N. Y., 47:646. 1888. 4. Wickson, 1889:243. 5. Can. Hort., 13:239, 301. 1890. fig. 6. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234. 7. Can. Hort., 16:14. 1893. 8. Ib., 17:413. 1894. col. pl. 9. Gard. and For., 8:390, 428. 1895. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:12. 11. Dickens and Greene, Kan. Sta. Bul., 106:54. 1902. 12. Budd-Hansen, 1903:48. fig. 13. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:43. 1903.
SYNONYMS. BEITIGHEIMER (6). BIETIGHEIMER (7, 10, 12, 13). RED BEITIGHEIMER (9). Red Beitigheimer (6). RED BIETIGHEIMER (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11).
Fruit remarkable only for its great size and beauty. It is a good cooking apple but coarse, subacid and not desirable for dessert use. The fruit being extremely large, drops badly before the crop is ready to pick. In the nursery it is a rough grower forming many badly shaped trees and for this reason it is best to topwork it on some good straight stock. The tree comes into bearing rather early and under favorable conditions is an annual cropper but only moderately productive. It is a fine fruit for exhibition but is not worthy of cultivation for either home use or market.
Historical. Origin, Germany.
TREE.
Tree large, moderately vigorous to vigorous. Form upright spreading or roundish, dense, with laterals inclined to droop. Twigs short, curved, stout, with large terminal buds; internodes long. Bark dull brown tinged with green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, conspicuous, medium in size, oval, raised. Buds prominent, large, broad, plump, obtuse, free, pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit very large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate or inclined to conic, with broad, flat base, somewhat irregular. Stem medium to short, thick. Cavity large, acute, or approaching acuminate, wide, moderately shallow to rather deep, sometimes furrowed, occasionally lipped, often much russeted and with outspreading russet rays. Calyx medium to small, closed; lobes rather narrow, acute. Basin varies from shallow and obtuse to deep and abrupt, medium in width, somewhat wrinkled, often marked with mammiform protuberances. Skin thick, tough, smooth, bright pale yellow to greenish or whitish washed with pinkish-red and sparingly and obscurely splashed with deeper red. Dots numerous, small, inconspicuous, yellowish or russet. Calyx tube broadly conical. Stamens usually basal or nearly so. Core medium to large, axile to somewhat abaxile; cells partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels cordate or broadly roundish, a little tufted. Seeds numerous, large to medium, rather wide, broadly acute, rather light brown. Flesh almost white, firm, very coarse, crisp, somewhat tough, juicy, subacid, fair to nearly good.
Season September and October.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Bietigheimer (Red Bietigheimer).—Origin, Germany; a large and showy autumn apple, attaining enormous size. A specimen at the Pan-American Exposition from the State of Washington weighed 28½ ounces. Tree a strong grower and of spreading habit; leaves large and shining; an abundant biennial bearer.
Fruit very large to enormous, roundish to roundish oblate, somewhat angular; surface smooth, whitish yellow, almost wholly covered with pale red, with a few obscure stripes and splashes; dots obscure, numerous, whitish; cavity wide, regular, rather shallow, obtuse, green, trace of russet; stem very short; basin narrow, slightly corrugated; calyx closed; segments flat, convergent. Core open, abaxile; cells ovate, widely slit; tube conical; stamens basal; flesh white, quite firm, juicy, brisk subacid, good. Use market and culinary. September.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BIETIGHEIMER. F., Rouge de Stettin; G., Rother Stettiner. Synonyms number more than twenty-five. Culinary, November to February, large, 3 by 2½, round flattened, regular. Colour, a rich crimson, with a curious milky tinge in the lighter portions. Flesh, firm, greenish-white, sweet but with no aroma. Growth, spreading; vigorous. Leaf, rather pale, flat, finely and sharply serrate. Remarkable for its distinct colouring. Not worthy of cultivation. The correct name is Rother Stettiner.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)BIETIGHEIMER. Red Bietigheimer. The fruits are of largest size, for which and for their beauty of form and color, the variety is remarkable. On the other hand, the apples are coarse, poor in quality, and drop badly during the maturing period. The trees are hardy and healthy, and come into bearing early, but are among the unmanageables of orchard and nursery, and are seldom fruitful. The variety was introduced from Germany about 1870, and is now more or less grown in the colder parts of America.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, with drooping laterals. Fruit very large, uniform in size and shape, round-oblate, with broad, flat base, somewhat irregular; stem short, thick; cavity large, acute, wide, shallow, sometimes furrowed, occasionally lipped, often much russeted and with outspreading russet rays; calyx small, closed, with narrow, acute lobes; basin shallow and obtuse to deep and abrupt, wrinkled, often marked with mammiform protuberances; skin thick, tough, smooth, pale yellow washed with pinkish-red, sparingly and obscurely splashed with deeper red; dots numerous, small, inconspicuous, yellow or russet; calyx-tube broadly conical; stamens basal; core medium to large, axile; cells partly open; core-lines clasping; carpels cordate or broadly roundish, tufted; seeds numerous, large, wide, broadly acute, light brown; flesh white, firm, very coarse, crisp, tough, juicy, subacid; fair to good; September and October.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous and spreading grower. Fruit very large, oblate conical. Skin whitish yellow, shaded with light and dark red. Flesh white, firm, brisk sub-acid. A good cooking apple. Season October.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Large, a very handsome apple for early exhibition, with a remarkable carmine flush; acid flavour, shy bearer when young, vigorous grower. Standards, 2/6.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, roundish in form and finely coloured, flesh white, firm, sub-acid and with a brisk pleasant flavour, more suitable for culture as a bush than a pyramid ... Oct. & Nov.