BLENHEIM ORANGE.

[Syn.: Blenheim Pippin; Kempster's Pippin; Woodstock Pippin; Northwick Pippin]

This valuable apple was first discovered at Woodstock, in Oxfordshire, and received its name from Blenheim, the seat of the Duke of Marlborough, which is in the immediate neighbourhood. The exact date of its origin is not known. It is not noticed in any of the nursery catalogues of the last century, nor was it cultivated in the London nurseries until about the year 1818.

The following interesting account of this favourite variety appeared some years ago in the "Gardener's Chronicle":—"In a somewhat dilapidated corner of the decaying borough of ancient Woodstock, within ten yards of the wall of Blenheim Park stands all that remains of the original stump of that beautiful and justly celebrated apple, the Blenheim Orange. It is now entirely dead and rapidly falling to decay, being a mere shell about ten feet high, loose in the ground, and having a large hole in the centre; till within the last three years, it occasionally sent up long, thin, wiry twigs, but this last sign of vitality has ceased, and what remains will soon be the portion of the wood-louse and the worm. Old Grimmett, the basket maker, against the corner of whose garden wall the venerable relic is supported, has sat looking on it from his workshop window, and while he wove the pliant osier, has meditated for more than fifty successive summers on the mutability of all sublunary substances; on juice, and core, and vegetable as well as animal, and flesh, and blood. He can remember the time when fifty years ago he was a boy, and the tree a fine full bearing stem, full of bud and blossom and fruit, and thousands thronged from all parts to gaze on its ruddy ripening orange burden: then gardeners came in the spring time to collect the much coveted scions, and to hear the tale of his horticultural child and sapling, from the lips of the son of the whitehaired Kempster. But nearly a century has elapsed since Kempster fell like a ripened fruit and was gathered to his fathers. He lived in a narrow cottage garden in Old Woodstock, a plain, practical, labouring man; and in the midst of his bees and flowers around him, and in his "glorious pride" in the midst of his little garden, he realised Virgil's dream of the old Corycian: "et regum equabat opes animis." The provincial name for the apple is still "Kempster's Pippin," a lasting monumental tribute and inscription to him who first planted the Kernel from whence it sprung."

Description.—Fruit, large, being generally three inches wide, and two and a half high; globular and somewhat flattened, broader at the base than the apex, regularly and handsomely shaped. Skin, yellow, with a tinge of dull red next the sun, and streaked with deeper red. Eye, large and open, with short stunted segments, placed in a round, broad, and rather deep basin. Tube funnel shaped: stamens medium. Stalk, short and stout, rather deeply inserted, and scarcely extending beyond the base. Flesh, yellow, crisp, juicy, sweet and pleasantly acid. Cells of the core, open or closed: cell-walls roundish obovate.

A very valuable and highly esteemed apple, either for dessert or culinary purposes, but strictly speaking more suitable for the kitchen than the parlour, except for its very handsome appearance in size, and shape, and colour. It is in season from November to February.

The Blenheim Orange has a strong and vigorous habit of growth and forms a large and very beautiful standard. This is the best and most profitable form of its growth, and when it becomes fullgrown it usually bears regular and abundant crops; it is however apt even then, to bear well only on alternate years. As a dwarf or an espalier it does not bear so regularly, or so well.

The plate represents not only the fruit when fit to gather from the tree, with the leaves and blossom, but also shews the rich ripe tints it assumes when it takes the place of honour on the Christmas dinner table.

— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

Blenheim Pippin. Blenheim. Blenheim Orange. Woodstock Pippin. Northwick Pippin. Kempster's Pippin. An old variety, originated at Woodstock, in Oxfordshire, England. Tree a strong and vigorous grower, a regular and abundant bearer. Fruit large, roundish oblate, conical, yellowish, becoming deep orange, stained on the sunny side with dull and dark red stripes. Stalk short and stout, in a deep cavity. Calyx large, open, in a deep broad basin. Flesh yellow, breaking, very sweet, pleasant. Good. October, December.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

BLENHEIM.

REFERENCES. 1. Turner, London Hort. Soc. Trans., 3:322. 1819. 2. Forsyth, 1824:134. 3. Pom. Mag., 1:No. 28. 1828. col. pl. 4. Ronalds, 1831:61. fig. 5. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 104. 6. Kenrick, 1832:72. 7. Floy-Lindley, 1833:29. 8. Downing, 1845:81. 9. Horticulturist, 1:389. 1847. 10. Thomas, 1849:144. 11. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:29. 1851. 12. Elliott, 1854:167. 13. Hooper, 1857:19. 14. Lucas, Ed., Ill. Handb. Obstk., 1:515. 1859. 15. Warder, 1867:713. 16. Regel, 1:461. 1868. 17. Berghuis, 1868:No. 61. col. pl. 18. Tilt. Jour. Hort., 7:166. 1870. 19. Downing, 1872:3 app. 20. Leroy, 1873:139. fig. 21. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1875:6. 22. Lauche, 1882:No. 36. col. pl. 23. Bensel, Rural N. Y., 42:65. 1883. 24. Hogg, 1884:24. 25. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:288. 26. Can. Hort., 15:40, 72, 111, 124, 156, 188, 206. 1892. 27. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:235. 28. Can. Hort., 16:113, 299. 1893. 29. Bredsted, 2:157. 1893. 30. Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. 31. Gaucher, 1894:No. 8. col. pl. 32. Gard. and For., 9:15. 1896. 33. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354. 34. Amer. Gard., 19:344. 1898. 35. Can. Hort., 24:353. 1901. figs. 36. Ont. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 8:6. 1901. figs. 37. Eneroth-Smirnoff, 1901:197. 38. Macoun, Can. Dept. Agr. Bul., 37:40. 1901. 39. Budd-Hansen, 1903:51. 40. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:113. 1904.

SYNONYMS. Belle d'Angers (31). BLENHEIM (20, 23, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40). Blenheim (5, 18, 19). BLENHEIM ORANGE (1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 15, 26, 28, 32, 33). Blenheim Orange (3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 24, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40). BLENHEIM PIPPIN (3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 38). Blenheim Pippin (6, 20, 26, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40). BLENHEIMSRENETT (37). Blooming Orange (18, 19, 31). Dredge's Fane (31). Dutch Mignonne, err. (18, 19). Gloucester Pippin (31). GOLDREINETTE VON BLENHEIM (14, 22, 31). Goldreinette von Blenheim (20). Imperatrice Eugenie (31). Kempster's Pippin (18, 19, 20, 24, 31, 32). LORD NELSON (incorrectly in some nursery catalogues). Lucius Apfel (31). Northampton (31). Northwick Pippin (5, 18, 19, 20, 24, 31). Orange Blenheim (31). Orange Pippin (31). Perle d'Angleterre (31). Prince of Wales (31). Pomme de Blenheim (31). Reinette de Blenheim (31). Ward's Pippin (31). Woodstock (2, 35, 36). Woodstock Pippin (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 24, 31, 34).

Fruit large to very large, yellow, more or less washed and striped with red, attractive in appearance and of excellent quality. The commercial season in the southeastern portions of the State is October. In Western New York it comes into season with the Twenty Ounce and keeps into early winter (31). Often specimens of it may be kept much later. Macoun gives its season in Ontario as November and December (28). The fruit is desirable both for home and market uses but the variety is usually unsatisfactory for commercial planting because it is not a good keeper, is variable in season and commonly suffers considerable loss in drops and culls. In some locations, however, it is considered a good profitable variety.

Origin Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It found its way into the London nurseries about the year 1818 (24). Although it has long been known in portions of New York and adjacent states and in Canada in no part of this region has it assumed very great commercial importance.

TREE.

Tree large, vigorous, productive, bearing its fruit singly and evenly distributed. Form upright spreading. Twigs very stout. Bark clear, light reddish-brown becoming dark.

FRUIT.

Fruit usually large or above medium. Form roundish oblate to roundish inclined to conic, usually pretty regular and symmetrical, sometimes a little furrowed at the apex. Stem short to medium. Cavity below medium to rather large, rather narrow to wide, moderately deep to deep, acute to acuminate, usually symmetrical, sometimes compressed or lipped, covered with russet which often extends beyond the cavity. Calyx large or very large; segments flat, separated at base plainly exposing the yellowish tube beneath; lobes obtuse. Basin large, broad, shallow and obtuse to deep and abrupt, somewhat furrowed and slightly wrinkled. Skin moderately thin and tough, deep yellow overspread with a rather dull pinkish-red, in highly colored specimens developing a deep and rather bright red somewhat roughened in places with netted capillary russet lines. Dots numerous, small or conspicuously large and russet. Prevailing effect rather attractive red and yellow. Calyx tube short, very wide, cone-shape. Stamens median to somewhat basal. Core medium or below, axile or somewhat abaxile; cells often unequally developed, closed or partly open; core lines meeting. Carpels flat, tufted, emarginate. Seeds few and frequently abortive, irregular, often not plump, long, acute to acuminate, tufted. Flesh tinged with yellow, rather firm, moderately juicy, crisp, moderately fine grained or a little coarse, somewhat aromatic, agreeable sprightly subacid, becoming rather mild subacid, good to very good; excellent either for dessert or culinary use.

Season. It is at its best from October to December but often may be kept until midwinter or later.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Blenheim Pippin. Blenheim Orange, | Woodstock Pippin. Foreign. Large, roundish, yellow and dull red; flesh, yellowish, sweet, dry. October. November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous and spreading grower, and only a moderate bearer. Fruit large, roundish, conical. Skin greenish yellow, with a dull red cheek. Flesh yellowish, crisp, breaking, moderately juicy, very pleasant and of high flavour, quality very good. Season October and November.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

Blenheim (Blenheim Pippin, Blenheim Orange).—An old variety from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England; tree of strong, vigorous growth, a regular and abundant bearer.

Fruit large, roundish oblate, slightly conical, very regular; surface very smooth, yellow, becoming deep orange, shaded with solid dull brown red, obscurely streaked darker red on sunny side, sometimes mixed with russet; dots obscure, few, russet, small; cavity regular obtuse, with large patch of radiating russet; stem short, stout; basin medium, regular, smooth; calyx open, large; segments short, small.

Core open; cells large, roomy, obovate, axile; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh yellow, juicy, peculiar mild spicy subacid, good. October to December.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Autumn; Syn. Oct. Pale, large, roundish yellow, cooks well, fine fragrant; very profitable. A good bearer for commercial purposes.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)

WOODSTOCK PIPPIN. Dessert or culinary, till April, large, fairly large, 3 by 2½, round, flattened, fairly regular. Colour, pale yellowish-green with rarely a faint flush. Flesh, crisp, yellow, juicy, rather acid. Eye, open, in a shallow, wide basin, slightly plaited. Stem, short and thick in a moderately deep regular, russeted cavity. Growth, strong, rather spreading; fertility, poor. Leaf, large, round, sharply pointed, curved serrate, held down, flat. Origin, uncertain. Generally considered by pomologists as identical with Blenheim Orange, but is distinct from that in many respects.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Received from Cris. England before 1820 — from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1956. Fruit med.-lpe., round-oblate, sometimes slightly conical, regular shape. Skin tough, vel with red blush, often more dull. Usually slightly russet. October to December. Good storage. Dessert and culinary. Tree large, vigorous. Reporting station: NyC.

— H.H. Fisher (USDA ARS), A Survey of Apple Clones in the United States (1963)