Borovinka
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Borovinka
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Thomas (1903) enters Borovinka only as "See Sweet Borovinka." The description he gives under that name (flesh firm, mild; stem short; basin shallow) matches the Sweet Borovinka that Hansen (1902) describes in a separate entry, not Hansen's or Beach's Borovinka. Thomas's description is therefore kept apart, under Other, with Hansen's Sweet Borovinka.]
Origin / History
Origin Russia. Hedrick says it was imported from Russia about 1875. It appears in the Montreal Horticultural Society Report for 1881–82 both as Borovinka and as "Borovinka Angluskaia." The latter name is also used in Budd's report to the Iowa Horticultural Society for 1882. In Budd's Iowa bulletins of 1885 to 1892, and in Van Deman (1888) and Stinson (1896), it is carried as No. 245.
Borovinka closely resembles Oldenburg. Hansen writes that "as grown in the Northwest this variety very closely resembles Oldenburg, but the question of their identity has not been settled," and that some growers prefer Borovinka as an improved Oldenburg. Beach found it distinct from Oldenburg as fruited at his Station: "fully as attractive as Oldenburg in color but it lacks uniformity in size and is not equal to that variety in flavor and quality." The Station stock came from Professor J. L. Budd, Ames, Iowa, in 1890, and Beach calls it "doubtless the true Borovinka." Hedrick calls it "very similar to the far better known Oldenburg."
Tree
Tree below medium size but moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading to rather flat, open. Twigs short, curved, stout; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium to large, oblong, slightly raised. Buds prominent, medium in size, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, free, not pubescent (Beach).
Fruit
Size: Below medium to large, averaging medium; not uniform in size.
Form: Roundish, slightly flattened at the ends or truncated, regular or faintly ribbed; pretty uniform in shape.
Stem: Medium in length; thick (Beach).
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately broad to wide. Hansen calls it regular, with a trace of stellate russet. Beach calls it slightly furrowed, sometimes with faint radiating rays of russet.
Calyx: Medium to rather large, closed. Lobes broad (Beach); segments divergent, long, pointed (Hansen). Calyx tube large, rather wide, urn-shape to funnel-form, widening in the lower part of the funnel cylinder (Beach); conical (Hansen). Stamens median to marginal.
Basin: Medium to rather deep, wide, somewhat or rather abrupt. Hansen calls it regular and corrugated in the bottom; Beach calls it slightly furrowed, occasionally showing mammiform protuberances.
Skin: Thin, very tender, smooth. Ground pale yellow (Beach) or greenish yellow (Hansen). The ground is mostly or often entirely covered with broken stripes and irregular splashes of attractive bright red (Beach) or dark crimson (Hansen). Hansen adds that the color is mixed and marbled on the sunny side and overlaid with whitish net-veining. Overspread with thin bluish bloom (Beach).
Dots: Light colored or white. Numerous, conspicuous, very small (Beach); obscure, few (Hansen).
Flesh and flavor: White (Hansen) or tinged with yellow (Beach); medium in grain, crisp, tender, moderately juicy to juicy. Flavor sprightly acid (Hansen) or agreeable subacid, slightly aromatic (Beach). Both rate it "good."
Core and seeds: Core small to medium, axile, closed, sessile (Hansen). Cells closed or nearly so, round, entire (Hansen). Core lines clasping. Carpels roundish, somewhat concave, mucronate, not emarginate (Beach). Seeds plump, medium to rather large, moderately wide, dark brown; somewhat obtuse (Beach) or sharp pointed (Hansen).
Season
August to mid-September. Hansen gives August; Beach gives mid-August to mid-September.
Uses
Hedrick says it serves the same purposes as Oldenburg.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas enters Borovinka only as "See Sweet Borovinka." Hansen describes Sweet Borovinka (his No. 874), of Russian origin, in a separate entry, and Thomas gives a matching description under that name.
Sweet Borovinka as these two authors describe it: Fruit medium, roundish oblate, somewhat conical, irregular, somewhat angular and ribbed. Surface yellow, with some dull red stripes and splashes, broken, scattered and well defined, not marbled or mixed. Dots white, obscure, minute, suffused. Cavity regular, acute, with much russet; Hansen calls the russet "a marked characteristic," filling the entire cavity and often extending out over the entire base. Stem short to very short. Basin rather wide, shallow, corrugated. Calyx large, closed; segments large, long, divergent. Core closed, clasping; tube large, long, funnel-shaped; stamens marginal. Seeds plump, short, closely packed in the cells. Flesh white, firm, moderately juicy to juicy; very sweet (Hansen), mild (Thomas); quality good. Hansen gives August, Thomas summer.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Mr. Lyon says this is Oldenburg.
Prof. Budd considers this distinct from Oldenburg.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Sweet Borovinka
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (5)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Borovinka—Origin, Russia; as grown in the Northwest this variety very closely resembles Oldenburg, but the question of their identity has not been settled. Some growers prefer the Borovinka as an improved Oldenburg—Fruit medium, roundish, truncated, regular; surface greenish yellow, mostly covered with stripes and splashes of dark crimson, mixed and marbled on sunny side and overlaid with whitish net-veining; dots white, obscure, few; cavity acuminate, wide, regular, with trace of stellate russet; stem medium; basin rather abrupt, regular, corrugated in bottom; calyx closed, segments divergent, long, pointed. Core closed, sessile; cells axile, round, entire; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds plump, sharp pointed; flesh white, juicy, sprightly acid, good. August.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Sweet Borovinka", pp. 101–101]
Sweet Borovinka (No. 874)—Origin, Russia—Fruit medium, roundish oblate, somewhat conical, irregular, somewhat angular and ribbed; surface yellow, with some dull red stripes and splashes, broken, scattered and well defined, not marbled or mixed; dots white, obscure, minute, suffused; cavity regular, acute, with much russet; the russet is a marked characteristic, it fills the entire cavity often extending out over entire base; stem very short; basin rather wide, shallow, corrugated; calyx large, closed, segments large, long, divergent. Core closed, clasping; tube large, long, funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; seeds plump, short, closely packed in cells; flesh white, firm, moderately juicy, very sweet, good. August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Borovinka. See Sweet Borovinka.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Sweet Borovinka", pp. 323–323]
Sweet Borovinka. Medium, roundish, oblate; yellow, striped, and splashed with red; cavity acute; stem short; basin wide, shallow, corrugated; flesh white, firm, juicy, mild, quality good. Summer. Fig. 355. Russian.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)BOROVINKA.
REFERENCES. 1. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 8:37. 1881-82. 2. Ib., 8:75. 1881-82. 3. Budd, Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1882:80. 4. Gibb, Ib., 1883:432. 5. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 9:80. 1883. fig. 6. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1885:9. 7. ? Schroeder, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt. 1886-87:71. 8. Ib., 1886-87:79. 9. Van Deman, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1888:571. 10. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1890:18. 11. Can. Hort., 13:216. 1890. 12. Budd, Ia. Sta. Bul., 19:536. 1892. 13. Harris, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1892:273, 278. 14. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:58. 15. Niemetz, Can. Hort., 16:113. 1893. 16. Green, Minn. Sta. Bul., 32:240. 1893. 17. Stinson, Ark. Sta. Bul., 43:105. 1896. 18. Thomas, 1897:629. 19. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:12. 20. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:33. 1902. 21. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:43. 1903. 22. Budd-Hansen, 1903:54. fig.
SYNONYMS. BOROVINKA (1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22). Borovinka (4). BOROVITSKY (18). BOROVINKA ANGLUSKAIA (2, 3). (ENGLISH BOROVINKA, 7)? MUSHROOM (4). Mushroom (5). 9 M (2, 3). No. 245 (6, 9, 10, 12, 17).
Borovinka resembles Oldenburg so closely that Hansen says the question of their identity has not been settled (20). As fruited at this Station it is distinct from Oldenburg; it is fully as attractive as Oldenburg in color but it lacks uniformity in size and is not equal to that variety in flavor and quality. The stock grown at this Station came from Professor J. L. Budd, Ames, Ia., in 1890, and is doubtless the true Borovinka.
Historical. Origin Russia.
TREE.
Tree below medium size but moderately vigorous. Form upright spreading to rather flat, open. Twigs short, curved, stout; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium to large, oblong, slightly raised. Buds prominent, medium in size, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, free, not pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit below medium to large, averaging medium; pretty uniform in shape but not in size. Form roundish, slightly flattened at the ends, regular or faintly ribbed. Stem medium in length, thick. Cavity acute, rather shallow to moderately deep, moderately broad, slightly furrowed, sometimes with faint radiating rays of russet. Calyx medium to rather large, closed; lobes broad. Basin medium to rather deep, wide, somewhat abrupt, slightly furrowed, occasionally showing mammiform protuberances.
Skin thin, very tender, smooth, pale yellow, often entirely covered with broken stripes and irregular splashes of attractive bright red, overspread with thin bluish bloom. Dots numerous, conspicuous, very small, light colored. Calyx tube large, rather wide, urn-shape to funnel-form widening in the lower part of the funnel cylinder. Stamens median to marginal. Core small to medium, axile; cells closed or nearly so; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish, somewhat concave, mucronate, not emarginate. Seeds medium to rather large, moderately wide, plump, somewhat obtuse, dark brown. Flesh tinged with yellow, medium in grain, crisp, tender, moderately juicy to juicy, agreeable subacid, slightly aromatic, good.
Season mid-August to mid-September.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Borovinka.—Origin, Russia; as grown in the Northwest this variety very closely resembles Oldenburg, but the question of their identity has not been settled. Some growers prefer the Borovinka as an improved Oldenburg.
Fruit medium, roundish, truncated, regular, surface greenish yellow, mostly covered with stripes and splashes of dark crimson mixed and marbled on sunny side and overlaid with whitish net-veining; dots white, obscure, few; cavity acuminate, white, regular, with trace of stellate russet; stem medium; basin rather abrupt, regular, corrugated in bottom; calyx closed; segments divergent, long, pointed. Core closed, axile, sessile; cells round, entire; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds plump, sharp-pointed; flesh white, juicy, sprightly acid, good. August.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)BOROVINKA. Barovitsky. Mushroom.
This apple is very similar to the far better known Oldenburg and serves the same purposes. It was imported from Russia about 1875.
Tree small size but vigorous, upright-spreading, open. Fruit medium to large, uniform in shape but not in size, round, flattened at the ends, regular or faintly ribbed; stem medium in length, thick; cavity acute, shallow, broad, furrowed, sometimes with faint radiating rays of russet; calyx large, closed, with broad lobes; basin deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed, occasionally with mammiform protuberances; skin thin, very tender, smooth, pale yellow, often covered with broken stripes and irregular splashes of bright red, overspread with thin bloom; dots numerous, conspicuous, small, light colored; calyx-tube large, wide, urn-shape widening in the lower part of the cylinder; stamens median; core small, axile; cells closed; core-lines clasping; carpels round, concave, mucronate; seeds large, wide, plump, obtuse, dark brown; flesh yellow, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid, aromatic; good; mid-August to mid-September.