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Boskoop

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Boskoop

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Boskoop

Origin / History

Boskoop is said to have originated from seed in 1856 in the nursery of the Ottolander family at Boskoop (Beach). E.A. Bunyard, the George Bunyard catalog, and Hedrick likewise give Boskoop, Holland, 1856; Hedrick says it came "from seed planted" there. Downing received trees from France, says the variety "is said to be of Russian origin," and calls it a new and promising variety. Thomas calls it Russian.

The earliest reference Beach cites is Berghuis, 1868, with a colored plate. Palandt found Boskoop identical with the variety Lauche and Oberdieck described as "Reinette von Montfort." E.A. Bunyard notes that some authorities consider Reinette von Montfort the correct name. He warns that Boskoop must not be confused with the Calville von Boskoop.

Hedrick says the first American account was published in the Montreal Horticultural Report in 1881. Beach records that it was imported more than twenty-five years before 1905 and had gradually been disseminated to a limited extent in various portions of New York state. It was planted under test at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C., in spring 1890. Veitch lists it with an "A.M."

E.A. Bunyard calls it a valuable fruit, much grown for market in Holland and Germany and worthy of trial for that purpose in England. Beach judges it perhaps of sufficient merit to be worthy of testing but is not yet ready to recommend it for general planting. Hedrick calls Boskoop, well grown, a handsome fall apple of considerable merit as a market fruit for culinary purposes, probably worth planting only in regions where its great hardiness makes it valuable.

Tree

Tree rather large, vigorous to moderately vigorous; E.A. Bunyard calls the growth moderate. Form spreading, open, wide-spreading and drooping. The George Bunyard catalog says it makes a flat-headed standard.

Branches long, moderately stout, crooked; lateral branches numerous and small. Twigs rather short to long, straight, rather stout; internodes below medium to very long. Bark dark brownish red mingled with olive-green, somewhat pubescent. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, small, oblong or roundish. Buds rather large, broad, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent. Leaves large and broad (Beach); round, light, slightly upfolded, deeply curved serrate (E.A. Bunyard).

Comes into bearing moderately early (Downing). Bears abundantly in alternate years (Downing; "very productive in alternate years" at Agassiz). Beach calls it a good bearer, Veitch an excellent bearer, and E.A. Bunyard fertile.

Beach says it "appears to be pretty hardy"; Hedrick credits it with great hardiness but calls it capricious as to soils. Beach says it becomes highly colored only in some locations and may be marketed in September from warm soils in Southern New York. The George Bunyard catalog reports that on the Continent it is said to resist American Blight.

Fruit

Size: Medium to large; most authors call it above medium to large. Downing calls it fair fruit of good size. E.A. Bunyard gives medium to rather large and measures it 2⅓ by 2⅓. Beach finds it pretty uniform in size and shape.

Form: Usually oblate, sometimes roundish oblate, obscurely ribbed (Beach), sometimes a little oblique or with the axis oblique. E.A. Bunyard and the George Bunyard catalog describe it as roundish oval; E.A. Bunyard adds fairly regular.

Stem: Short and small (Downing), or usually short and thick, sometimes rather long (Beach). E.A. Bunyard alone calls it medium.

Cavity: Rather large, deep, acute to acuminate, somewhat furrowed, often irregular, russeted or lined with russet. Downing notes that the russet sometimes extends in rays out on the fruit.

Calyx: Closed or partially open. Beach describes the calyx as large, with segments long or very long and acuminate, sometimes separated at the base. He gives the calyx tube as large and cone-shaped, and the stamens as median to basal.

Basin: Moderately shallow to deep, slightly corrugated or sometimes slightly furrowed. Downing calls it large, round, and deep, and E.A. Bunyard rather deep. Beach calls it abrupt and rather narrow.

Skin: Ground dull green, greenish yellow, yellowish, yellow, or golden yellow. The red runs from a mere blush on the sunny side (Agassiz station) to light and dark red over nearly the whole surface (Downing). It may be shaded with rather obscure stripes and splashes on the shaded side (Downing), or sometimes blushed and mottled with rather bright red and striped with deeper red (Beach). E.A. Bunyard describes a brick-red flush, and the George Bunyard catalog a red cheek.

Russet varies from some specimens more or less mixed with it to much thin russet (E.A. Bunyard). Beach has the skin roughened with russet flecks and often irregularly overspread with russet. The George Bunyard catalog calls the fruit "golden russet."

Beach says that in some locations the fruit becomes highly colored with attractive bright red predominating, but more often the color is not good: predominantly dull green or yellow and more or less russeted. Well colored, it is handsome: "very handsomely striped" (Veitch), "most handsome" (George Bunyard catalog), and handsome when well grown (Hedrick).

Dots: Small and large, many of them yellowish brown with some irregular (Downing); small and gray, mingled with others large, irregular, and russet (Beach).

Flesh and flavor: Yellowish or tinged with yellow; firm, crisp, tender, juicy; a little coarse to somewhat coarse. Flavor brisk subacid, rich (Downing). E.A. Bunyard calls it acid and aromatic, and the Agassiz station aromatic. Veitch gives fine flavor and the George Bunyard catalog good flavor.

Quality is "very good" in Downing and at Agassiz, "good to very good" in Beach, and "good quality" in Veitch. Beach adds that it "does not rank high in quality." He finds the texture somewhat coarse and the flavor rather too acid for an agreeable dessert apple, though late in the season its acidity becomes modified.

Core and seeds: Core medium to small, somewhat abaxile; Downing calls it small and close. Cells often unsymmetrical, closed or open; core lines slightly clasping; carpels roundish or obcordate, a little tufted. Seeds apt to be abortive. When well developed they are long, irregular, obtuse to acute, and somewhat tufted (Beach).

Season

The recorded season runs from September into April. Most authors give a winter season, from November or December through February or April. Downing gives February to April and says it keeps well.

Beach says that on warm soils in Southern New York it may be marketed in September, and gives a commercial season of September to November. In the more northern regions of the state it keeps into the winter. As grown in Western New York, some of the fruit may be kept till April.

Uses

Culinary or dessert (E.A. Bunyard; George Bunyard catalog). Beach finds it more suitable for general market and culinary purposes than for dessert. Hedrick values it as a market fruit for culinary purposes.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 5 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 18 catalogs (1893–1921) from California, England, Illinois, Oregon, Washington

View original book sources (8)

Belle de Boskoop.

A new variety, trees of which I received from France; it is said to be of Russian origin. Tree vigorous, spreading, comes into bearing moderately early, and produces abundantly alternate years of fair fruit, good size, very good quality; keeps well, and is a promising variety.

Fruit medium to large, oblate to roundish oblate, sometimes a little oblique; skin yellow, shaded with light and dark red over nearly the whole surface, with some rather obscure stripes and splashes on the shaded side, some specimens more or less mixed with russet, and many small and large yellowish-brown dots, with some irregular ones; stalk short, small; cavity rather large, often russeted sometimes extending in rays out on the fruit; calyx closed, or partially open; basin large, round, deep, slightly corrugated; flesh a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk subacid, rich, and of very good quality; core small and close. Season February to April.

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

Belle de Boskoop. Above medium, roundish, shaded and obscurely striped red on yellow skin; crisp, juicy, brisk sub-acid, rich, very good. Late winter. Russian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

BOSKOOP

REFERENCES. 1. Berghuis, 1868: col. pl. No. 43. 2. Oberdieck, Monatshefte, 1869:193. 3. Oberdieck, Deutschlands beste Obstsorten, 212. 4. Lauche, Ergansungsband zum III. Handb., 265. 5. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 7:56, 155. 1881. 6. Downing, 1881:77 app. fig. 7. Budd, Ia. Hort. Soc., 1882: 8. Barry, 1883:342. 9. Willard, W. N. Y. Hort. Soc., 1889:171 (reprint in Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1889:329). 10. Palandt, Gartenflora, 38:425. 1889. col. pl. 11. Brodie, Can. Hort., 12:238. 1889. 12. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:234. 13. Bailey, Amer. Gard., 14:501. 1893. 14. Craig, Can. Hort., 16:138. 1893. fig. 15. Bredsted, 1893:233. 16. Gaucher, Pomologie, 1894:No. 20. col. pl. 17. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:113. 1904.

SYNONYMS. BELLE DE BOSCOOP (11). BELLE OF BOSKOOP (9). BELLE DE BOSKOOP (6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15). Belle de Boskoop (16, 17). BOSKOOP (5, 17). Reinette Belle de Boskoop (16). Reinette Monstrueuse (16). Reinette von Montfort (16). SCHONER VON BOSKOOP (2, 3, 4, 10, 16). SCHOONE VON BOSKOOP (1). Schoone van Boskoop (16).

In some locations this fruit becomes highly colored with attractive bright red predominating, but more often the color is not good, being predominantly dull green or yellow and more or less russeted. It is more suitable for general market and culinary purposes than for dessert. It is of good size but does not rank high in quality; the texture is somewhat coarse, and the flavor rather too acid for an agreeable dessert apple, but late in the season its acidity becomes modified. It appears to be pretty hardy and a good bearer. When grown on warm soils in Southern New York it may be marketed in September, but in the more northern regions of the state it keeps into the winter. It is perhaps of sufficient merit to be worthy of testing but we are not yet ready to recommend it for general planting.

Historical. This variety is said to have originated from seed in 1856 in the nursery of the Ottolander family at Boskoop (1, 4). Palandt finds that it is identical with the variety described by Lauche and Oberdieck as "Reinette von Montfort" (4). It was imported into this country more than twenty-five years ago (5) and has gradually been disseminated to a limited extent in various portions of New York state.

TREE.

Tree rather large, moderately vigorous; branches long, moderately stout, crooked; lateral branches numerous and small. Form open, wide-spreading and drooping. Twigs rather short to long, straight, rather stout; internodes below medium to very long. Bark dark brownish-red, mingled with olive-green; somewhat pubescent. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, small, oblong or roundish. Buds rather large, broad, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent. Leaves large, broad.

FRUIT.

Fruit large. Form usually oblate, sometimes roundish oblate, obscurely ribbed, sometimes with oblique axis; pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem usually short and thick, sometimes rather long. Cavity rather large, acute to acuminate, somewhat furrowed, often irregular, deep, russeted. Calyx large; segments long or very long, acuminate, closed or somewhat open, sometimes separated at the base. Basin abrupt, rather narrow, moderately shallow to rather deep, sometimes slightly furrowed.

Skin dull green or yellowish, sometimes blushed and mottled with rather bright red, and striped with deeper red, roughened with russet flecks, often irregularly overspread with russet. Dots small and gray, mingled with others which are large, irregular and russet.

Calyx tube large, cone-shape. Stamens median to basal.

Core medium to small, somewhat abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical, closed or open; core lines slightly clasping. Carpels roundish or obcordate, a little tufted. Seeds apt to be abortive; when well developed they are long, irregular, obtuse to acute, somewhat tufted.

Flesh tinged with yellow, firm, somewhat coarse, tender, juicy, crisp, brisk subacid, good to very good.

Season. Commercial season September to November (17). As grown in Western New York generally some of the fruit may be kept till April.

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

BELLE DE BOSKOOP. Ned. Boom., 43. G., Schoener aus Boskoop. (Reinette Monstreuse, Reinette von Montfort.) Culinary or dessert, December to April, medium to rather large, 2⅓ by 2⅓, roundish oval, fairly regular. Colour, golden-yellow, brick red flush, with much thin russet. Flesh, firm, yellowish, flavour acid and aromatic. Eye, closed or slightly open in a rather deep basin. Stem, medium in a deep cavity lined with russet. Growth, moderate; fertile. Leaf, round, light, slightly upfolded, deeply curved serrate. Originated at Boskoop in Holland in 1856. It must not be confused with the Calville von Boskoop. Reinette von Montfort is considered by some authorities to be the correct name. A valuable fruit much grown for market in Holland and Germany, and worthy of trial for this purpose in England.

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

BOSKOOP.

Belle de Boscoop.

Well grown, Boskoop is a handsome fall apple with considerable merit as a market fruit for culinary purposes. The variety is capricious as to soils, however, and probably is worth planting only in regions where its great hardiness makes it valuable. It is said to have originated from seed planted at Boskoop, Holland, in 1856. The first account of it in America was published in the Montreal Horticultural Report in 1881.

Tree large, vigorous, open, wide-spreading and drooping; branches long, stout, crooked, lateral branches numerous and small. Leaves large, broad. Fruit large, oblate, or round-oblate, obscurely ribbed, sometimes with oblique axis, uniform in size and shape; stem short and thick, sometimes long; cavity large, acute, furrowed, often irregular, deep, russeted; calyx large, segments long or very long, acuminate, closed or open, separated at the base; basin abrupt, narrow, shallow to deep, furrowed; skin dull green or yellow, blushed and mottled with red striped with deeper red, roughened with russet flecks, often irregularly overspread with russet; dots small, gray, mingled with others which are large, irregular and russet; calyx-tube large, cone-shape; stamens median; core small, abaxile; cells often unsymmetrical, closed or open; core-lines clasping; carpels round or obcordate, tufted; seeds when well developed long, irregular, obtuse, tufted; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, tender, juicy, crisp, brisk subacid; good to very good; September to April.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous and spreading grower, and very productive in alternate years. Fruit above medium size. Skin greenish yellow, somewhat russeted, and a blush on sunny side. Flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, aromatic, quality very good. Season mid-winter.

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

a large and very handsomely striped apple of good quality, an excellent bearer, of fine flavour. A.M. ... Nov. to Feb.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

Culinary or dessert; Dec.-April. Large roundish-oval fruit, golden russet with red cheek; most handsome, flesh firm of good flavour; growth spreading, makes a flat-headed standard; said on the Continent to resist American Blight. Originated at Boskoop, Holland, in 1856.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)
Belle de Boscoop Belle de Boskoop Belle of Boskoop Reinette Belle de Boskoop Reinette Monstreuse Reinette Monstrueuse Reinette von Montfort Schoener aus Boskoop Schoner von Boskoop Schoone van Boskoop Schoone von Boskoop Canada Reinette English Reinette Golden Pippin Lelieur Vaugoyeau