Brownlees

Apple

Brownlees

Origin / History

An English variety (Downing). Mr. William Brownlees, a nurseryman at Hemel Hempsted, Herts, introduced it about the year 1848 (Beach, after Hogg). Bunyard gives the introduction by Mr. Brownlees, a nurseryman, as in 1848.

Beach found it on the lists of some nurserymen, but it was "but little known in New York" and not being planted there to any considerable extent. He judged the fruit "excellent in quality, desirable in size, and of good appearance for a russet apple," but not sufficiently productive in New York to be profitable for commercial planting.

Bunyard calls it "a valuable fruit for winter use" and Veitch "a fine late apple." The George Bunyard catalogs call it "an excellent garden sort" and "very useful" (1901), and "an excellent late russet" (1914).

Tree

Vigorous. Upright in form; compact and rather upright (Bunyard); a neat grower (George Bunyard catalog, 1901). It forms a medium-sized pyramid and bears well as a standard. It is very hardy, bearing well in cold soils and situations where others are liable to canker (Veitch).

Fertile (Bunyard). A free bearer on Paradise (George Bunyard catalog, 1901). Moderately productive, and not sufficiently productive in New York to be profitable commercially (Beach).

Twigs numerous, rather short or sometimes long, generally slender, straight or slightly curved at base; internodes long. Bark smooth, clear reddish-brown somewhat shaded with olive-green and dull brownish-red, often overlaid with heavy scarf-skin; quite pubescent. Lenticels inconspicuous, not raised, moderately numerous, of medium size or small, roundish or elongated. Buds medium, more or less projecting, obtuse, somewhat pubescent (Beach). Leaf very narrow, dark, upfolded, down-hanging, coarsely crenate (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size: Medium to large, fairly uniform in size (Beach). The English authors call it medium; Downing (after Hogg) calls it large. Bunyard gives 2½ by 2.

Form: Roundish to oblate, flattened, rather variable in shape. Often oblique, sometimes ribbed, irregular, often bulging or with sides compressed, flattened at the base, rounded toward the basin (Beach). Bunyard describes it as flat, conical, irregular.

Stem: Usually short and thick, often swollen (Beach); Bunyard calls it short.

Cavity: Large, variable in form, usually acute, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes compressed or lipped (Beach).

Calyx: Small, closed. Calyx tube small, varying from funnel-shape to conical; stamens median to marginal (Beach).

Basin: Usually rather small, shallow, uneven, abrupt to obtuse, often somewhat furrowed and finely wrinkled.

Skin: Rather tender (Beach). Entirely covered with russet, brownish-green in Bunyard's account, or sometimes with patches of smooth yellow (Beach). Bunyard adds a faint brownish-red flush. Downing (after Hogg) describes the fruit, without mention of russet, as greenish, with brownish red next the sun.

Dots: Often conspicuous, scattering, pale gray or whitish (Beach).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh greenish white (Downing, after Hogg) or greenish (Bunyard); Beach finds it more or less tinged with yellow. Tender in the English accounts; Beach calls it moderately firm, fine, moderately crisp. Juicy, aromatic, subacid. Beach describes it as sprightly, "with a rich subacid aromatic flavor which is found only in some russet apples." The George Bunyard catalog of 1901 calls it richly flavored, and Bunyard likens it to the Nonpareil in flavor. Downing (after Hogg) calls it sweet. Quality "very good" (Beach).

Core and seeds: Core nearly axile. Cells symmetrical, closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels rather flat, rather pointed ovate, broad and almost truncate at the base, mucronate, somewhat tufted. Seeds often abortive, rather dark reddish-brown, rather small to above medium, narrow to rather wide, plump, acute to acuminate, somewhat tufted (Beach).

Season

The recorded season runs from October to May. Downing (after Hogg) and the English authors make it a late keeper, in use from January to April or May; Veitch places it latest, March to May. Beach, in New York, gives October to January or later.

Uses

Dessert, and good also for cooking (Downing, after Hogg). For winter use and as a garden sort in the English accounts; not profitable for commercial planting in New York (Beach).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1917) from England

George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Brownlee's Russet
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Brownlee's Russet
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Brownlee's Russet
George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Brownlee's Russet

View original book sources (6)

Brownlee's Russet. Brownlee's Seedling Russet. Reinette Grise Brownlee's. An English variety. Tree vigorous. Fruit large, roundish, flattened greenish, with brownish red next the sun. Flesh greenish white, tender, juicy, sweet, aromatic. Good for cooking or the dessert. From January to May. (Hogg.)

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

BROWNLEES.

REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1872:108. 2. Mas, Le Verger, 4:93. col. pl. 3. Hogg, 1884:334. 4. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:235. 5. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 348:113. 1904.

SYNONYMS. BROWNLEES' RUSSET (1, 4). BROWNLEES'S RUSSET (3). Brownlees' Russet (5). Brownlees' Seedling Russet (1). REINETTE GRISE BROWNLEES' (2). Reinette Grise Brownlees' (1).

Fruit excellent in quality, desirable in size, and of good appearance for a russet apple, but not sufficiently productive here to make it profitable for commercial planting.

Historical. An English variety introduced by Mr. William Brownlees, a nurseryman at Hemel, Hempsted, Herts, about the year 1848 (3). It appears on the lists of some nurserymen but is but little known in New York and is not being planted here to any considerable extent.

TREE. Tree vigorous, moderately productive. Form upright. Twigs numerous, rather short or sometimes long, generally slender, straight or slightly curved at base; internodes long. Bark smooth, clear reddish-brown somewhat shaded with olive-green and dull brownish-red, often overlaid with heavy scarf-skin; quite pubescent. Lenticels inconspicuous, not raised, moderately numerous, of medium size or small, roundish or elongated. Buds medium, more or less projecting, obtuse, somewhat pubescent.

FRUIT. Fruit medium to large; fairly uniform in size, rather variable in shape. Form oblate, often oblique, sometimes ribbed, irregular often bulging or with sides compressed, flattened at the base, rounded toward the basin. Stem usually short and thick, often swollen. Cavity large, variable in form, usually acute, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes compressed or lipped. Calyx small, closed. Basin usually rather small, shallow, abrupt to obtuse, often somewhat furrowed and finely wrinkled. Skin rather tender, entirely covered with russet or sometimes with patches of smooth yellow. Dots often conspicuous, scattering, pale gray or whitish. Calyx tube small, varying from funnel-shape to conical. Stamens median to marginal. Core nearly axile; cells symmetrical, closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels rather flat, rather pointed ovate, broad and almost truncate at the base, mucronate, somewhat tufted. Seeds often abortive, rather dark reddish-brown, rather small to above medium, narrow to rather wide, plump, acute to acuminate, somewhat tufted. Flesh more or less tinged with yellow, moderately firm, fine, moderately crisp, juicy, sprightly, with a rich subacid aromatic flavor which is found only in some russet apples, very good quality. Season October to January or later (3, 5).

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

BROWNLEES RUSSET. Her. Pom., 54. F., Reinette grise Brownlees; G., Brownlees Graue Reinette.

Dessert, January to April, medium, 2½ by 2, flat, conical, irregular. Colour, entirely covered with brownish-green russet, with faint brownish-red flush. Flesh, tender, greenish, sub-acid, of Nonpareil flavour. Eye, closed in a shallow uneven basin. Stem, short cavity. Growth, compact, rather upright; fertile. Leaf, very narrow, dark, upfolded, down hanging, coarsely crenate. Origin, introduced by Mr. Brownlees, a nurseryman, in 1848. A valuable fruit for winter use.

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

Medium, richly flavoured, neat grower, and an excellent garden sort, free bearer on Paradise; very useful.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)

medium size, a fine late apple, very hardy, bearing well in cold soils and situations where others are liable to canker, it forms a medium-sized pyramid and bears well as a standard ... Mar. to May

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

Dessert; Jan.-April. Medium size, brownish-green russet, tender flesh, fertile; an excellent late russet. Introduced by Mr. Brownlees, a nurseryman, in 1848.

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

Brownlee's Russet Brownlee's Seedling Russet Brownlees Graue Reinette Brownlees Russet Brownlees' Russet Brownlees' Seedling Russet Brownlees's Russet Reinette Grise Brownlee's Reinette Grise Brownlees' Reinette grise Brownlees