Brownlees

Origin/History

An English variety introduced by Mr. William Brownlees, a nurseryman at Hemel Hempsted, Hertfordshire, about the year 1848 (Beach, citing Hogg). It appears on the lists of some nurserymen but was little known in New York and not being planted there to any considerable extent as of 1905 (Beach). Bunyard cites its entry in the Herefordshire Pomona (p. 54) and gives the French name as Reinette grise Brownlees and the German name as Brownlees Graue Reinette. It is listed in Downing (1872, p. 108), Mas's Le Verger (vol. 4, p. 93, with colored plate), Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884, p. 334), Bailey's An. Hort. (1892, p. 235), and Beach and Clark, N.Y. Sta. Bul. 348:113 (1904).

Tree

Vigorous (Downing, Beach), moderately productive (Beach). Growth compact, rather upright; fertile (Bunyard). Form upright (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, downhanging, coarsely crenate (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size

Medium to large, fairly uniform in size but rather variable in shape (Beach). Bunyard gives dimensions of 2½ inches by 2 inches and classifies it as medium; Downing calls it large.

Form

Oblate, 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, and irregular — the characterization as conical conflicts with Beach's oblate.

Stem

Usually short and thick, often swollen (Beach). Short, set in a short cavity (Bunyard).

Cavity

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

Calyx

Small, closed (Beach). Eye closed (Bunyard).

Basin

Usually rather small, shallow, abrupt to obtuse, often somewhat furrowed and finely wrinkled (Beach). Shallow and uneven (Bunyard).

Skin

Rather tender (Beach). Entirely covered with russet or sometimes with patches of smooth yellow (Beach); Bunyard describes the ground color as entirely covered with brownish-green russet, with a faint brownish-red flush. Downing describes the fruit as greenish with brownish red next the sun, suggesting the russet coverage may vary or be incomplete on the shaded side.

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

Calyx tube small, varying from funnel-shape to conical. Stamens median to marginal (Beach).

Flesh/Flavor

Flesh more or less tinged with yellow, moderately firm, fine, moderately crisp, juicy, sprightly, with a rich subacid aromatic flavor found only in some russet apples; very good quality (Beach). Bunyard describes the flesh as tender, greenish, sub-acid, of Nonpareil flavour. Downing describes the flesh as greenish white, tender, juicy, sweet, and aromatic — the characterization as "sweet" conflicts with Beach's and Bunyard's "subacid."

Core/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

Beach gives the season as October to January or later (citing Hogg and Beach & Clark, 1904). Bunyard's dessert season is January to April. Downing gives January to May. All three sources are consistent with a fall-harvested russet that keeps well into winter and spring; Beach's October start likely reflects the beginning of the harvest window, while Bunyard's and Downing's January–April/May range reflects the optimal eating period.

Uses

Excellent for the dessert (Beach, Bunyard). Good for cooking or the dessert (Downing). Bunyard calls it "a valuable fruit for winter use." Beach describes it as excellent in quality, desirable in size, and of good appearance for a russet apple, though not sufficiently productive in New York trial to be profitable for commercial planting.