Canada Reinette
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Canada Reinette
Origin / History
Origin unknown or doubtful, probably European (Warder); Hedrick calls the origin not definitely known, and Budd and Hansen record that some suppose it originated in France. Downing doubts that it is truly of Canadian origin despite its name, because Merlet, a French writer, describes the same fruit in the 17th century. Warder repeats this on Downing's authority. Downing adds that some authors think it was first brought to this continent from Normandy and carried back under its new name. George Bunyard & Co. (1914) likewise call it probably not of Canadian origin. Hedrick calls it "supposed to have originated in Canada." Elliott classes it as foreign.
Listed in France as the Canada Reinette at least as early as 1771 (Beach). E.A. Bunyard and George Bunyard & Co. (1914) also give it as known in France in or before 1771. Hedrick says it was first described in France in 1786.
Downing calls it "a popular and highly esteemed variety in Europe," as the great number of names it is known under shows. E.A. Bunyard counts "some forty-eight synonyms." Beach says it "appears to be much esteemed in Europe, where it has been grown under numerous synonyms." Budd and Hansen and Hedrick call it highly esteemed in Europe.
Downing calls it a very large and handsome fruit, a good bearer, and "of excellent quality in all respects." He says that "wherever grown in this country it sustains its foreign reputation." Warder calls it "this fine fruit" but says it "does not appear to be well known to our orchardists," and that its European names are not used in this country. Some writers had listed the White Pippin among its synonyms and suggested the two might be the same; Warder says they are very distinct. Beach says it is not much in demand in America because it is easily excelled by other varieties, both for home use and for market. Hedrick says it is "not well thought of on this side of the Atlantic, being excelled by many similar sorts."
Veitch marks it "A.M." Warder's description was made from a specimen presented by Irvin Jessup of Laporte, Indiana. The outline and description were made for Warder by his "lamented friend," Geo. M. Beeler, a short time before Beeler's death.
Tree
Tree vigorous, strong, robust. Beach and George Bunyard & Co. (1914) call it moderately vigorous. Elliott calls it very hardy.
Habit tall, spreading, open. Elliott calls it upright, spreading; Beach calls it spreading and drooping. Branches long, stout, crooked (Beach).
Veitch says it does not form a good pyramid, its habit being more that of a spreading bush, in which form it generally produces finer fruit than on a standard. George Bunyard & Co. (1901) say it succeeds in warm soils as an open standard but is best on Paradise as a garden tree.
Young shoots clear reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing). Twigs medium to long, straight, rather stout; internodes medium or below. Bark dull brown, tinged with dark olive-green, irregularly mottled with scarf-skin, very pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous, conspicuous, large, roundish to oblong, raised. Buds large, broad, plump, obtuse, appressed, rather deeply set, pubescent (Beach).
Leaves large, broad. E.A. Bunyard describes them as rather large, dark, upfolded, undulated, oval, sharply pointed, very deeply curved serrate.
Productive, a good bearer (Elliott, Warder, Downing). Beach calls it an irregular bearer, "in some years very productive, but more often only moderately productive or unproductive." Hedrick says that in America the trees are unproductive. E.A. Bunyard and George Bunyard & Co. (1914) give its fertility as moderate.
Very subject to canker (E.A. Bunyard). George Bunyard & Co. (1914) say it requires a warm soil and situation "such as a west wall." Lowther's table reports it from 7 stations in the Northern Division, 2 in the Central, and 1 in the Southern, marked as adapted to more than one of the three divisions.
Fruit
Size: Large, very large, to of the largest size. Downing gives four inches in diameter and three deep; E.A. Bunyard gives 3½ by 3. Beach calls it variable in size, averaging above medium and frequently very large.
Form: Oblate or roundish, flattened, inclined to conic, broad at the base and narrowing toward the eye. Apex obtuse (Thomas). Irregular, angular to broadly angular, with projecting ribs. Elliott calls it much ribbed, sometimes almost oblong and smooth. Budd and Hansen describe prominent ribs originating at the calyx and diminishing toward the stem. Beach notes furrows sometimes extending from base to apex, and calls the fruit not uniform in shape. E.A. Bunyard calls it round conical, slightly angular. George Bunyard & Co. (1914) call it squarish and ribbed. Lowther's table records the form by the code "re."
Stem: Short; Warder alone calls it medium and inclined. Budd and Hansen call it slender. E.A. Bunyard calls it thick, not protruding from the cavity.
Cavity: Wide to very wide (E.A. Bunyard), moderately broad (Beach), or medium (Warder); Elliott alone calls it narrow. Acute or rather acute (Warder, Beach), wavy (Beach). Budd and Hansen call it deep and generally smooth. Elliott calls it slightly russeted, Beach sometimes russeted.
Calyx: Large and short (Downing), very large (E.A. Bunyard), medium to large (Beach); Warder alone calls the eye small. Closed, nearly closed, partly open, or open; E.A. Bunyard calls the eye open, Warder nearly closed. Segments short (Budd and Hansen). Calyx tube medium, rather wide, cone-shaped (Beach); conical (Budd and Hansen). Stamens median or approaching basal (Beach); basal (Budd and Hansen).
Basin: Rather deep to deep, abrupt, irregular, angular, with prominent ribs; furrowed and wrinkled. Beach calls it usually rather deep and moderately wide. E.A. Bunyard calls it very wide and ribbed.
Skin: Surface not smooth (Warder). Ground color greenish yellow, light greenish yellow, or yellow. George Bunyard & Co. (1914) call it dull yellow-green. A blush in the sun, brown on the sunny side as a wash, cheek, tinge, or slight flush; Beach says sometimes a decided blush. Warder calls the fruit blushed and spotted red. Not striped (Beach). Marked more or less with thin russet in dots, flecks, and irregular patches; Budd and Hansen call the patches numerous. Large and handsome.
Dots: Numerous, small, gray (Warder) or brown, russety (Budd and Hansen). Downing calls the skin sprinkled with dots. Elliott describes small dark green specks surrounded with light green, suffused beneath the skin.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh nearly white or yellowish white. E.A. Bunyard calls it pale yellow; Beach gives a decided yellow tinge.
Firm or rather firm, breaking, juicy to very juicy. Tender to moderately tender; Thomas says it becomes quite tender. George Bunyard & Co. (1901) call it soft. Elliott calls it crisp and Warder fine grained; Beach calls it coarse, not crisp.
Flavor subacid, lively, sprightly, brisk, rich. Warder gives acid to subacid, aromatic. Thomas calls it "a good, lively sub-acid." George Bunyard & Co. (1914) call it "very delicately flavoured."
Quality "very good" by most accounts (Warder, Beach, Lowther's table). Downing rates it "very good to best." Veitch calls it "excellent," and George Bunyard & Co. (1901) "a garden fruit of great excellence." E.A. Bunyard calls it "excellent in warm seasons." Hedrick says that in America "the apples lack in quality."
Core and seeds: Core small to wide: Elliott gives small, compact, and Beach medium or below. Warder gives wide, regular, closed, clasping. Beach gives abaxile to nearly axile, open or partly open, with core lines meeting. Cells obovate, axile, slit (Budd and Hansen). Carpels roundish inclined to obovate, somewhat tufted (Beach). Seeds dark, almost black (Elliott), plump and angular (Warder), few, large, long, tufted (Beach).
Season
The recorded season runs from November into May. Most authors give early winter, December, through March or April. Warder gives December to February in northern Indiana, and Elliott alone January to May. Downing calls it ripe in December and says that, if picked early in autumn, it will keep till April. Beach gives early winter till March or April or perhaps later. He says that late in the season the fruit begins to lose in flavor, although it may apparently be still in good condition.
Uses
Dessert and kitchen; Veitch calls it valuable for both, and Warder gives table and cooking. Lowther's table gives kitchen and market. George Bunyard & Co. (1901) class it as a garden fruit.
Subtypes / Variants
Downing calls the Canada Reinette Grise very much like the Canada Reinette and says it may prove identical.
Beach describes Magenta, brought to notice in France in 1861 and little grown in New York State, at least under that name, and finds it apparently identical with the Canada Reinette. His description of Magenta:
Fruit above medium to large. Form oblate conic, broadly angular, irregular. Stem short to very short, moderately thick, not exserted. Cavity large, moderately deep to deep, rather broad, acute or approaching acuminate, usually with outspreading russet. Calyx medium, closed or partly open. Basin often irregular, rather abrupt, medium in width and depth, compressed or furrowed. Skin yellow or greenish, with a bronze blush, roughened with very large stellar or irregular russet dots or patches. Calyx tube conical or somewhat funnel-form. Stamens median or below. Core somewhat abaxile, below medium to rather small; cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish ovate, emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium or above, moderately wide, plump, obtuse, somewhat tufted. Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, rich agreeable subacid, good to very good. Season November to March.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 1 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as REINETTE DU CANADA
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 21 catalogs (1845–1913) from California, England, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Reinette du Canada
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Canada Pippin
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- OSU Bulletin 81 — 1904
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912 — listed as Canada Pippin
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Canada Pippin
View original book sources (12)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)CANADA REINETTE.
Canadian Reinette, Januarea, Reinette du Canada Blanche, Pomme de Caen, German Green, Reinette du Canada à Portea, Reinette Grosse du Canada, Reinette du Canada, Portugal, De Bretagne, Grosse Reinette d'Angleterre, Wahr Reinette, Yellow Newtown Pippin, erroneously. Foreign.
Tree, strong, vigorous, upright, spreading, productive, very hardy. Size, large ; form, roundish, flattened, irregularly angular, much ribbed, sometimes almost oblong and smooth ; color, light greenish-yellow, a blush in sun, and small dark green specks, surrounded with light green, suffused beneath the skin ; stem, short ; cavity, narrow, slightly russeted ; calyx, large ; basin, deep, angular, with prominent ribs ; flesh, yellowish white, crisp, tender, juicy, sub-acid, sprightly ; core, small, compact ; seeds, dark, almost black. January to May.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Canada Reinette.
This fine fruit does not appear to be well known to our orchardists, and some of our writers have given the White Pippin among its numerous synonims, and have suggested that they might be the same, which is not so; they are very distinct. I have omitted the synonims, as they can be of little interest to our planters; they are not used in this country. The origin of this variety is uncertain, probably European. Downing says that Merlet, a French writer, described the fruit in the 17th century.
Tree vigorous, robust, tall spreading, productive.
The following outline and description of a specimen presented by Irvin Jessup, of Laporte, Indiana, was kindly made for me by my lamented friend, Geo. M. Beeler, a short time before his death.
Fruit large, oblate, angular; Surface not smooth, yellow, blushed and spotted red; Dots numerous, small, gray.
Basin abrupt, deep, angular; Eye small, nearly closed. Cavity medium, acute; Stem medium, inclined.
Core wide, regular, closed, clasping; Seeds plump, angular, dark; Flesh breaking, fine grained, very juicy; Flavor acid to sub-acid, aromatic, rich; Quality very good; Use, table and cooking; Season, December to February, in northern Indiana.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Canada Reinette.
Canadian Reinette. De Bretagne. Grosse Reinette d'Angleterre. Portugal. Pomme du Caen. Januarea. Reinette du Canada Blanche. Wahr Reinette. Reinette Grosse du Canada. Praire Rambour Reinette. Reinette du Canada a Cortes.
It is easy to see that the Canada Reinette is a popular and highly esteemed variety in Europe, by the great number of synonyms under which it is known. It is doubtful, notwithstanding its name, whether it is truly of Canadian origin, as Merlet, a French writer, describes the same fruit in the 17th century, and some authors think it was first brought to this continent from Normandy, and carried back under its new name. At any rate, it is a very large and handsome fruit, a good bearer, and of excellent quality in all respects. Wherever grown in this country it sustains its foreign reputation, the tree being of vigorous habit, spreading, open, and productive. Young shoots clear reddish-brown, slightly downy.
Fruit of the largest size, oblate conical, flattened ; rather irregular, with projecting ribs ; broad at the base, narrowing towards the eye, four inches in diameter, and three deep. Skin greenish-yellow, slightly washed with brown on the sunny side, sprinkled with dots and russet patches. Stalk short, inserted in a wide hollow. Calyx short and large, set in a rather deep, irregular basin. Flesh nearly white, rather firm, juicy, with a rich, lively, subacid flavor. Very good to best. Ripe in December, and, if picked early in autumn, it will keep till April.
The Canada Reinette Grise is very much like the above, and may prove identical.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Canada Reinette. (Reinette du Canada, Canadian Reinette.) Quite large, somewhat conical and flattened; rather irregular, ribbed, apex obtuse; greenish yellow, sometimes a brown cheek; stalk short, cavity wide; calyx large; basin rather deep, irregular; flesh nearly white, rather firm, becoming quite tender, juicy, with a good, lively sub-acid flavor. Early and mid-winter.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)CANADA REINETTE.
REFERENCES. 1. Duhamel, 2:299. 1768. 2. Andrieux, Catalogue raisonnee des meilleures sortes d'arbres fruitiers, 1771:56. 3. Diel, 1:133. 1799. 4. Ib., 1800:64. 5. Ib., 9:81. 1807. 6. Ib., 10:86. 1809. 7. Lindley, 1841:40. 8. Cat. Hort. Soc. London, 1831:30. 9. Ronalds, 1831:21. fig. 10. Kenrick, 1833:73. 11. Pom. Mag. 2:77. 1841. col. pl. 12. Mag. Hort., 7:44. 1841. 13. Downing, 1845:129. 14. Cole, 1849:134. 15. Thomas, 1849:178. 16. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:82. 1851. 17. Biedenfeld, 1854:193. 18. Elliott, 1858:72. fig. 19. Ib., 1859:69. 20. Lucas, 1:119. 21. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1852. 22. Warder, 1867:479. fig. 23. Regel, 1868:470. 24. Mas, Le Verger, 4:31. 25. Leroy, 1873:637. 26. Lauche, 1882:260. col. pl. 27. Barry, 1883:344. 28. Hogg, 1884:191. 29. Cat. Cong. Pom. France, 1887:329. 30. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 31. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:236. 32. Can. Hort., 16:17, 115. 1893. 33. Bredsted, 1893:86. 34. Gaucher, Pomologie, 1894: col. pl. No. 15. 35. Taft, Mich. Sta. Bul., 105:108. 1894. 36. Eneroth-Smirnoff, 1901:231. 37. Budd-Hansen, 1903:59. fig. 38. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:39. 1903. 39. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:114. 1904.
SYNONYMS. CANADA PIPPIN (18). CANADIAN REINETTE (7, 10, 11, 12, 32). Canadian Reinette (13, 15, 18). CANADISK REINET (33). Canada Reinette (18, 28). De Bretagne (13, 18). DIE HAARLEMER REINETTE (4). DIE WEIBERREINETTE (3). German Green (18). GROSSE REINETTE D'ANGLETERRE (1). Grosse Reinette d'Angleterre (10, 13, 18). Januarea (13, 18). KANADA-RENETT (36). KANADA REINETTE (34). Mela Januera (10). PARISER RAMBOUR REINETTE (6, 20, 26). PARISER RAMBOUR REINET (33). PARISER RAMBOURRENETT (36). Pomme de Caen (13, 18). Portugal (10, 13, 18, 28). REINETTE DE CANADA (9, 28). REINETTE GROSSE DE ANGLETERRE (17). REINETTE MONSTREUSE DE CANADA (2). REINETTE DU CANADA (8, 24, 25, 29). REINETTE VON CANADA (23). Reinette du Canada (10, 15, 18). Reinette Grosse du Canada (10, 13, 18). Reinette du Canada Blanche (10, 13, 18). Reinette du Canada a Cotes (13, 18). Reinette Canada (27). Reinette de Caen (10). Reinette de Canada a Cotes (10). St. Helena Russet (28). Wahr Reinette (13, 18). WEISSE ANTILLISCHE WINTERREINETTE (5). White Pippin (18). Yellow Newtown Pippin (18), erroneously.
An irregular bearer, in some years very productive, but more often only moderately productive or unproductive. It appears to be much esteemed in Europe, where it has been grown under numerous synonyms. It is not much in demand in America because it is easily excelled by other varieties, both for home use and for market.
Historical. Origin unknown. It was listed in France as the Canada Reinette at least as early as 1771 (2).
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous; branches long, stout, crooked. Form spreading and drooping. Twigs medium to long, straight, rather stout; internodes medium or below. Bark dull brown, tinged with dark olive-green, irregularly mottled with scarf-skin; very pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous, conspicuous, large, roundish to oblong, raised. Buds large, broad, plump, obtuse, appressed, rather deeply set, pubescent. Leaves large, broad.
FRUIT.
Fruit variable in size, averages above medium and is frequently very large. Form oblate or roundish, inclined to conic, often irregular, broadly angular, sometimes with furrows extending from base to apex; not uniform in shape. Stem short. Cavity rather acute, moderately broad, wavy, sometimes russeted. Calyx medium to large, closed or partly open. Basin abrupt, usually rather deep, moderately wide, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin yellow, sometimes with decided blush but not striped, marked more or less with dots, flecks or irregular patches of russet. Calyx tube medium, rather wide, cone-shaped. Stamens median or approaching basal. Core medium or below, abaxile to nearly axile, open or partly open; core lines meeting. Carpels roundish inclined to obovate, somewhat tufted. Seeds few, large, long, tufted, dark. Flesh has a decided yellow tinge and is firm, moderately tender, coarse, breaking, not crisp, juicy, subacid, very good.
Season. Early winter till March or April or perhaps later (39). Late in the season the fruit begins to lose in flavor although it may apparently be still in good condition.
[Additional entry in this volume: "MAGENTA", pp. 333–333]
MAGENTA.
REFERENCE. 1. Leroy, 1873:447. fig.
This is a variety which was brought to notice in France in 1861. It has been but little grown as yet in New York state, at least not under this name. It appears to be identical with Canada Reinette.
FRUIT.
Fruit above medium to large. Form oblate conic, broadly angular, irregular. Stem short to very short, moderately thick, not exserted. Cavity large, moderately deep to deep, rather broad, acute or approaching acuminate, usually with outspreading russet. Calyx medium, closed or partly open. Basin often irregular, rather abrupt, medium in width and depth, compressed or furrowed. Skin yellow or greenish with a bronze blush and roughened with very large stellar or irregular russet dots or patches. Calyx tube conical or somewhat funnel-form. Stamens median or below. Core somewhat abaxile, below medium to rather small; cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish ovate, emarginate, somewhat tufted. Seeds medium or above, moderately wide, plump, obtuse, somewhat tufted. Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately coarse, crisp, moderately tender, juicy, rich agreeable subacid, good to very good. Season November to March.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Canada Reinette. — Origin doubtful, by some supposed to have originated in France; highly esteemed in Europe. Tree a strong vigorous grower, spreading, open, productive, young shoots clear reddish brown, slightly downy.
Fruit very large, oblate conical, flattened, with prominent ribs originating at calyx and diminishing toward the stem; surface greenish yellow, with brown blush on sunny side, with numerous russet patches; dots numerous, brown russety; cavity wide, deep, generally smooth; stem short, slender; basin rather deep, irregular; calyx open or closed; segments short. Cells obovate, axile, slit; tube conical; stamen basal; flesh yellowish white, firm, juicy, rich, brisk subacid, very good to best. December to April.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Canada Reinette is large in size, "re" in form, greenish yellow in skin color, very good in quality, suited for both kitchen and market use, with season not recorded. It is reported by 7 stations in the Northern Division, 2 stations in the Central Division, and 1 station in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division count indicates the variety is reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)REINETTE DU CANADA. Ronalds, P. 11. F., Reinette du Canada; G., Pariser Rambour Reinette. (Some forty-eight synonyms exist; Gold Reinette, Mela Januria, Portugal, Reinette Grandville.) Dessert, till April, large, 3½ by 3, round conical, slightly angular. Colour, greenish-yellow with thin russet and slight brown flush. Flesh, firm, pale yellow, of rich flavour. Eye, open, very large, in a very wide ribbed basin. Stem, short and thick, not protruding from a very wide cavity. Growth, vigorous, rather spreading; fertility, moderate. Leaf, rather large, dark, upfolded, undulated, oval, sharply pointed, very deeply curved serrate. Origin, uncertain; known in France before 1771. Excellent in warm seasons. Very subject to canker.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)CANADA REINETTE. Canada Pippin. White Pippin. This variety, supposed to have originated in Canada, is not well thought of on this side of the Atlantic, being excelled by many similar sorts, but is highly esteemed in Europe. In America, the apples lack in quality and the trees are unproductive. The origin of the variety is not definitely known; it was first described in France in 1786. Tree vigorous, spreading and drooping; branches long, stout, crooked. Leaves broad. Fruit variable in size, frequently very large, oblate or roundish, inclined to conic, often irregularly, broadly angular, sometimes with furrows extending from base to apex, not uniform in shape; stem short; cavity acute, broad, wavy, sometimes russeted; calyx large, closed or partly open; basin abrupt, deep, wide, furrowed and wrinkled; skin yellow, sometimes with a blush, not striped, marked with dots, flecks or irregular patches of russet; calyx-tube wide, cone-shape; stamens median or basal; core medium, abaxile to axile, open or partly so; core-lines meeting; carpels round, inclined to obovate, tufted; seeds few, large, long, tufted, dark; flesh yellow, firm, tender, coarse, breaking, juicy, subacid; very good; early winter until March or April.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Large; a garden fruit of great excellence, soft flesh, succeeding in warm soils as an open Standard, but it is best on Paradise as a garden tree.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, handsome and excellent, of a greenish yellow colour tinged with brown, valuable for dessert or kitchen use, does not form a good pyramid, the habit being more that of a spreading bush, in which form it generally produces finer fruit than on a standard. A.M. ... Nov. to April
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Dec.-March. Large, squarish and ribbed; dull yellow-green with russet; flesh juicy, firm, very delicately flavoured; moderately vigorous and fertile; requires a warm soil and situation such as a west wall. Origin doubtful, but known in France in 1771, but probably not of Canadian origin.