Champlain
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Champlain
Origin / History
Downing, Beach, and Hedrick call the origin unknown. Budd and Hansen give its origin as Westchester County, New York, and Thomas cites Westchester County, N. Y.; Elliott heads his Summer Pippin entry "American." Downing calls it "an old fruit, much cultivated in Rockland and Westchester Counties, N. Y.," and "a valuable market fruit." Warder, under the name Summer Pippin, calls it "a favorite apple about New York — not known extensively." The variety has been on record since 1853, when an account of it was published in the New England Farmer (Hedrick).
Warder records the apple as the Paper apple, exhibited before the Ohio Pomological Society by A. L. Benedict of Morrow County. Benedict obtained the cions from "the celebrated apple region, Grand Isle, Vermont," where it is "sometimes called Champlain." It had been introduced there from Rhode Island, without a name, by his friend Macomber. Benedict reported it "increasing in esteem as it becomes better known" and "preferred to the Red Astrachan, ripening with it." When fruit was sent to J. J. Thomas, he thought it synonymous with the Primate. Jos. Newcomber, having both growing side by side, assured Benedict "they were quite unlike, and that the Paper was much the better apple of the two."
In 1871 the American Pomological Society's Catalogue listed it as Summer Pippin; since 1897 the Catalogue has listed it as Champlain. Beach says nurserymen list it sometimes as Nyack and sometimes as Summer Pippin, "but seldom or never as Champlain." Hedrick says it is more often known as Nyack or as Summer Pippin than as Champlain.
Beach says old trees are frequently found in the home orchards throughout New York, but it is now seldom planted. Hedrick says its culture is almost wholly confined to New England and the Middle Atlantic states, and that Champlain "has many qualities that commend it for the home orchard." Lowther's station table reports it, under Summer Pippin, from 6 stations in the Northern Division, 6 in the Central, and 2 in the Southern, each also reported in more than one division.
Tree
Tree medium to large, vigorous, stocky; Elliott calls it moderately vigorous. Benedict reports "the growth of the tree is strong and stocky." Form upright-spreading to roundish, open, with long, moderately stout branches; "a beautiful round head" (Downing), "a regular, handsome grower" (Thomas).
Beach gives the following wood characters. Twigs long to medium, straight, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark dull brown tinged with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, obtuse, appressed, pubescent. Downing gives the young shoots as dull reddish grayish brown, slightly downy.
Hardy and healthy. Beach calls it moderately long-lived; Hedrick calls the trees long-lived. Benedict says the fruit "never scabs nor rots on the tree."
Productive, a regular and good bearer. Beach says it comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper, yielding good crops biennially or almost annually.
Fruit
Size: Medium, full medium, rather large, or large; not very uniform in size. Beach calls it "of good size."
Form: Roundish, globular, or roundish oblong, rather conical or inclining to conic, varying to ovate, oblong, or oblong-oval. Variable and not uniform in shape, angular, irregular, irregularly ribbed; sides somewhat unequal. Lowther alone gives roundish oblate or oblate-conical.
Stem: Medium to long, generally long, varying in length and thickness, deep set. Warder calls it slender; Beach gives it medium to rather thick.
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, deep and abrupt, wavy, green. Beach gives it moderately shallow to deep, rather narrow to medium in width, sometimes furrowed, and usually lightly russeted.
Calyx: Small to medium, closed; Beach says closed or slightly open. Warder describes the eye as small, long, closed. Calyx tube conical to funnel-form, usually rather short but sometimes elongated; stamens median to marginal (Beach).
Basin: Narrow, abrupt, furrowed, corrugated, or folded. Downing and Elliott (under Summer Pippin) call it deep, and Warder small. Beach gives it shallow to medium in depth, narrow, a little abrupt, and nearly smooth.
Skin: Smooth, tender. Greenish, greenish yellow, yellowish green, pale yellow, or pale waxen yellow. Elliott gives a fine blush and Warder a slight blush; the other sources describe a delicate or light crimson blush, which Beach says is "often" present. Lowther gives the color as yellow-red. Attractive in color; Beach calls it "smooth and attractive for a greenish-yellow apple," and Warder calls it "this very delicate fruit."
Dots: Numerous, small to minute; green, greenish, and grayish, or russet or submerged (Beach). Warder calls them indented.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, or with a slight tinge of yellow (Beach). Rather fine to fine-grained, tender to very tender, juicy; Downing says moderately juicy. Flavor pleasant, refreshing, sprightly subacid; Warder calls it aromatic and delicate.
Quality good to best. Beach rates it "good to very good," Hedrick "good in quality," and Lowther "good." Warder gives "best," and Budd and Hansen "very good to best."
Core and seeds: Core large, axile to somewhat abaxile; Warder calls it medium, round, slightly open. Cells open. Core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels smooth, elongated ovate, not emarginate (Beach). Seeds numerous, dark or rather dark brown, medium size, rather narrow and short, angular, plump, sharp-pointed, almost acuminate.
Season
Summer, from the middle or late August into October. Most authors give August and September, or the end of summer. Downing says it ripens the middle of August and continues a month or more. Elliott's Champlain entry gives September.
Beach gives late August till October. He adds that since it ripens in succession, more than two pickings are required to secure the crop in good condition, "neither too green nor too ripe." Hedrick says the apples ripen throughout a long period.
Uses
Culinary and dessert, for home use and market. Valuable for culinary uses and profitable for market. Beach calls it good for dessert and excellent for culinary use, and Warder recommends it for "the dessert especially." Beach says some find Champlain a profitable commercial variety, but it is usually grown for home use rather than for market.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Downing describes another Summer Pippin received from Iowa. Tree very vigorous, productive. Fruit medium, oblate, inclining to conic, yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with crimson in the sun, with large light dots. Stalk rather long. Calyx closed. Flesh white, pleasant subacid. August, September.
Elliott, citing Hovey's Magazine, describes the Walworth, a name Downing and Beach place under this variety. "From New Jersey." Fruit large, roundish conical, clear yellow, bright red in sun, dotted with greenish russet specks. Stem short, slender. Calyx small, closed. Basin furrowed. Core large, open. Seeds plump. Flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, subacid. October. Elliott adds: "We suspect this is an old variety under a new name."
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Warder's separate Nyack Pippin entry describes a flat, red-striped December apple of acid flavor, unlike Champlain, and likely a different variety.] Warder gives its origin as New York, from a specimen obtained from E. H. Warren of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Fruit medium, flat, uneven. Surface smooth, greenish yellow, mixed, striped, and splashed bright red. Dots numerous, distinct, yellow, indented. Basin shallow, folded. Eye small, closed; axis short. Cavity wide, deep, wavy, brown. Stem short, thick, knobby. Core rather wide, closed, rather clasping. Seeds large. Flesh white, firm, juicy. Flavor acid, rich. Quality "pretty good." For table and market. December.
Book Sources
Described in 8 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Summer Pippin
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Champlain (Nyack)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1845–1916) from Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Nyack Pippin
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Nyack Pippin
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Large Golden Pippin
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Large Golden Pippin
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Nyack Pippin
- Manalapan Nurseries , Englishtown , New Jersey — 1916 — listed as Nyack Pippin
View original book sources (8)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Champlain. Tree, moderately vigorous, productive. Fruit, large, roundish conic; skin, greenish, with a fine blush; stem, long; cavity, deep; calyx, closed; basin, narrow; flesh, white, tender, juicy, pleasant, sub-acid. September. (Downing.)
[Additional entry in this volume: "Summer Pippin", pp. 177–177]
Summer Pippin. Sour Bough. American. Tree, vigorous, profitable market sort ; valuable for cooking. Fruit, medium to large, oblong oval, irregular, waxy yellow ; shaded with crimson blush, green and grayish dots ; stem, varying ; cavity, deep, abrupt ; calyx, closed ; basin, deep, furrowed ; flesh, white, tender, pleasant, sub-acid ; core, large. August. September.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Walworth", pp. 183–183]
Walworth.
Vermont, | Large Golden Pippin.
From New Jersey. Fruit, large, roundish conical, clear yellow, bright red in sun, dotted with greenish russet specks; stem, short, slender; calyx, small, closed; basin, furrowed; core, large, open; seeds, plump; flesh, yellowish white, tender, juicy, sub-acid. October. (Hov. Mag.) We suspect this is an old variety under a new name.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Champlain. — [Downing.] PAPER — PAPER-SKIN. This very delicate fruit was exhibited before the Ohio Pomological Society by A. L. Benedict, of Morrow County, as the Paper apple. He obtained the cions from the celebrated apple region, Grand Isle, Vermont, where it is sometimes called Champlain, and where it had been introduced from Rhode Island, without a name, by his friend Macomber. My friend Benedict informs me that "the growth of the tree is strong and stocky, and that the fruit never scabs nor rots on the tree. It is increasing in esteem as it becomes better known, and is preferred to the Red Astrachan, ripening with it. When sent to J. J. Thomas, he thought it synonymous with the Primate, but Jos. Newcomber, having both varieties growing side by side, assured me they were quite unlike, and that the Paper was much the better apple of the two." Tree medium size, vigorous, stocky. Fruit full medium, globular, rather conical, angular; Surface smooth, yellowish green, slightly blushed; Dots minute, indented. Basin small, abrupt, folded; Eye small, long, closed. Cavity acute, wavy, green; Stem long, slender. Core medium, round, slightly open, clasping; Seeds numerous, angular, dark; Flesh white, tender, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, delicate; Quality best; Use, the dessert especially; Season, August, September.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Nyack Pippin", pp. 447–447]
Nyack. NYACK PIPPIN.
Origin New York; specimen obtained from Mr. E. H. Warren, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Fruit medium, flat, uneven; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow, mixed, striped, splashed bright red; Dots numerous, distinct, yellow, indented. Basin shallow, folded; Eye small, closed; Axis short. Cavity wide, deep, wavy, brown; Stem short, thick, knobby. Core rather wide, closed, rather clasping; Seeds large; Flesh white, firm, juicy; Flavor acid, rich; Quality pretty good; Use table, market; Season December.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Summer Pippin", pp. 647–647]
Summer Pippin.
A favorite apple about New York — not known extensively. Tree vigorous, forming a beautiful head, a regular and good bearer.
Fruit medium to large, variable in form, sometimes oblong-oval, or inclining to conic, angular and irregular; Skin pale waxen yellow, shaded with a delicate crimson blush, and sprinkled with green and grayish dots; Stalk varies in length and thickness, inserted in a deep, abrupt cavity; Calyx closed, set in a deep, abrupt, corrugated basin; Flesh white, tender, moderately juicy, with a pleasant, refreshing sub-acid flavor; Valuable for culinary uses; Ripens in August and continues a month or more. — [Downing.]
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Sour Bough. Summer Pippin. Walworth. Calkin's Pippin. Haverstraw Pippin. Tart Bough. Paper Apple. Champlain. Large Golden Pippin. Underdunk. Nyack Pippin. Geneva Pearmain.
Origin unknown. An old fruit, much cultivated in Rockland and Westchester Counties, N. Y. ; a valuable market fruit. Tree vigorous, forming a beautiful round head, a regular and good bearer. Young shoots dull reddish grayish brown, slightly downy.
Summer Pippin. Fruit medium to large, variable in form, generally roundish oblong, inclining to conic, pale waxen yellow, shaded with a delicate crimson blush, and sprinkled with green and grayish dots. Stalk varies in length and thickness, inserted in a deep, abrupt cavity. Calyx closed, set in a deep, abrupt, corrugated basin. Flesh white, tender, moderately juicy, pleasant, refreshing, subacid, valuable for culinary uses, and profitable for market. Ripens the middle of August, and continues a month or more.
There is another Summer Pippin which we have received from Iowa. Tree very vigorous, productive.
The fruit is medium, oblate, inclining to conic, yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with crimson in the sun, large light dots. Stalk rather long. Calyx closed. Flesh white, pleasant subacid. August, September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Champlain. See Summer Pippin.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Summer Pippin", pp. 330–330]
Summer Pippin. (Sour Bough.) Rather large, oblong, oval, irregular; skin pale yellow, with greenish dots and a crimson blush; stalk variable, deep set; basin abrupt, furrowed; flesh white, tender, with a pleasant sub-acid flavor. End of summer. A regular, handsome grower and good bearer. Westchester County, N. Y.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Walworth", pp. 746–746]
Walworth does not appear as a headed entry on page 746. The page contains only a cross-reference to it within the V-section of the alphabetical short-entry list: "Vermont. See Walworth." The page ends with "Waddei's Hall. See Shockley." — the actual Walworth entry must begin on page 747.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Sour Bough", pp. 742–742]
Sour Bough. See Summer Pippin.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)CHAMPLAIN.
REFERENCES. 1. N. E. Farmer, 1853 (cited by 14). 2. Downing, 1857:128. 3. Warder, 1867:637. 4. Downing, 1869:368. fig. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:10. 6. Leroy, 1873:828. fig. 7. Thomas, 1875:197, 496. 8. Barry, 1883:334. 9. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:245. 10. Ib., 1892:250. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:12. 12. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:290. 1901. 13. Budd-Hansen, 1903:61. 14. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:300. 1905.
SYNONYMS. Calkin's Pippin (4, 14). CHAMPLAIN (1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14). Champlain (4, 6, 7, 8, 14). Geneva Pearmain (4, 6, 14). Haverstraw Pippin (4, 14). Large Golden Pippin (4, 6, 14). Nyack (9, 13). NYACK PIPPIN (9). Nyack Pippin (4, 14). Paper (3, 4, 6, 14). Paper-Skin (3, 14). Sourbough (13). Sour Bough (4, 6, 7, 14). SUMMER PIPPIN (4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14). Summer Pippin (13, 14). Tart Bough (4, 6, 14). Underdunk (4, 6, 14). Vermont (14). Walworth (4, 6, 14).
Nurserymen sometimes list this variety as Nyack, and sometimes as Summer Pippin, but seldom or never as Champlain (9, 10). Fruit of good size, smooth and attractive for a greenish-yellow apple. It is good for dessert and excellent for culinary use. Since it ripens in succession from late August till October, more than two pickings are required to secure the crop in good condition, neither too green nor too ripe. The tree is a good grower, hardy, healthy, and moderately long-lived. It comes into bearing rather young and is a reliable cropper, yielding good crops biennially or almost annually. Some find Champlain a profitable commercial variety, but usually it is grown for home use rather than for market.
Historical. Origin unknown. In 1871 (5) it was included in the list of the American Pomological Society's Catalogue under the name Summer Pippin, but since 1897 it has been listed as Champlain (11). Old trees of it are frequently found in the home orchards throughout the state. It is now seldom planted.
TREE. Tree medium to large, vigorous with long and moderately stout branches. Form upright spreading to roundish, open. Twigs long to medium, straight, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark dull brown tinged with olive-green, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, heavily pubescent. Lenticels scattering, medium size, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, obtuse, appressed, pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit medium to large, not very uniform in size or shape. Form roundish, rather conical to ovate or somewhat oblong, irregularly ribbed; sides somewhat unequal. Stem medium to long, medium to rather thick. Cavity acuminate to acute, moderately shallow to deep, rather narrow to medium in width, sometimes furrowed and usually lightly russeted. Calyx small to medium, closed or slightly open. Basin shallow to medium in depth, narrow, a little abrupt, nearly smooth. Skin tender, greenish-yellow or pale yellow, often with a light crimson blush. Dots numerous, small, russet or submerged. Calyx tube conical to funnel-form, usually rather short but sometimes elongated. Stamens median to marginal. Core large, axile to somewhat abaxile; cells open; core lines clasp the funnel cylinder. Carpels smooth, elongated ovate, not emarginate. Seeds rather dark brown, medium size, rather narrow and short, plump, sharp pointed, almost acuminate. Flesh white or with slight tinge of yellow, rather fine, very tender, juicy, sprightly, subacid, good to very good. Season late August till October.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Champlain (Nyack; Sourbough, Summer Pippin).—Origin, Westchester Co., New York: tree vigorous; round-topped, productive, a regular bearer.
Fruit medium to large, roundish conical to oblong oval, angular, irregular; surface smooth, pale waxen yellow with slight crimson blush; dots minute, green and grayish; cavity acute, deep, green, wavy; stem variable, generally long, slender; basin abrupt, corrugated, deep; calyx small, closed. Core round, slightly open, clasping; seed many, angular; flesh white, tender, fine-grained, juicy, aromatic, pleasant subacid, very good to best. August, September.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Champlain (Nyack). Size: medium. Form: roundish oblate. Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. No season or division data reported.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Summer Pippin", pp. 453–453]
Summer Pippin (25) is a medium-sized fruit of oblate-conical form with yellow-red skin. Quality is good; primary use is both kitchen and market; season is summer. Reported by 6 stations in the Northern Division (also reported in more than one division), 6 stations in the Central Division (also reported in more than one division), and 2 stations in the Southern Division (also reported in more than one division).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)CHAMPLAIN. Haverstraw Pippin. Large Golden Pippin. Nyack. Sour Bough. Summer Pippin. Tart Bough.
Champlain has many qualities that commend it for the home orchard. The apples are attractive in color, good in quality, and ripen throughout a long period. The trees are vigorous, hardy, healthy, long-lived, and productive. The origin of the variety is unknown but it has been on record since 1853, when an account of it was published in the New England Farmer. Its culture is almost wholly confined to New England and the Middle Atlantic states. It is more often known as Nyack or as Summer Pippin than as Champlain.
Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open, with long stout branches. Fruit medium to large, un-uniform in size or shape, round-conic to ovate or oblong, irregularly ribbed, sides unequal; stem medium to long; cavity acuminate, shallow, narrow, sometimes furrowed and usually russeted; calyx small, closed or open; basin shallow, narrow, abrupt, smooth; skin tender, pale yellow, often with a light crimson blush; dots numerous, small, russet or submerged; calyx-tube conical, usually short but sometimes elongated; stamens median; core large, axile to abaxile; cells open; corelines clasping; carpels smooth, elongated-ovate; seeds dark brown, narrow, short, plump, sharp-pointed, acuminate; flesh yellow, fine, very tender, juicy, sprightly, subacid; good to very good; late August to October.