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Domine

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Domine

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Domine

Origin / History

Origin uncertain. Warder supposes it a native of this country, and Downing calls it "highly probable that this is a native fruit." Beach, citing Elliott's 1858 edition, records that it probably came originally from Maryland. Budd and Hansen give the origin as New York. Thomas enters it under the name "Wells, of Ohio" and closes his entry with "New York." Hedrick says it has been grown in America at least since 1820. Beach's earliest references are the Catalogue of the Horticultural Society of London, 1831, and Downing, 1845.

Downing finds no foreign author who describes the Domine. Coxe says he received it from England, but Downing judges that the apple Coxe describes and figures "does not appear to be ours," and has never met with it in any collection here. Beach likewise holds it "evidently not identical with the Domine described by Coxe" (Fruit Trees, 1817).

A striped apple of the Rambo class. Downing says it so much resembles the Rambo externally that the two are often confounded together. He finds Domine of a livelier color and the flavor and season of the two very distinct: "the Rambo being rather a high-flavored early winter or autumn apple, while the Domine is a sprightly, juicy, long-keeping winter fruit." Beach says it does not rank as high in quality as Rambo but is a much better keeper.

Downing found it extensively planted in the orchards on the Hudson and west. Elliott calls it a profitable orchard sort in the West. Beach says it has been more extensively planted along the Hudson than in any other part of New York, but is not now grown so much there as formerly. Lowther's encyclopedia reports it from 2 stations in the Northern Division, 14 in the Central Division, and 1 in the Southern Division, marking it as reported in more than one division. Hedrick calls Domine "one of the choicely good apples rapidly passing from cultivation, but still to be found in many old orchards," its culture confined for the most part to the Middle Atlantic states.

Tree

Vigorous. A strong, vigorous grower (Elliott), very thrifty (Warder), and among "the most rapid growers" Downing knows, though Beach rates it vigorous to moderately vigorous. Upright to upright-spreading. Lyon, quoted by Beach, describes "long, stout, spreading branches which are very liable to be broken by the heavy crops of fruit." Shoots long, very long in Thomas, diverging. Warder describes the shoots as long, stout, and brown, branching from the ends and forming spurs along their sides, so that the tree has "a straggling, open head, and bears its fruit crowded along the smaller branches."

Young wood smooth, lively light brown (Downing). Twigs above medium to long, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark smooth, clear reddish brown, sometimes with a slight undertone of yellowish green, uniformly overlaid with a thin scarf-skin, rather pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, raised, moderately numerous, above medium, generally roundish. Buds above medium, roundish to acute, free or nearly so, quite pubescent (Beach).

Leaves long, drooping, and characteristically twisted, coarsely serrate (Thomas). Warder calls the foliage large and long, "with a peculiar curl or folding upwards, so as to show the underside of the leaves."

Very hardy (Downing) or hardy (Warder); Thomas calls it "Tender at the West." Elliott reports it succeeding finely in most soils in the West.

Productive and an early bearer. Elliott calls it an early, good bearer. Downing calls the trees "prodigious early bearers," the branches "literally weighed down by the rope-like clusters of fruit." Budd and Hansen rate it very productive. Beach dissents for western New York: although very productive in some seasons, it is not as reliable a bearer as some kinds that outrank it in commercial orchards. Hedrick writes that "the tree, unfortunately, is not very productive, and its branches break easily when heavy crops do set."

Fruit

Size: Medium to large, rather large or large in several accounts. Beach says it is usually about medium, sometimes large or very large: when well grown it is large, "but too often the fruit sets so abundantly that it does not average much above medium size." Hedrick calls it commonplace in size.

Form: Flat or oblate, roundish oblate in Thomas and Lowther; regular, sides sometimes or often somewhat unequal, ribbed. Beach notes it sometimes inclined to oblong and distinctly flattened at the base. Downing gives the outline of the Rambo as nearly a facsimile of it.

Stem: Medium to long, slender, inclining to one side or curved. Thomas measures it three-fourths of an inch long. Warder says it is slender at its insertion into the fruit and easily separated from it, "but holding firmly to the tree; hence care is needed in picking the fruit."

Cavity: Wide to very wide, deep, regular (Budd and Hansen) or wavy (Warder), often distinctly furrowed. Brown, usually with outspreading brown russet rays, or a large stellate russet patch (Budd and Hansen). Beach calls it obtuse; Thomas calls it acute.

Calyx: Small to medium in most accounts; Beach gives below medium to large. Closed, or slightly open (Beach). Lobes long, acute (Beach); segments connivent (Budd and Hansen). Calyx tube funnel-shaped, with a wide limb and short truncate cylinder (Beach), or conical (Budd and Hansen). Stamens median to marginal.

Basin: Broad, wide or compressed (Beach). Rather shallow to moderately deep in most accounts; Thomas calls it deep. Abrupt, pubescent (Beach). Usually distinctly furrowed, slightly or obtusely ribbed, folded or plaited (Warder).

Skin: Thick, tough, smooth, bright (Beach). Ground lively greenish yellow, yellowish green, whitish yellow, or green. Splashed and striped with bright red in the sun, mottled with deep pinkish red and striped with bright carmine; the red is mostly or nearly covering in Budd and Hansen's and Warder's accounts, the latter calling it "mixed red." Warder gives the carmine stripes as indistinct; Thomas gives narrow and distinct stripes of light red. Overlaid with thin whitish bloom. Often vein-russeted (Warder). Beach says that when well grown it is of good color, but that in western New York the color is often not well developed. Hedrick calls it commonplace in color.

Dots: Large to very large, pretty large russet specks in Downing. Pale, yellow, or gray, rough (Thomas), distinct, many, numerous toward the basin, toward the cavity scattering, often irregular and with russet center. Budd and Hansen add some scattered irregular russet specks with light bases.

Flesh and flavor: White, whitish, or tinged with light yellow, light yellow in Warder. Tender to exceedingly tender, juicy, yet firm (Thomas) to very firm (Beach), breaking, somewhat coarse (Beach). Mild to slightly subacid, sprightly, pleasant, spicy and "fine flavored" (Thomas), with "a peculiar aromatic flavor" (Beach). Warder, Budd and Hansen, and Hedrick call it rich; Downing finds "a sprightly pleasant, though not high flavor." Hedrick writes that "its juiciness and sprightliness" make it "one of the most refreshing of fruits, while, at the same time, it is rich in flavor."

Quality good to very good: "very good" in Elliott, Budd and Hansen, and Lowther, "good to very good" in Beach, "excellent" in Downing. Warder rates it "good," and Hedrick says "the quality is good."

Core and seeds: Core small (Beach) to medium (Elliott), regular, somewhat abaxile. Warder says it is scarcely meeting the eye. Core somewhat open to open (Warder; Budd and Hansen), or closed or partly open (Beach). Cells usually symmetrical, ovate, entire. Core lines nearly meeting or barely clasping. Axis short, often so in Warder. Carpels broadly elliptical, slightly emarginate (Beach). Seeds numerous, large, plump, moderately narrow, long, acute or long-pointed, dark (Beach) or purplish brown (Elliott).

Season

A long-keeping winter fruit. The recorded season runs from November into April, most authors carrying it to March or April. Warder gives December and January, keeping until spring in the North. Beach gives a season extending till March, with a commercial limit of February.

Uses

Beach says it is chiefly valued for dessert, being generally considered inferior for culinary uses, except possibly for baking. Warder rates it good for table, kitchen, or market, and Lowther gives its use as kitchen and market.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — E.A. Bunyard's "Domino" (1920), the George Bunyard & Co. catalogue entry (1901), and the Veitch entry (1911) describe an English early culinary apple of the Codlin type: ripe September to October, oblong or bluntly conical, greenish yellow, acid. This does not match the flat, striped, long-keeping American winter Domine.]

E.A. Bunyard describes a culinary apple, medium, 2½ by 2¼ inches, oblong, rounded, irregular. Color pale yellowish green with an occasional faint flush. Flesh yellowish white, crisp, acid. Eye closed in a moderately deep, broad, ribbed basin. Stem short, in a narrow, fairly deep cavity. Season September to October. Growth upright, compact, and twiggy; very fertile. Leaf pale, long oval, shallow serrate, flat, twisted, falling early. Origin unrecorded; much grown around London, probably from the Midland Counties. He calls it "a useful fruit of the Codlin type."

The George Bunyard catalogue calls it a medium, very free-bearing Codlin that does well in the North and in cold soils and is valuable for market.

The Veitch catalogue describes it as large, bluntly conical, and prominently ribbed, with greenish yellow skin. It calls it a good early apple, especially suitable for tarts, which in many places bears as freely as Keswick Codlin and keeps much longer, and a good grower on either stock.

Book Sources

Described in 9 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 15 catalogs (1845–1921) from Alabama, California, England, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Virginia

View original book sources (11)

DOMINE.

Wells, | English Winter, | Striped E. J. Greening, Hogan, | Red Streak, of some, | Well Apple.

Origin, uncertain. Tree, strong, vigorous grower ; shoots, long, diverging ; early, good bearer, profitable, orchard sort. West ; succeeding finely in most soils. Fruit, medium to large, flat, greenish yellow, with stripes and splashes of bright red and large russet specks ; stem, long, slender, inclining to one side ; cavity, wide ; calyx, small ; basin, broad ; core, medium ; seeds, abundant, purplish brown ; flesh, white, tender, juicy ; "very good." November to April.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Domine.

Supposed to be a native of this country; origin unknown. Tree very thrifty, making long, stout, brown shoots, which branch from the ends, and form spurs along their sides, so that the tree has a straggling, open head, and bears its fruit crowded along the smaller branches. It is hardy, upright, vigorous and productive. Foliage large and long, with a peculiar curl or folding upwards, so as to show the underside of the leaves.

Fruit large, flat, regular, sometimes unequal; Surface yellowish-green, nearly covered with mixed red, and striped indistinctly with carmine, often vein-russeted; Dots scattered, yellow and gray, large.

Basin rather shallow, folded or plaited; Eye medium to small, closed.

Cavity wide, wavy, brown; Stem medium to long, slender at its insertion into the fruit, and easily separated from it, but holding firmly to the tree; hence care is needed in picking the fruit.

Core regular, somewhat open, scarcely meeting the eye;

Fig. 89.—DOMINE.

Axis often short; Seeds numerous, pointed, plump; Flesh light yellow, breaking, tender, juicy; flavor slightly sub-acid, rich; good, for table, kitchen, or market; Season December and January, keeping until spring in the North.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

DOMINE. Wells. Striped R. I. Greening. English Beauty of Pa. Cheat. Cling Tight.

This Apple, extensively planted in the orchards on the Hudson and west, so much resembles the Rambo externally, that the two are often confounded together, and the outline of the latter fruit (see Rambo) may be taken as nearly a fac-simile of this. The Domine is, however, of a livelier color, and the flavor and season of the two fruits are very distinct, — the Rambo being rather a high-flavored early winter or autumn apple, while the Domine is a sprightly, juicy, long-keeping winter fruit.

Fruit of medium size, flat. Skin lively greenish yellow in the shade, with stripes and splashes of bright red in the sun, and pretty large russet specks. Stalk long and slender, planted in a wide cavity and inclining to one side. Calyx small, in a broad basin, moderately sunk. Flesh white, exceedingly tender and juicy, with a sprightly pleasant, though not high flavor. Young wood of a smooth, lively light brown, and the trees are very hardy, and the most rapid growers and prodigious early bearers that we know — the branches being literally weighed down by the rope-like clusters of fruit.

The Domine does not appear to be described by any foreign author. Coxe says that he received it from England, but the apple he describes and figures does not appear to be ours, and we have never met with it in any collection here. It is highly probable that this is a native fruit.

It is excellent from December till April.

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

Domine.* (Wells, of Ohio.) Rather large, roundish oblate; surface with narrow and distinct stripes of light red, on whitish yellow ground; dots or specks large, rough; stalk three-fourths of an inch long; cavity wide, deep, acute; basin deep, obtusely ribbed; flesh white, firm, mild sub-acid, spicy, fine flavored. Fig. 412. Shoots very long, vigorous, diverging, leaves drooping, coarsely serrate. Productive. Keeps through winter. Tender at the West. New York.

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

DOMINE.

REFERENCES. 1. Cat. Hort. Soc. London, 1831. 2. Downing, 1845:107. 3. Kirkland, Horticulturist, 2:545. 1847. 4. Thomas, 1849:165, 173. 5. Humrickhouse, Mag. Hort., 15:27. 1849. fig. 6. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:470. 1850. 7. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:68. 1851. fig. 8. Hooper, 1857:96. 9. Elliott, 1858:130, 161. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 11. Warder, 1867:430. fig. 12. Downing, 1872:147. fig. 13. Barry, 1883:345. 14. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:290. 15. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 16. Rural N. Y., 54:744. 1895. 17. Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:319. 1896. 18. Richman, Utah Sta. Bul., 45:16. 1896. 19. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:292. 1901. 20. Budd-Hansen, 1903:70. fig. 21. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:117. 1904.

SYNONYMS. Cheat (12). Cling Tight (12). DOMINI (6). DOMINIE (4, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19). English Beauty of Pa. (12). English Rambo of some (12). English Red Streak (12, 13, 21). English Winter Red Streak of some (9). Hogan (9, 12). Holland Pippin, incorrectly (19). Ramboulrette (3). Striped R. I. Greening (9, 12). Well Apple (9). WELLS (4, 7, 8, 9). Wells (12, 21). WILLIAMSON (7).

A striped apple of the Rambo class which much resembles Rambo in appearance. While it does not rank as high in quality it is a much better keeper, its season extending till March; commercial limit, February. When well grown it is large and of good color, but too often the fruit sets so abundantly that it does not average much above medium size. In western New York, although in some seasons it is very productive, it is not as reliable a bearer as are some of the kinds which outrank it in the commercial orchards, and often the color is not well developed. It has been more extensively planted along the Hudson than in any other part of the state, but it is not now grown so much there as it was formerly. It is chiefly valued for dessert, being generally considered inferior for culinary uses, except possibly for baking.

It is evidently not identical with the Domine described by Coxe.¹

Historical. Origin uncertain. Supposed to be a native of this country (11, 12). Elliott states that it probably came originally from Maryland (9).

TREE.

Tree is vigorous to moderately vigorous, “with long, stout, spreading branches which are very liable to be broken by the heavy crops of fruit” (14). Form upright spreading “with a straggling, open head and bearing its fruit crowded along the smaller branches” (11). Twigs above medium to long, moderately stout; internodes long. Bark smooth, clear reddish-brown, sometimes with a slight undertone of yellowish-green uniformly overlaid with a thin scarf-skin, rather pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, raised, moderately numerous, above medium, generally roundish. Buds above medium, roundish to acute, free or nearly so, quite pubescent. Leaves long, drooping and characteristically twisted.

FRUIT.

Fruit usually about medium in size, sometimes large or very large. Form usually oblate, sometimes inclined to oblong and distinctly flattened at the base, sides often somewhat unequal, ribbed. Stem medium to long, slender at the base. Cavity obtuse, wide, deep, often distinctly furrowed, usually with outspreading brown russet rays. Calyx below medium to large, closed or slightly open; lobes long, acute. Basin pubescent, rather shallow to moderately deep, wide or compressed, abrupt, usually distinctly furrowed.

Skin thick, tough, smooth, bright, whitish-yellow or green mottled and splashed with deep pinkish-red, striped with bright carmine and overlaid with thin whitish bloom. Dots pale or yellow, numerous toward the basin, but toward the cavity they are scattering, large, often irregular and with russet center.

Calyx tube funnel-shape with a wide limb and short truncate cylinder. Stamens median to marginal.

Core small, somewhat abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, closed or partly open; core lines nearly meeting or clasping. Carpels broadly elliptical, slightly emarginate. Seeds numerous, large, plump, moderately narrow, long, acute, dark.

Flesh whitish or tinged with light yellow, very firm, breaking, somewhat coarse, tender, juicy, mild subacid with a peculiar aromatic flavor, good to very good.

Season November to March.

¹Fruit Trees, 1817:115.

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

Domine. — Origin, New York; closely resembles Rambo externally, but the latter is a choice early winter or autumn variety while Domine is a sprightly, juicy, long-keeping, winter fruit. Tree upright, vigorous, very productive and an early bearer.

Fruit rather large, regular, oblate, surface greenish yellow in shade, mostly covered with splashed and striped bright red in sun, overlaid with whitish; dots distinct, many, very large, some scattered irregular russet specks with light bases; cavity regular, very wide and deep, with large stellate russet patch; stem medium, rather slender, curved; basin wide, medium deep, slightly ribbed; calyx closed; segments connivent. Core open, barely clasping; axis short; cells ovate, entire; tube conical; stamens marginal; seeds many, long-pointed, plump; flesh whitish, very tender, juicy, pleasant, rich sprightly subacid, very good. December to April.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Dominie is a medium-sized, roundish oblate fruit with green and red skin. Quality is very good. Use is both kitchen and market. Season is winter. Reported by 2 stations in the Northern Division, 14 stations in the Central Division, and 1 station in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division figure indicates the variety is reported in more than one division.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

DOMINO. Culinary, September to October, medium, 2½ by 2¼, oblong, rounded, irregular. Colour, pale yellowish green with occasional faint flush. Flesh, yellowish-white, crisp, acid. Eye, closed in a moderately deep broad ribbed basin. Stem, short in a narrow fairly deep cavity. Growth, upright, compact and twiggy; very fertile. Leaf, pale, long oval, shallow serrate, flat, twisted, falls early. Origin, unrecorded; much grown around London; probably from the Midland Counties. A useful fruit of the Codlin type.

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

DOMINE. English Red Streak. Domine is one of the choicely good apples rapidly passing from cultivation, but still to be found in many old orchards. The apple is commonplace in color and size, but the quality is good, its juiciness and sprightliness making it one of the most refreshing of fruits, while, at the same time, it is rich in flavor. The tree, unfortunately, is not very productive, and its branches break easily when heavy crops do set. The origin of Domine is uncertain, but it has been grown in America at least since 1820, its culture being confined for the most part to the Middle Atlantic states.

Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, with long, spreading branches. Leaves long, drooping and characteristically twisted. Fruit medium, sometimes large, oblate, sometimes oblong and distinctly flattened at the base, sides often unequal, ribbed; stem medium to long, slender; cavity obtuse, wide, deep, often furrowed, usually with outspreading brown-russet rays; calyx closed or open; lobes long, acute; basin pubescent, shallow to deep, wide or compressed, abrupt, usually furrowed; skin thick, tough, smooth, bright, yellow or green mottled and splashed with deep pinkish-red, striped with bright carmine and overlaid with thin bloom; dots pale, numerous toward the basin, toward the cavity scattering, large, irregular and with russet center; calyx-tube funnel-shape with a wide limb and short truncate cylinder; stamens median; core small, abaxile; cells symmetrical, closed or partly open; core-lines meeting or clasping; carpels broadly elliptical, emarginate; seeds numerous, large, plump, narrow, long, acute, dark; flesh yellow, firm, breaking, coarse, tender, juicy, mild subacid with a peculiar aromatic flavor; good to very good; November to March.

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

Medium, a very free bearing Codlin; does well in the North, and in cold soils; valuable for market.

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

large, bluntly conical and prominently ribbed, greenish yellow skin, a good early apple, especially suitable for tarts, in many places it bears as freely as Keswick Codlin and keeps much longer; a good grower on either stock

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)
Cheat Cling Tight Domini Dominie Domino English Beauty of Pa. English Beauty of Pennsylvania English Rambo English Red Streak English Winter English Winter Red Streak Hogan Holland Pippin [err.] Ramboulrette Red Streak Striped E. J. Greening Striped R. I. Greening Striped R. J. Greening Well Apple Wells Williamson Domine Egg Top Eiser English Beauty Fall Pippin Fall Wine Johnson Jonathan Newtown Spitzenburg Ohio Nonpareil Ransom Redstreak Richard's Graft Titus Pippin Walbridge Western Beauty Wine