Dutch Mignonne

Origin/History

A popular apple from Holland, where it has been known for more than a century. It was introduced from Holland into England about 1771 (Beach, citing Floy-Lindley and Leroy). Although it was brought into New York state many years ago and has been imported at various times both under the name Dutch Mignonne and that of Reinette de Caux, it has not won favorable recognition among commercial orchardists and has nowhere been planted to any considerable extent (Beach). Leroy states that Grosse Reinette de Cassel and Reinette Dorée are distinct from this variety although they have been listed by some as identical (Beach). Elliott notes it "has proved valuable wherever grown" and was "very fine in South Ohio."

Downing (1900) explicitly warns that two distinct varieties have circulated under this name. The variety he considers the true Dutch Mignonne (his primary description) differs from the apple described as Dutch Mignonne in the first edition of his book. The first-edition variety is a more vigorous grower, forming a very large spreading tree, bearing fruit singly and very evenly distributed over the whole of the branches, with large to very large fruit. Downing states he is "uncertain of its true name." Elliott's (1865) description closely matches Downing's first-edition variety in fruit size, coloring (dull orange with rich dull red and yellow russet specks), and season, suggesting the first-edition form may have been the one more widely grown in the mid-nineteenth century.

Tree

Tree moderately vigorous (Downing, Beach) to vigorous (Warder). Form rather wide-spreading, inclined to droop, pretty dense; branches short, stout, curved (Beach). Warder and Elliott describe an upright habit with strong, upright shoots, while Beach describes a drooping, spreading form — this discrepancy may reflect the two forms noted by Downing, or variation with age and rootstock. Productive (Warder, Downing, Elliott); Beach specifies very productive on alternate years.

Young wood dark brown, downy (Downing). Bark clear reddish-brown, mostly overlaid or mottled with rather heavy scarfskin, pubescent near tips (Beach). Twigs medium in length, nearly straight, moderately stout to rather slender; internodes medium or above (Beach). Lenticels moderately numerous, small to medium, round or somewhat oblong, sometimes raised (Beach). Buds moderately prominent, medium in size, plump, acute, free, somewhat pubescent (Beach). Leaves medium in size, broad (Beach).

Downing's first-edition variety (which he considers distinct): a more vigorous grower, forming a very large spreading tree, bearing its fruit singly and very evenly distributed over the whole of the branches; young wood very stout, dark reddish brown.

Fruit

Beach recommends it for the home orchard but notes that because the color of the fruit lacks decided character it is not a good commercial variety, except for canning or evaporating. Thomas calls it "a large, handsome, high-flavored, but coarse fruit."

Size: Sources disagree. Warder: large or very large. Downing (true form): medium. Downing (first-edition form): large, often very large. Beach: above medium, pretty uniform in size. Elliott: large. Thomas: quite large. The discrepancy between Downing's "medium" for the true form and the "large" to "very large" of Warder, Elliott, and Thomas likely reflects the two-variety confusion Downing describes.

Form: Roundish oblate to roundish, sometimes inclined to conic (Beach, Downing, Warder). Often somewhat elliptical and broadly ribbed (Beach). Warder adds "flattened, sometimes conical, truncated." Elliott and Thomas describe it as roundish, regular. Downing's first-edition form: roundish oblate.

Stem: Often characteristically long and slender and obliquely inserted (Beach). Thomas gives length as nearly an inch, slender. Elliott: long, slender, curved. Warder: medium to long. Downing (true form): medium, slender.

Cavity: Acute, moderately deep to deep, rather broad, often with outspreading russet rays and faint lines and flecks of dull grayish scarf-skin, furrowed or sometimes compressed, occasionally lipped (Beach). Downing (true form): large, often russeted. Elliott: narrow, deep, with a dash of russet about the cavity of stem. Warder: medium, acute, regular.

Calyx: Small to medium, closed or open (Beach). Downing (true form): partially open, segments erect. Warder: eye short, wide, open, segments short. Elliott: open. Thomas: large, open. Downing's first-edition form: calyx very large, segments divided and reflexed.

Basin: Sources disagree. Beach: usually rather shallow, moderately narrow to rather wide, often somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Warder: wide, abrupt, regular. Downing (true form): large, slightly corrugated. Downing (first-edition form): very broad, large, and deep, slightly corrugated. Elliott: deep, round, regular. Thomas: large, round, even.

Skin: Rather rough (Warder, Downing). Ground color yellow (Warder, Downing true form, Beach) to dull orange (Downing first-edition form, Elliott) to rich orange (Thomas). Beach describes it as yellow with thin orange blush, in highly colored specimens deepening to orange-red, mottled and sparingly splashed or striped with carmine, with prevailing effect dull orange-yellow partly covered with thin dull red; not particularly attractive. Downing (true form): yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with shades of light and dark rich red, and moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots. Warder: yellow, covered with red, splashed with bright red. Thomas: rich orange, dotted, mottled, and obscurely striped with bright red, slightly russeted. Downing (first-edition form): dull orange, half covered or more with rich, dull red, dotted and mottled with large yellow russet specks. Elliott: dull orange, mostly covered with rich dull red, dotted and mottled with large yellow russet specks, and a dash of russet about the cavity of stem.

Dots numerous, whitish or russet, often areolar (Beach). Warder: dots numerous, prominent, fawn-colored. Downing (true form): moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots.

Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish to yellowish white, a little coarse (Downing, Warder, Beach, Thomas all note coarseness to varying degree). Beach: tinged with yellow, firm, nearly fine, crisp, rather tender, juicy, subacid, sprightly, good for dessert, excellent for cooking. Downing (true form): yellowish, a little coarse, tender, juicy, slightly subacid. Downing (first-edition form): yellowish, a little coarse, breaking, tender, rich, aromatic. Warder: yellowish white, breaking, coarse-grained, juicy; flavor acid to sub-acid, rich. Elliott: whitish, firm at first, becoming tender when well matured, sub-acid, aromatic flavor. Thomas: firm, becoming tender, with a high, rich, rather acid flavor.

Quality good to very good (Warder, Downing true form, Beach). Downing rates the first-edition form as very good.

Core/Seeds: Core axile, medium to small, closed; core lines clasping (Beach). Warder: core small, turbinate, regular, clasping. Downing (true form): core small. Elliott: core small, compact. Carpels broadly roundish, rather flat, slightly emarginate (Beach). Seeds few, often some are abortive, rather long, irregular, flat, obtuse or somewhat acute (Beach). Warder: seeds few, angular, imperfect. Elliott: seeds few, defective. The consistent reports of few, often imperfect or abortive seeds across multiple sources is a notable identification feature.

Calyx Tube: Rather large, long, conical or sometimes approaching urn-shape. Stamens marginal (Beach).

Season

Sources vary considerably. Warder: September, October. Elliott: November to January. Downing (true form): December to March. Downing (first-edition form): November to February. Thomas: early winter. Beach: somewhat variable, often extending till May; commercial limit usually March. The early season given by Warder (September–October) is notably at odds with all other sources; the remaining sources cluster from November through March, with Beach reporting the longest keeping into May.

Uses

Kitchen, market, drying (Warder). Beach: not very attractive in color but excellent for cooking, good for dessert and a good keeper; recommended for the home orchard; not a good commercial variety except for canning or evaporating.

Subtypes/Variants

Downing (1900) describes two distinct forms that have both circulated as Dutch Mignonne:

True Dutch Mignonne (Downing's revised identification): Medium-sized fruit, yellow ground color shaded and striped with red, moderately vigorous upright spreading tree with dark brown downy young wood. Season December to March.

First-edition Dutch Mignonne (Downing considers it a different variety of uncertain name): Large to very large fruit, dull orange ground color half covered with rich dull red and large yellow russet specks, very vigorous tree forming a large spreading canopy bearing fruit singly and evenly distributed, young wood very stout, dark reddish brown. Season November to February. Elliott's and possibly Thomas's descriptions appear to correspond to this form.

Other

Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table (Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture, 1914).

Dutch Mignonne. | M | rob | rs | G | m | W | 5* | 2* | 1*