Dutch Mignonne

Origin / History

Dutch Mignonne originated in Holland (Elliott; Warder; Downing; Thomas; Beach; Budd & Hansen; Hedrick), though Bunyard considers the origin "probably German" and notes that "Grosser Casseler Reinette is the original name." The variety has been known in Holland for more than a century (Beach). It was introduced from Holland into England about 1771 (Beach; Hedrick), with Bunyard giving the date as "about 1780." It was imported from Holland to England, thence to America about 1800 (Hedrick). 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 Doree are distinct from this variety although they have been listed by some as identical (Beach). Hedrick (1922) notes that "this once valued general-purpose apple has served its day and is passing from cultivation, disappearing chiefly because the apples are unattractive and not quite good enough in quality."

Downing notes a distinction between two varieties bearing this name: the apple described in his main entry (medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic; December to March) is not the Dutch Mignonne described in the first edition of his book. The earlier-described variety "differs in being a more vigorous grower, forming a very large spreading tree, and bearing its fruit singly and very evenly distributed over the whole of the branches. We are uncertain of its true name." See "Subtypes / Variants" below.

Tree

Sources broadly agree on vigor and productivity, with some variation: Elliott describes the tree as having "strong, upright shoots, and producing abundantly; very fine in South Ohio." Warder calls it "vigorous, upright, productive." Downing (main entry) calls it "moderately vigorous, upright, spreading, young wood dark brown, downy, productive." Budd & Hansen: "vigorous, upright, spreading, productive." Beach calls it "moderately vigorous" with "form rather wide-spreading, inclined to droop, pretty dense" and "vigorous and very productive on alternate years." Hedrick: "vigorous, wide-spreading, dense." Bunyard: "Growth, vigorous; very fertile." The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz BC reported one tree (planted Spring 1894) as "a moderate grower" and another (planted Spring 1895) as "a vigorous grower."

Branches short, stout, curved (Beach; Hedrick). Twigs medium in length, nearly straight, moderately stout to rather slender; internodes medium or above (Beach). Bark clear reddish-brown, mostly overlaid or mottled with rather heavy scarfskin, pubescent near tips (Beach); young wood dark brown, downy (Downing main entry); young wood very stout, dark reddish brown (Downing's earlier-described variety). 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); broad (Hedrick); "rather pale, slightly up-folded, boldly curved serrate" (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size

Sources differ on size: Elliott calls it "large"; Warder "large or very large"; Thomas "quite large"; Downing's main entry "medium"; Downing's earlier-described variety "large, often very large"; Budd & Hansen "large"; Beach "above medium, pretty uniform in size"; Hedrick "large, uniform in size"; Bunyard "medium, 3½ by 3"; Lowther "medium-sized." The Central Experimental Farm reports specimens as "medium size, slightly conical" (1894 planting) and "above medium size, roundish" (1895 planting).

Form

Roundish regular (Elliott); roundish, flattened, sometimes conical, truncated (Warder); roundish oblate, slightly conic (Downing main entry; Budd & Hansen); roundish oblate (Downing's earlier variety); quite large, roundish, regular (Thomas); roundish oblate to roundish, sometimes inclined to conic, often somewhat elliptical and broadly ribbed (Beach); round-oblate, sometimes conic, often elliptical and broadly ribbed (Hedrick); flattened, round, fairly regular (Bunyard); roundish oblate (Lowther). Bunyard gives the dimensions as 3½ by 3.

Stem / Stalk

Long, slender, curved (Elliott); medium (Warder); medium, slender (Downing main entry); medium to long, slender (Budd & Hansen); "nearly an inch long, slender" (Thomas); "often characteristically long and slender and obliquely inserted" (Beach; Hedrick); "rather long, in a narrow russet cavity" (Bunyard).

Cavity

Narrow, deep (Elliott); medium, acute, regular (Warder); large, often russeted (Downing main entry); deep, acute, regular, large, often russeted (Budd & Hansen); "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); "acute, deep, broad, often with outspreading russet rays and faint lines and flecks of dull gray scarf-skin, furrowed or sometimes compressed, occasionally lipped" (Hedrick); narrow, russet (Bunyard). Elliott notes "a dash of russet about the cavity of stem."

Calyx / Eye

Open (Elliott); eye short, wide, open, segments short (Warder); partially open, segments erect (Downing main entry); very large, segments divided and reflexed (Downing's earlier-described variety); large, open (Thomas); small to medium, closed or open (Beach); small, closed or open (Hedrick); small, closed, segments short, erect convergent (Budd & Hansen); closed, in a moderate basin (Bunyard). Calyx tube rather large, long, conical or sometimes approaching urn-shape (Beach); calyx-tube large, long, conical (Hedrick). Stamens marginal (Beach; Budd & Hansen; Hedrick).

Basin

Deep, round, regular (Elliott); wide, abrupt, regular (Warder); large, slightly corrugated (Downing main entry); very broad, large, and deep, slightly corrugated (Downing's earlier variety); large, round, even (Thomas); large, abrupt, wide, slightly corrugated (Budd & Hansen); "usually rather shallow, moderately narrow to rather wide, often somewhat furrowed and wrinkled" (Beach); "shallow, wide, often furrowed and wrinkled" (Hedrick); moderate (Bunyard).

Skin

Dull orange, mostly covered with rich dull red, dotted and mottled with large yellow russet specks (Elliott); rough, yellow, covered with red, splashed with bright red (Warder); rather rough, yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with shades of light and dark rich red (Downing main entry); dull orange, half covered or more with rich, dull red, dotted and mottled with large yellow russet specks (Downing's earlier variety); rich orange, dotted, mottled, and obscurely striped with bright red, slightly russeted (Thomas); rough, yellow, shaded with light and dark rich red, with bright red stripes and splashes (Budd & Hansen); "yellow with thin orange blush, in highly colored specimens deepening to orange-red, mottled and sparingly splashed or striped with carmine. Prevailing effect dull orange-yellow partly covered with thin dull red; not particularly attractive" (Beach); "yellow with thin orange blush, in highly-colored specimens deepening to orange-red, mottled and sparingly splashed or striped with carmine; prevailing effect dull orange-yellow" (Hedrick); "pale yellow, with bold red stripes and flush" (Bunyard); striped or splashed red skin (Lowther). The Central Experimental Farm reports skin as "rough, yellow, striped with two shades of red" (1894 planting) and "yellow, with splashes of red" (1895 planting).

Dots

Numerous, prominent, fawn-colored (Warder); moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots (Downing main entry); many, prominent, light russet (Budd & Hansen); "numerous, whitish or russet, often areolar" (Beach); "numerous, white or russet, often areolar" (Hedrick).

Flesh / Flavor

Whitish, firm at first, becoming tender when well matured, sub-acid, aromatic flavor (Elliott); yellowish white, breaking, coarse-grained, juicy; flavor acid to sub-acid, rich; quality good to very good (Warder); yellowish, a little coarse, tender, juicy, slightly subacid (Downing main entry); yellowish, a little coarse, breaking, tender, rich, aromatic (Downing's earlier-described variety); firm, becoming tender, with a high, rich, rather acid flavor (Thomas); yellowish, coarse-grained, tender, firm, juicy, rich mild subacid, very good (Budd & Hansen); "tinged with yellow, firm, nearly fine, crisp, rather tender, juicy, subacid, sprightly, good for dessert, excellent for cooking" (Beach); "yellow, firm, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid, sprightly, good for dessert; excellent for cooking" (Hedrick); "firm, yellow, moderate flavour" (Bunyard); "tender, juicy, mildly acid" (Central Experimental Farm 1894 planting); "yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant" (Central Experimental Farm 1895 planting). Thomas summarizes the fruit overall as "a large, handsome, high-flavored, but coarse fruit." Bunyard notes that the fruit is "considered by many to be worthy of dessert use late in the season."

Core / Seeds

Small, compact; seeds few, defective (Elliott); core small, turbinate, regular, clasping; seeds few, angular imperfect (Warder); core small (Downing main entry); core small, clasping, cells obovate, axile, tube conical, seeds few, angular, imperfect (Budd & Hansen); "core axile, medium to small, closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish, rather flat, slightly emarginate. Seeds few, often some are abortive, rather long, irregular, flat, obtuse or somewhat acute" (Beach); "core axile, small, closed; core-lines clasping; carpels broadly roundish, flat, emarginate; seeds few, often long, irregular, flat, obtuse or acute" (Hedrick).

Season

November to January (Elliott); September, October (Warder); December to March (Downing main entry; Budd & Hansen); November to February (Downing's earlier-described variety); early winter (Thomas); winter (Lowther); "Season somewhat variable; often extending till May. Commercial limit usually March" (Beach); "often extending to May" (Hedrick); "till March" (Bunyard). Central Experimental Farm reports season as "January and February" (1894 planting) and "December to January" (1895 planting).

Uses

Use: kitchen, market, drying (Warder). "Excellent for cooking, good for dessert and a good keeper. It is recommended for the home orchard, but because the color of the fruit lacks decided character it is not a good commercial variety, except for canning or evaporating" (Beach). "Good for dessert; excellent for cooking" (Hedrick). Culinary or dessert (Bunyard); "a most useful, fertile fruit. Considered by many to be worthy of dessert use late in the season" (Bunyard). Primary use is market (Lowther).

Subtypes / Variants

Downing distinguishes two varieties carried under the name Dutch Mignonne:

1. The variety described in his main entry: tree moderately vigorous, upright, spreading, young wood dark brown, downy, productive; fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic; skin rather rough, yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with shades of light and dark rich red, moderately sprinkled with light and brown dots; stalk medium, slender; cavity large, often russeted; calyx partially open with erect segments; basin large, slightly corrugated; flesh yellowish, a little coarse, tender, juicy, slightly subacid; core small; good to very good; December to March.

2. The variety described in the first edition of his book (true name uncertain): "a more vigorous grower, forming a very large spreading tree, and bearing its fruit singly and very evenly distributed over the whole of the branches. Young wood very stout, dark reddish brown. Fruit large, often very large, roundish oblate. Skin dull orange, half covered or more with rich, dull red, dotted and mottled with large yellow russet specks. Calyx very large. Segments divided and reflexed. Basin very broad, large, and deep, slightly corrugated. Flesh yellowish, a little coarse, breaking, tender, rich, aromatic. Very good. November to February."

Other

Lowther's Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture reports the variety as good in quality, primary use market, season of ripening winter; it was reported by 5 stations in the Northern Division, 2 stations in the Central Division, and 1 station in the Southern Division, with an asterisk indicating cross-division reporting in all three divisions.

The Central Experimental Farm at Agassiz BC documented two plantings under test: one planted Spring 1894 and one planted Spring 1895, with the differing tree-vigor and fruit-character observations noted above.

Downing's entry is followed in the same volume by a separate entry for "Reinette de Caux" (which appears as a synonym for Dutch Mignonne in other sources): "Of French origin. Tree vigorous, productive. Fruit large, roundish, slightly oblate, yellow, splashed and mottled with bright red in the sun, many gray dots. Stalk slender. Calyx half closed. Flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, agreeable aromatic, subacid. January, February. (Alb. Pom.)"