Golden Reinette
AppleOrigin/History
The Golden Reinette is a very popular dessert fruit in England and on the Continent, combining beauty and high flavor (Downing). It has long been highly esteemed in England but is little known in New York (Beach Vol. 1). Elliott identifies it as of foreign origin. Beach describes it as an excellent dessert apple but rather small.
In addition to the standard English variety, at least two Russian apples were disseminated in America under the name Golden Reinette. One was described by Munson as a promising autumn apple for Northern Maine; the other was sent out by Professor Budd from the Bogdanoff estates in Russia, though Budd later reported it had "not proven true to name" and was in fact "a member of the Anis family, of fine size and excellent quality" (Beach Vol. 2).
Tree
Tree rather slow growing, below medium in size, spreading, bears annually and is productive. The fruit hangs well to the tree (Beach Vol. 1).
Fruit
Size
Downing describes the fruit as below medium size; Beach Vol. 1 and Elliott both describe it as small.
Form
Roundish, somewhat oblate, very regularly formed; pretty uniform in size and shape (Beach Vol. 1, Downing). Downing adds "a little flattened."
Stem
Medium in length, moderately thick (Beach Vol. 1).
Cavity
Regular, deep (Beach Vol. 1).
Calyx
Large, open (Beach Vol. 1).
Basin
Broad, shallow (Beach Vol. 1).
Skin
Skin usually smooth. Greenish-yellow on the shaded side but golden-yellow in the sun, with a dull blush lightly streaked with brighter red (Beach Vol. 1). Downing describes the skin as smooth, golden yellow, washed and striped with fine soft red on the sunny side, mingled with scattered russet dots. Beach Vol. 1 notes a few minute, triangular, russet spots rather than scattered russet dots. Elliott describes it as greenish yellow, a little red.
Flesh/Flavor
Flesh yellow, juicy, crisp. Downing describes the flavor as "a rich, brisk subacid" and rates quality as "Good." Beach Vol. 1 describes the flavor as "brisk, rich, subacid" and rates quality as "excellent." Elliott, in contrast, describes the flavor as "mild sub-acid."
Core/Seeds
Calyx tube funnel-shape. Stamens marginal. Core axile. Carpels obovate (Beach Vol. 1).
Season
October to January (Downing, Elliott). Beach Vol. 1 gives the season as October to midwinter.
Uses
Described as a dessert apple (Downing, Beach Vol. 1).
Subtypes/Variants
Beach Vol. 2 describes at least two Russian varieties imported under the name Golden Reinette, both distinct from the true English variety:
Russian Golden Reinette (Munson): Described as a promising autumn apple for Northern Maine, in season from September to December. Fruit small, golden yellow washed and splashed with carmine. Beach considered it decidedly inferior to the standard varieties of its season in general cultivation throughout New York, but noted it may have some value in more northern or elevated regions on account of superior hardiness.
The tree of this Russian variety is moderately vigorous with short, moderately stout, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs long, curved, stout; internodes medium. Bark brown, mingled with reddish-brown, mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, large, oblong, raised. Buds prominent, large, broad, long, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.
Fruit medium to below. Form oblate conic to strongly roundish conic, flattened at the base, ribbed, rather irregular; sides unequal. Stem short, thick. Cavity acuminate, medium in depth to rather deep, moderately broad, often compressed, usually not russeted. Calyx large, open or partly closed, leafy; lobes usually separated at base, long, acute to acuminate. Basin shallow to moderately deep, medium in width to narrow, usually abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin pale greenish-yellow with faint splashes and stripes of red. Calyx tube large, wide, broadly conical. Stamens basal to median. Core medium size, often abaxile; cells usually unsymmetrical, closed or open; core lines clasping or nearly meeting. Carpels broadly roundish to elliptical. Seeds medium brown, medium to below, plump, rather obtuse. Flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, mild subacid. Season September to December.
Russian Golden Reinette (Budd, No. 51 Vor.): Disseminated by Professor Budd from the Bogdanoff estates in Russia. Budd initially described the fruit as medium to large, golden in color, fine-grained, juicy, subacid, almost best in quality. The tree proved hardy on a great variety of soils where the air had free circulation; at Ames, Iowa, its wood was not colored by cold when the Wealthy nearby in the nursery was nearly killed. Fruit medium to large, golden yellow, fine-grained, subacid, and nearly best in quality. Season December to February, depending on time of picking and mode of storage. Budd later reported in 1892 that this variety had "not proven true to name as received from the Bogdanoff estates in Russia" and was "a member of the Anis family, of fine size and excellent quality. Season late fall, and early winter north."
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1917) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Golden Reinette.
Reinette, Golden. Wyker Pippin. Aurore. Elizabet. Kirke's Golden Reinette. Wygers. Yellow German Reinette. Megginch Favorite. Reinette d'Aix. Dundee. English Pippin. Reinette Giden. Court pendu Dore. Princesse Noble, of the French.
The Golden Reinette is a very popular dessert fruit in England and on the Continent, combining beauty and high flavor.
Fruit below medium size, very regularly formed, roundish, a little flattened. Skin smooth, golden yellow, washed and striped with fine soft red on the sunny side, mingled with scattered russet dots. Flesh yellow, crisp, with a rich, brisk subacid. Good. October to January.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)GOLDEN REINETTE.
REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:51. 2. Coxe, 1817:152. fig. 3. Thacher, 1822:125. 4. Floy-Lindley, 1833:37. 5. Pom. Mag., 2:69. 1841. col. pl. 6. Downing, 1845:129. 7. Thomas, 1849:167. 8. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:63. 1851. 9. Warder, 1867:720. 10. Leroy, 1873:591. fig. 11. Hogg, 1884:92.
SYNONYMS. English Pippin (4, 5, 6, 10, 11). GOLDEN REINETTE, of all English writers on Gardening. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. No. 905 (5). GOLDEN RENNET (1, 2, 3). Kirke's Golden Reinette (6, 11). PRINCESSE NOBLE (10). Yellow German Reinette (4, 5, 6, 10, 11).
An excellent dessert apple but rather small. In season from October to midwinter. It has long been highly esteemed in England (4, 5, 11) but is little known in New York. The Russian varieties which have been imported under the name Golden Reinette ripen in autumn. They will be considered in Volume II.
TREE.
Tree rather slow growing, below medium in size, spreading, bears annually and is productive. The fruit hangs well to the tree.
FRUIT.
Fruit small. Form roundish, somewhat oblate; pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem medium in length, moderately thick. Cavity regular, deep. Calyx large, open. Basin broad, shallow. Skin usually smooth with a few minute, triangular, russet spots; greenish-yellow on the shaded side but golden-yellow in the sun, with a dull blush lightly streaked with brighter red. Calyx tube funnel-shape. Stamens marginal. Core axile. Carpels obovate. Flesh yellow, juicy, crisp, brisk, rich, subacid, excellent (5, 6, 11).
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GOLDEN REINETTE.
REFERENCES. 1. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1885:32, 35, 38. 2. Ib., 1890:25. 3. Ib., Ia. Sta. Bul., 19:538. 1892. 4. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 1896:74, 80. 5. Lyon, Mich. Sta. Bul., 152:221. 1898. 6. Munson, Me. Sta. An. Rpt., 18:83. 1902. 7. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 56:124. 1905. SYNONYMS. No. 51 Vor. (1, 2). No. 10 (7). Solotoc renet (1). Zolotoi renet (7).
In addition to the old English variety known as Golden Reinette which has been described in Volume 1, page 142, there are at least two Russian apples that have been disseminated in this country under this name. One is a variety described by Munson as a promising autumn apple for Northern Maine, in season from September to December; fruit small, golden yellow washed and splashed with carmine (4, 6). What appears to be the same variety was received by this Station from Professor Budd, Ames, Ia., in 1890. It is decidedly inferior to the standard varieties of its season, which are in general cultivation throughout New York. Possibly on account of superior hardiness it may have some value in the more northern or elevated regions of the state.
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous with short, moderately stout, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, rather dense. Twigs long, curved, stout; internodes medium. Bark brown, mingled with reddish-brown, mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels numerous, conspicuous, large, oblong, raised. Buds prominent, large, broad, long, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to below. Form oblate conic to strongly roundish conic, flattened at the base, ribbed, rather irregular; sides unequal. Stem short, thick. Cavity acuminate, medium in depth to rather deep, moderately broad, often compressed, usually not russeted. Calyx large, open or partly closed, leafy; lobes usually separated at base, long, acute to acuminate. Basin shallow to moderately deep, medium in width to narrow, usually abrupt, slightly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin pale greenish-yellow with faint splashes and stripes of red. Calyx tube large, wide, broadly conical. Stamens basal to median. Core medium size, often abaxile; cells usually unsymmetrical, closed or open; core lines clasping or nearly meeting. Carpels broadly roundish to elliptical. Seeds medium brown, medium to below, plump, rather obtuse. Flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, mild subacid. Season September to December.
The other Russian apple, above referred to, was disseminated some years ago by Professor Budd. In 1885 he remarked that he was sending out, under the name Golden Reinette (51 Vor.), a variety having fruit medium to large, golden in color, fine-grained, juicy, subacid, almost best in quality (1). In 1890 he stated: "This has proven a fine tree on a great variety of soils where the air had free circulation. Its northern limit is not yet known, but I have not known its wood colored at Ames when the Wealthy by its side in nursery was nearly killed. Fruit medium to large, golden yellow, fine-grained, subacid, and nearly best in quality. Season here, December to February, depending on time of picking and mode of storage" (2). In 1892 Budd further reported: "This has not proven true to name as received from the Bogdanoff estates in Russia. It is a member of the Anis family, of fine size and excellent quality. Season late fall, and early winter north" (3).
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Golden Reinette. Aurore, | Kirke's Golden Reinette, Yellow German Reinette, | Wyker Pippin, &c., &c. Foreign. Small, roundish, greenish yellow, a little red ; flesh, yellow, crisp, mild sub-acid. October, January.