Henniker

Origin/History

Henniker originated in Suffolk, England, between approximately 1840 and 1850 (Beach). The variety was awarded a first-class certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1873 (Beach).

The two sources that name a raiser disagree: Downing credits "John Perkins, Thornham Hall, Suffolk," while Bunyard attributes the variety to "Lord Henniker, at Thornham Hill, Suffolk, about 1845." Both agree on the general location and period.

It has not been widely disseminated in the United States and was but little known in New York as of 1905 (Beach). The variety appears in period literature under the name "Lady Henniker" (Downing, Bunyard, and cited as a synonym by Beach).

Tree

The tree is healthy and vigorous (Downing, Beach, Bunyard). Bunyard describes the growth habit as upright and fertile.

Beach provides the most detailed account: branches short, moderately stout, curved, crooked; form roundish or spreading, rather dense. Twigs long to short, stout; internodes medium or below. Bark dark brown tinged with red or partly olive-green, distinctly mottled with gray scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous, scattering, medium to small, roundish, raised, moderately conspicuous. Buds medium, rather prominent, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, free, slightly pubescent.

Leaf rather large, long, flat, sharply serrate, very dark green (Bunyard).

The tree does not come into bearing very young but is quite productive in alternate years; there is apt to be considerable loss from the dropping of the fruit (Beach). Downing describes it as a great bearer.

Fruit

Size

Very large (Downing). Above medium to very large, fairly uniform in size (Beach). Large to very large, measuring 3½ inches by 2¼ inches (Bunyard).

Form

Roundish, slightly conic, angular, with prominent ridges around the eye (Downing). Oblate to roundish, rather obscurely ribbed, often elliptical, not very uniform in shape (Beach). Roundish-oblong, irregular (Bunyard).

Stem

Downing gives the stalk as very short. Beach gives it as short to medium, moderately thick. Bunyard describes the stem as moderately long. These three sources are in partial conflict: Downing and Beach lean toward short, while Bunyard calls it moderately long.

Cavity

Downing: wide, deep, russety. Beach: acuminate or somewhat acute, deep, wide, gently furrowed, often covered with outspreading russet. Bunyard: deep, rather narrow, russet. Downing and Beach agree the cavity is wide; Bunyard describes it as rather narrow — a direct conflict on width.

Calyx

Downing: large, open. Beach: medium to rather large; lobes partly open, broad, acute. Bunyard: closed ("Eye, closed in a wide, deep and boldly ribbed basin"). Downing and Beach describe the calyx as open or partly open; Bunyard describes it as closed — a direct conflict.

Calyx tube rather long, funnel-shape; stamens median or below (Beach).

Basin

Downing: very deep, angular. Beach: moderately deep to rather shallow, medium to rather wide, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Bunyard: wide, deep, and boldly ribbed. Downing calls the basin very deep; Beach is more moderate (moderately deep to rather shallow); Bunyard agrees on depth and emphasizes bold ribbing.

Skin

Skin yellow, shaded with pale red, and broken streaks of crimson on the sunny side (Downing). Color rather deep yellow, blushed and mottled with red and sparingly striped with carmine; prevailing effect rather dull red somewhat mingled with yellow (Beach). Golden-yellow with a bright red flush and a few broad broken stripes (Bunyard).

Skin rather tough, decidedly roughened with capillary netted russet lines and rather large russet dots, and sometimes with broken patches of russet (Beach).

Flesh/Flavor

Flesh very tender in the grain, well flavored, and with a pleasant perfume (Downing). Tinged with yellow, moderately coarse, somewhat crisp, rather tender, juicy, rich, brisk subacid with something of the flavor characteristic of certain russets, becoming rather mild late in the season; good to very good in quality; excellent for cooking but at first rather too briskly acid to be desirable for a dessert apple (Beach). Tender, yellow, with a Blenheim flavour (Bunyard).

Core/Seeds

Core medium to small, axile; cells unsymmetrical, often seedless, irregularly developed; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish or approaching obcordate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds few, medium or above, obtuse to acute, tufted (Beach).

Season

Downing gives the season as October to February. Bunyard gives November to January. Beach gives November to March or April. Sources agree on a late-autumn through winter season; Beach extends the range furthest into spring.

Uses

Chiefly valuable as a cooking variety, but useful also in the dessert (Downing). Excellent for cooking but at first rather too briskly acid to be desirable as a dessert apple (Beach). Classified as culinary (Bunyard). Fruit of good size and excellent quality but not attractive enough in form and color to rank as a first-class commercial variety (Beach). Bunyard notes it is "a good old sort still worth growing."

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Beach reports the variety is not recommended for planting in New York due to its lack of commercial attractiveness and its tendency to drop fruit before harvest.

Beach cites the following published references: Downing, 1876:54; Hogg, 1884:126; Gartenflora, 39:265 (1890, with color plate); Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243; Beach, N.Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:593 (1892); Jour. Royal Hort. Soc., 1898:356; Powell and Fulton, U.S.B.P.I. Bul. 48:44 (1903); Beach and Clark, N.Y. Sta. Bul., 248:124 (1904). Bunyard cites Her. Pom., 67.