Magnolia

Apple

Magnolia

Origin/History

Origin, Bolton, Massachusetts. Elliott's description is drawn directly from Downing. Downing additionally notes having received an apple under the name Magnolia from J.W. Dodge of Tennessee, the origin of which cannot be well traced; this is treated as a distinct variant below.

Tree

Growth moderate. Productive.

Fruit

Size: Medium.

Form: Roundish oblate conic (Downing); oblate conic (Elliott); oblate-conical (Thomas). Elliott and Thomas omit the "roundish" qualifier present in Downing.

Stem: Short.

Cavity: Broad, uneven.

Calyx: Closed (Downing, Elliott). Not described in Thomas.

Basin: Small.

Skin: Yellow, beautifully striped and mottled with crimson (Downing, Elliott). Thomas describes it as striped and mottled with crimson on yellow, omitting "beautifully."

Flesh/Flavor: White, tender, juicy, with a brisk, aromatic flavor (Downing, Elliott). Thomas describes the flesh as white and tender with a brisk aromatic flavor, omitting "juicy." Downing adds "subacid" to the flavor description; Elliott and Thomas do not.

Quality: Good to very good (Downing). Not rated in Elliott or Thomas.

Season

October (Downing, Elliott). Mid-autumn (Thomas).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Downing records a second apple circulating under the Magnolia name, received from J.W. Dodge of Tennessee, the origin of which cannot be well traced. It differs substantially from the Bolton original:

Size: Large (vs. medium).
Form: Roundish oblate, inclining to conic, irregular.
Skin: Yellow, striped, mottled, and splashed with red.
Flesh: Yellow (vs. white), a little coarse, tender, juicy, pleasant, slightly aromatic.
Quality: Very good.
Season: December–January (a much later keeping apple than the Bolton original).

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois

Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913

View original book sources (3)

Magnolia.

Origin, Bolton, Mass. Growth moderate, productive.

Fruit medium, roundish oblate conic, yellow, beautifully striped and mottled with crimson. Stalk short, in a broad, uneven cavity. Calyx closed. Basin small. Flesh white, tender, juicy, brisk, aromatic, subacid. Good to very good. October.

We have also received from J. W. Dodge, Tennessee, an apple under this name, the origin of which cannot be well traced. It is large, roundish oblate, inclining to conic, irregular, yellow, striped, mottled, and splashed with red. Flesh yellow, a little coarse, tender, juicy, pleasant, slightly aromatic. Very good. December, January.

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

Magnolia.

Origin, Bolton, Mass. Growth moderate, productive. Fruit, medium, oblate conic ; skin, yellow, beautifully striped and mottled with crimson ; stalk, short, in a broad, uneven cavity ; calyx, closed ; basin, small ; flesh, white, tender, juicy, with a brisk, aromatic flavor. October. (Downing.)

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

Magnolia. Size medium, oblate-conical; striped and mottled with crimson on yellow; stalk short; cavity broad, uneven; basin small; flesh white, tender, with a brisk aromatic flavor. Growth moderate, productive. Mid-autumn.

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