Margaret
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Editor's Note
Margaret
Origin / History
A very old English apple, dating from the seventeenth century according to Bunyard and the 1914 Bunyard catalog, who call it probably English and "a very old English sort" respectively. Lindley counts it "one of the oldest varieties with which we are acquainted." The Herefordshire Pomona holds it "without doubt the Margaret of Rea, Worlidge, Ray, and all our early pomologists." Beach quotes the same statement from Hogg with the further words "except Miller." Beach's references begin with Forsyth, 1803.
Lindley described it as "The Early Red Margaret Apple," and Elliott and Downing entered it as Early Red Margaret. Bunyard's Handbook entered it as "Red Joaneting," citing Ronalds, P. 6, and Veitch listed it as "Joaneting, Red."
Lindley calls it "This excellent summer Apple." He adds that "From this country it has found its way into the German and French gardens, in which it is as much esteemed as in our own." Downing calls it "An excellent early Apple." Veitch calls it "a very old but excellent variety," and the 1901 Bunyard catalog calls it "one of the best early apples."
Beach says it has long been cultivated in his country, "but only to a very limited extent," and is "now rarely propagated by our nurserymen and seldom planted." Lowther's station table records it, as Early Margaret, from 1 station in the Northern Division, 12 in the Central Division, and 9 in the Southern Division. The asterisk on each division figure marks it as reported adapted to more than one division.
Tree
Tree upright, of moderate growth. In size, small according to the Herefordshire Pomona and medium according to Beach. Growth is moderate (Bunyard), medium (Agassiz, from a tree planted spring 1894), or moderately vigorous (Beach). Veitch calls it a slow grower, and Budd and Hansen call it of slender growth. Downing calls it rather slender while young.
Bunyard calls it a shapely upright spreading tree. Hardy and long-lived according to Beach; the Herefordshire Pomona calls it "very hardy," though somewhat liable to canker in light soils.
Wood rather strong, gray, and woolly at the upper end; at the lower end sprinkled with well-marked whitish spots (Lindley). Shoots upright or erect, downy or woolly; reddish brown according to Downing.
Leaves rather large, thick, cordate at the base, with particularly large leafy stipules (Lindley). Bunyard describes the leaf as large, roundish, pea green, upheld and upcupped, deeply bluntly serrate or nearly crenate. Flowers in large dense clusters, cream-colored, slightly tinged with red (Lindley).
Elliott, Downing, Thomas, and Budd and Hansen call it a moderate bearer, Elliott a "regular, moderate bearer." Beach says it comes into bearing fairly young and is a pretty reliable biennial cropper. The English sources rate it more productive: it "bears freely" (Herefordshire Pomona), its "fertility great" (Bunyard), and the Bunyard catalogs call it fertile.
When grafted on the paradise or pomme paradis stock, it is well adapted for growing dwarf, either for potting or for training as a pyramid or espalier (Herefordshire Pomona). Veitch says it succeeds well on the paradise stock. The 1901 Bunyard catalog says that on Paradise it forms fertile garden trees, and on Crab good market orchard trees.
Fruit
Size: Small to medium, most sources placing it at middle size or below medium. Beach gives small to nearly medium. Bunyard calls it small and measures it 2¼ by 2¼.
Form: Roundish ovate, round-ovate, or roundish oblong, somewhat conical to conical, tapering or narrowing toward the eye, and angular toward the eye or basin. Lindley calls it rather angular. Bunyard calls it oval and slightly irregular, and Lowther round.
Stem: Short, thick or stout, about half an inch long.
Cavity: Small and shallow. Elliott calls it medium, and Bunyard wide and not russet.
Calyx: The eye is half open and prominent (Herefordshire Pomona; Budd and Hansen) or open (Bunyard). Lindley calls it contracted and plaited, and Elliott half closed. Segments long, broad, erect; Budd and Hansen add convergent. The eye is surrounded with a number of puckered knobs (Herefordshire Pomona). Tube funnel-shaped; stamens median (Budd and Hansen).
Basin: Narrow and shallow to very shallow, plaited or corrugated, with small knobs around the eye. Bunyard calls it slightly ribbed.
Skin: Greenish yellow or yellowish, green in the shade. It is richly and closely streaked, striped all over, pretty well covered, or nearly covered with stripes of dark or deep red, with a bright red flush next the sun. The red is given as dark crimson in the sun by Elliott, and as dull red by Thomas and Beach; Beach calls it striped and marbled, and Thomas somewhat russeted. Agassiz found it green, "feebly covered with splashes of bright red," and Lowther gives striped or splashed red.
Dots: Gray, russety, distinct, strewn over the skin.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white or greenish white, juicy. It is breaking (Lindley) or crisp (Agassiz), against fine grained and tender (Elliott; Thomas, tender) or soft (Bunyard; 1914 Bunyard catalog). Flavor subacid, brisk, vinous, fresh, rich and agreeable, with a pleasant and very refreshing flavor.
Agassiz found it sprightly and acid, and the 1914 Bunyard catalog "pleasantly acid." Lindley says it is "very rich and agreeable, without any perfume or spicy flavour"; the 1901 Bunyard catalog, however, credits it with a "rich aroma." Veitch calls it "finely flavoured." Downing gives it "a rich, agreeable flavor" when freshly gathered from the tree.
Most sources rate it "good"; Thomas gives "good when fresh," and Budd and Hansen "good when freshly picked." Elliott and Lowther rate it "very good." The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "a first rate early dessert apple." Lindley calls it, of all the summer fruit, "beyond comparison the best."
Core and seeds: Core closed; cells roundish ovate, or obovate, axile (Budd and Hansen).
Season
Summer, from mid-July to the end of August; among the earliest apples. Most authors give July or August. Downing, Thomas, and Budd and Hansen put it directly after or scarcely earlier than Early Harvest, Thomas at wheat harvest. Downing gives about the middle of July. Agassiz gives the end of July to the end of August. Lindley calls it "the earliest, or nearly so, of all the summer fruit," and Bunyard "the second earliest of all apples."
It soon becomes mealy. Lindley and Veitch say it should be eaten fresh from the tree, though Lindley adds that it "will keep several days without being materially injured." The Herefordshire Pomona says it should not be allowed to ripen on the tree, or it will very quickly become mealy. Budd and Hansen advise gathering it a few days before it ripens on the tree.
Uses
A dessert apple. Beach rates it suitable for the home orchard only. The 1914 Bunyard catalog calls it "an excellent Children's apple." Lowther lists its use as both kitchen and market.
Subtypes / Variants
Bunyard takes the Red Margaret to be a red sport of this apple. It agrees in all respects except that its color is very much deeper and unstriped.
Other
Figured in Langley's Pomona, t. 74, f. 1 (cited by Lindley), and by Lindley, Pl. 46 (Herefordshire Pomona). Elliott warns that it should not be confounded with Early Strawberry, which is oftener grown as Red Juneating. Lowther enters it under the heading "Margaret (Ha. M.)."
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the second Agassiz entry (planted spring 1895) does not match the summer Margaret. It describes a vigorous tree bearing a small, roundish, flat fruit; skin green, sprinkled with whitish dots; flesh greenish yellow, juicy, mildly acid, with a pleasant flavor; quality good; season February.]
Book Sources
Described in 9 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as RED JOANETING
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Margaret (Ha. M.)
- The Herefordshire Pomona (1876–1885)
- Lindley, Pomologia Britannica Vol. 1 (1841) — listed as Early Red Margaret Apple
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Early Red Margaret
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Early Red Margaret
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Early Red Margaret
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Margaret, Early Red
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1845–1913) from England, Illinois, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Early June
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Early Red Juneating
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Herr June
View original book sources (13)
— John Lindley, Pomologia Britannica, Vol. 1 (1841)THE EARLY RED MARGARET APPLE.
The Margaret Apple. Langley's Pomona, t. 74, f. 1. Early Red Margaret. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. p. 129. Early Margaret............. } Red Juneating.............. } of various Gardens. Early Striped Juneating.... } Eve Apple, of the Irish Gardens. Margaretha Apfel........... } Rother Jacobs Apfel........ } of the Germans.
This excellent summer Apple is one of the oldest varieties with which we are acquainted. It is the earliest, or nearly so, of all the summer fruit, and beyond comparison the best. From this country it has found its way into the German and French gardens, in which it is as much esteemed as in our own.
It should be eaten fresh from the tree, to be tasted in perfection; but will keep several days without being materially injured.
Wood rather strong, gray, and woolly at the upper end; at the lower, sprinkled with well-marked whitish spots.
Leaves rather large, thick, cordate at the base, with particularly large leafy stipulæ.
Flowers in large dense clusters, cream-coloured, slightly tinged with red.
Fruit middle-sized, roundish oblong, rather angular, tapering a little to the eye. Stalk short, thick. Eye contracted, plaited. Skin greenish yellow, richly and closely streaked with deep red. Flesh white, juicy, breaking, subacid, very rich and agreeable, without any perfume or spicy flavour.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Early Red Margaret.
Early June, } of South, Red Juneating, Red June, } Striped Juneating, June, of Ohio, Early Red Juneating, Eve Apple, of the Irish, Margaretha Apfel, of Germans.
This should not be confounded with Early Strawberry — oftener grown as Red Juneating. Tree, a regular, moderate bearer, upright, downy shoots. Fruit, medium or below, roundish oblong conical ; green in shade, dark crimson red in sun ; stem, short, thick : cavity, medium : calyx, half closed ; basin, shallow ; flesh, white, fine grained, tender ; "very good." July.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- MARGARET.
[Syn : Early Red Margaret; Early Margaret; Early Red Juneating; Red Juneating; Striped Juneating; Early Striped Juneating; Striped Quarrenden ; Summer Traveller ; Eve Apple in Ireland; Marget Apple ; Maudlin; Magdalene ; Marguerite; Lammas.]
This is a very old English apple. It is without doubt the Margaret of Rea, Worlidge, Ray, and all our early pomologists. It is figured by Lindley, Pl. 46.
Description.—Fruit: middle sized ; roundish ovate, and narrowing towards the eye, when it is angular. Skin : greenish yellow on the shaded side, but bright red next the sun, striped all over with dark red, and strewed with grey russetty dots. Eye : half open and prominent, with long, broad, erect segments, surrounded with a number of puckered knobs. Stalk : short and thick, about half an inch long, inserted in a small and shallow cavity. Flesh : greenish white, brisk, juicy, and vinous, with a pleasant and very refreshing flavour.
The Margaret is a first rate early dessert apple, with a fresh, juicy, vinous flavour. It is ripe in the beginning of August and should not be allowed to ripen on the tree or it will very quickly become mealy.
The tree is small in size, and well adapted for growing dwarf either for potting, or for training as a pyramid, or espalier, when grafted on the paradise or pomme paradis stock. It bears freely and is very hardy, though somewhat liable to canker in light soils.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Early Red Margaret. Margaret, or Striped Juneating. Striped June. Early Red Juneating. Striped Juneating. Red Juneating. Eve Apple of the Irish. Margaretha Apfel of the Germans. An excellent early Apple, ripening about the middle of July, or directly after the Early Harvest. The tree while young is rather slender, with reddish brown upright woolly shoots. It is a moderate bearer. Fruit below medium size, roundish ovate, tapering towards the eye. Skin greenish yellow, pretty well covered by stripes of dark red. Flesh white, subacid, and, when freshly gathered from the tree, of a rich, agreeable flavor. Good.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Early Red Margaret. Medium, round-ovate; striped with dull red, somewhat russeted; stalk half an inch long, thick; basin plaited, narrow, very shallow; flesh sub-acid, tender, good when fresh; ripens at wheat harvest, scarcely earlier than Early Harvest. Shoots erect, downy; moderate bearer. England.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)MARGARET.
REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:50. 2. Am. Gard. Cal., 1806:584. 3. Forsyth, 1824:114. 4. Pom. Mag., 1:No.46. 1828. col. pl. 5. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 708. 6. Kenrick, 1832:26. 7. Floy-Lindley, 1833:7. 8. Manning, 1838:46. 9. Downing, 1845:73. fig. 10. Cole, 1849:98. 11. Thomas, 1849:137. fig. 12. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:11. 1851. 13. Elliott, 1854:145. 14. Hooper, 1857:31. 15. Warder, 1867:717. 16. Fitz, 1872:160. 17. Downing, 1872:10 index, app. 18. Leroy, 1873:454. fig. 19. Barry, 1883:332. 20. Hogg, 1884:141. 21. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:238. 22. Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354. 23. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:299. 1901. 24. Budd-Hansen, 1903:124.
SYNONYMS. D'Eve (18). Duverson's June (17). Early June of South (13). EARLY MARGARET (16). Early Margaret (4, 20). Early Red (24). EARLY RED JUNEATING (6). Early Red Juneating (7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 20). EARLY RED MARGARET (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21). Early Red Margaret (6, 13, 18, 20, 23). Early Striped Juneating (4, 5, 6, 7, 20). Eve Apple (7, of Ireland 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 20). Herr's June (17). June of some in Ohio (13). Lammas (3, 20). Magdalene (20). MARGARET (1, 2, 3, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24). Margaret (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 18). Margaret, Early (5). MARGARET, EARLY RED (5). Margaretha Apfel (4, 7, 9, 12, 13). Marget Apple (20). MARGUERITE (18). Marguerite (5, 20). Maudlin (18, 20). Red Joaneting (22). Red June of South (13). Red Juneating (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20). Red Juneting (3). Reinette Quarrendon (18). Rother Jacobs (18). Rother Jacobs Apfel (4, 7). Striped Juneating (5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18, 20). Striped Quarendon (17). Striped Quarrenden (5, 18, 20). Summer Traveller (5, 17, 20). Virginia June (17).
An early summer apple, small to nearly medium, roundish ovate, yellowish striped and marbled with dull red. Flesh pleasant subacid, good; season late July and early August. It is a dessert apple suitable for the home orchard only. The tree is of medium size, moderately vigorous, upright, hardy, long-lived, comes into bearing fairly young and is a pretty reliable biennial cropper.
Historical. This is a very old English variety. Hogg (20) states that "It is without doubt the Margaret of Rea, Worlidge, Ray, and all our early pomologists except Miller." It has long been cultivated in this country, but only to a very limited extent. It is now rarely propagated by our nurserymen and seldom planted.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Margaret, Early Red.—A very old English variety, of slender growth; a moderate bearer; fruit good when freshly picked, but soon becomes mealy. It is desirable to gather it a few days before it ripens on the tree.
Fruit below medium, roundish ovate, somewhat conical, angular toward basin; surface greenish yellow, nearly covered with dark red stripes, brighter red on sunny side; dots gray, russet, distinct; cavity small, shallow; stem short, stout; basin narrow, very shallow, corrugated, with small knobs around the eye; calyx prominent, half open; segment long, broad, erect convergent. Core closed; cells roundish ovate, or obovate, axile; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh greenish white, brisk, juicy, pleasant, rich, refreshing subacid, good. July, immediately after early harvest.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Margaret (Ha. M.) is a medium-sized apple with red skin. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: summer. Division reporting stations: not recorded.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Early Margaret", pp. 449–449]
Early Margaret is a medium-sized apple of round form with striped or splashed (red) skin. Quality is very good; use is both kitchen and market. Season is summer. It was reported by 1 station in the Northern Division, 12 stations in the Central Division, and 9 stations in the Southern Division; the asterisk on each division figure indicates the variety is reported as adapted to more than one division.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)RED JOANETING. Ronalds, P. 6. F., Marguerite; G., Roter Morgareten. (Eve, Lammas, Striped Quarrenden, Margaret.) Dessert, early August, small, 2¼ by 2¼, oval, slightly irregular. Colour, greenish-yellow, nearly covered with red stripes and flush. Flesh, soft, greenish-white, sub-acid. Eye, open, in a shallow, slightly ribbed basin. Stem, short and stout, in a wide, not russet cavity. Growth, moderate, making a shapely upright spreading tree; fertility great. Leaf, large, roundish, pea green, upheld and upcupped, deeply bluntly serrate or nearly crenate. Origin, probably English, dating from the seventeenth century. The second earliest of all apples. The Red Margaret is I think a red sport from this apple as it agrees in all respects save the colour is very much deeper and unstriped.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a medium grower. Fruit below medium size, conical. Skin green, feebly covered with splashes of bright red. Flesh white, crisp, juicy, sprightly, acid, quality good. Season end of July to end of August.
Planted Spring 1895. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit small, roundish, flat. Skin green, sprinkled with whitish dots. Flesh greenish yellow, juicy, mildly acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season February.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Medium, one of the best early apples; rich aroma. On Paradise, forms fertile garden trees, and on Crab, good market orchard trees.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)Joaneting, Red, medium size, a finely flavoured early variety. Should be eaten fresh from the tree as it soon becomes mealy, it is a slow grower but succeeds well on the paradise stock, a very old but excellent variety ... August
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Aug. Small, conical, red striped; soft, and pleasantly acid; an excellent Children's apple; fertile. A very old English sort dating from 17th century.