Margil
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
An old English dessert apple, long known to English gardens, though whether of foreign or domestic origin is uncertain (Lindley); Bunyard considers it "doubtless Continental (probably Norman)." Rarely seen in America. Warder notes it is "much better adapted for the closing of a feast than many which are more pretentious in style and imposing in size," and more economical than oversized apples that are cut, left on the table, and wasted. Lindley writes that it is not to be recognized in any of the continental sorts of his day, and ranks it in quality near the Ribston Pippin, which small specimens resemble in colour, form, and spicy flavour — though he judges Margil "not upon the whole so good a fruit." Bunyard rates it "of the highest possible quality" and recommends it be "given a trial in every garden." Bunyard also notes that, according to one author, the name is derived from Marg = marle = marrow. Elliott classifies it simply as "Foreign." Veitch describes it as "esteemed as a prime favourite by connoisseurs."
Tree
Tree of the smallest size among apples (Lindley); slender growth (Warder, Downing); "very weak" growth with moderate fertility (Bunyard). Warder calls it "very productive"; Lindley describes it as "an abundant bearer, either on an open standard, or upon dwarf trees"; Veitch calls it "somewhat unproductive"; Bunyard gives fertility as moderate. Wood wiry, deep brown (Lindley). Leaves remarkably narrow, with little colour, but a good deal of downiness beneath (Lindley); "very narrow, much upfolded, dark, boldly crenate" (Bunyard). Flowers very pale pink, like those of the Ribston Pippin, but rather smaller (Lindley).
Fruit
Size: Small (all sources). Lindley gives about 2 or 2¼ inches long and 1½ or 2 inches broad; Bunyard gives 2¼ by 2¼ inches.
Form: Warder: round, somewhat conic, abruptly truncated, regular. Downing: roundish oblate. Lindley: ovate. Elliott: roundish. Bunyard: rounded conical, angular. Lindley notes the sides are angular, as is the eye.
Stem: Long (Warder); short (Lindley); slender, set in a narrow cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity: Wide, not deep, regular, brown (Warder); narrow (Bunyard).
Calyx/Eye: Small, open, calyx reflexed (Warder); small and angular (Lindley); very small, closed, set in a ribbed basin (Bunyard).
Basin: Wide, shallow, regular (Warder); ribbed (Bunyard).
Skin: Warder: smooth, red, mixed and striped, with prominent yellow dots. Downing: yellow, striped with red. Lindley: light bright orange, striped and mottled with rich red and brown, occasionally a little russetty. Elliott: dull yellow, streaked with red. Bunyard: pale yellow with dull brown-red flush and russet. Veitch: bright yellow, with a bright shading through much of the surface.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellow (Warder, Lindley, Bunyard); white (Elliott). Crisp, fine-grained, juicy (Warder); firm, breaking, juicy, sweet, with a high spicy flavour (Lindley); tender (Elliott); firm, aromatic (Downing); firm, yellow, highly flavoured (Bunyard); fine flavour (Veitch). Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic, very agreeable; quality best (Warder). Lindley compares its spicy flavour to that of the Ribston Pippin.
Core/Seeds: Core turbinate, regular, closed, meeting the eye; seeds numerous, pointed, long (Warder).
Season
Warder: November to January. Downing: October, November. Elliott: Early Winter. Lindley: ripens late in the Autumn and will keep well till March. Bunyard: October to January. Veitch: "ripens late in spring and is best picked at the end of November and stored until November. Sept. to Dec."
Uses
Dessert apple (Warder, Downing, Lindley, Bunyard). Warder especially recommends it for "the closing of a feast."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1897–1917) from England, Illinois
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- 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
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Margil.
A famous old English dessert apple, rarely seen in this country, but much better adapted for the closing of a feast than many which are more pretentious in style and imposing in size. Certainly much more economical to him who provides even at a higher price per bushel than those which are too large to be eaten, and are only cut to be left on the table and wasted. Tree of slender growth, but very productive.
Fruit quite small, round, somewhat conic, abruptly truncated, regular; Surface smooth, red, mixed and striped; Dots yellow, prominent.
Basin wide, shallow, regular; Eye small, open; Calyx reflexed.
Cavity wide, not deep, regular, brown; Stem long.
Core turbinate, regular, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, pointed, long; Flesh yellow, crisp, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, rich, aromatic, very agreeable; Quality best; Season, November to January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Margil. Neverfail. Munche's Pippin. An old English dessert Apple, of slender growth. Fruit small, roundish oblate, yellow, striped with red. Flesh yellow, firm, aromatic. Good. October, November.
— John Lindley, Pomologia Britannica, Vol. 1 (1841)THE MARGIL APPLE
Margil. Forsyth. Hooker's Pomona Lond. no. 33. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 589.
This excellent Apple has long been known to the Gardens of this country, but whether of foreign or domestic origin is uncertain. It is not to be recognised in any of the continental sorts of the present day.
In quality it ranks near the Ribston Pippin, small specimens of which it resembles in colour and form, and also in its spicy flavour; but it is not upon the whole so good a fruit.
Ripens late in the Autumn, and will keep well till March. It is an abundant bearer, either on an open standard, or upon dwarf trees.
TREE of the smallest size among apples.
WOOD wiry, deep brown. LEAVES remarkably narrow, with little colour, but a good deal of downiness beneath.
FLOWERS very pale pink, like those of the Ribston Pippin, but rather smaller.
FRUIT small, ovate, about 2 or 2¼ inches long, and 1½ or 2 inches broad. EYE small, angular, as are also the sides. STALK short. SKIN light bright orange, striped and mottled with rich red and brown, occasionally a little russetty. FLESH yellow, firm, breaking, juicy, sweet, with a high spicy flavour.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Margil. White Margil. Foreign. Small, roundish, dull yellow, streaked with red; flesh, white, tender. Early Winter.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)small, but fine flavour, bright yellow, with a bright shading through much of the surface, somewhat unproductive, but esteemed as a prime favourite by connoisseurs, it ripens late in spring and is best picked at the end of November and stored until November. Sept. to Dec.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)MARGIL. Ronalds, p. 12. F., Reinette Musquée; G., Muskat Reinette. (Reinette d'Hiver Musquée, Small Ribston.) Dessert, October to January, small, 2¼ by 2¼, rounded conical, angular. Colour, pale yellow with dull brown-red flush and russet. Flesh, firm, yellow, highly flavoured. Eye, very small, closed in a ribbed basin. Stem, slender, in a narrow cavity. Growth, very weak; fertility, moderate. Leaf, very narrow, much upfolded, dark, boldly crenate. Origin, doubtless Continental (probably Norman). Of the highest possible quality; it makes a small tree and should be given a trial in every garden. The name is derived from Marg=marle=marrow, according to one author.