Heritage Apple Corps
← All varieties

Minister

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Minister

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Minister

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Warder's account describes an apple of unknown origin and history growing near Indianapolis. It is oblate and angular, yellow mostly covered with mixed red, with an open eye and a small closed core, in season in August and September. These traits are incompatible with the oblong-conical Massachusetts winter apple described by the other authors, and Warder's text may describe a different apple under the same name. Lowther's brief entry (oblate, ripening in early autumn, reported from the Southern Division) agrees with Warder rather than with the Massachusetts descriptions. Their details are kept below and attributed by name.]

Origin / History

Originated on the farm of the late David Saunders, near Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts. Hovey places the farm at Ipswich village, near Rowley, at a date he was unable to ascertain; Downing calls it a New England variety. The late Dr. Spring, of Newburyport, first brought it to notice. He purchased the first fruit brought to market, and from this circumstance it was called the Minister apple. It soon came to the notice of the late Robert Manning, of Salem, who was always collecting whatever appeared new and promising for his pomological garden. Through his exertions it was introduced to the notice of cultivators generally. Beach puts the introduction more than a half century before 1905, and his earliest reference is Manning, 1838. The late Capt. Lovett, of Beverly, whose collection embraced all the finest apples, considered it a most valuable variety. For many successive years he exhibited superior specimens before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Hovey calls it "far less extensively cultivated than its merits deserve." In Essex County it is considerably disseminated and esteemed "by all who know it, as one of the very best winter apples," though "not certainly as the latest keeper." It is confined chiefly to Massachusetts. Its name is not even mentioned among all the varieties brought before the Ohio Pomological Convention at its seven sessions up to 1856, "showing how little it is disseminated in the West." It had never found its way to the Boston market in any quantity. Hovey finds this surprising in an apple "possessed of so many good qualities," and takes it as showing "how slowly even our best fruits acquire a general reputation, or become extensively known."

Beach reports that in Middle New England it is still regarded with favor in many localities on account of its productiveness and good quality. It has failed to win favorable recognition in New York and is not recommended for planting in that state. Of Ohio, Beach quotes: "In Ohio it becomes an autumn apple and is used only for cooking when we have plenty of others that are preferred."

Warder knew a "very nice apple" under this name through his friend Calvin Fletcher, Jr., of Indianapolis, in whose neighborhood it grows. He calls its origin and history unknown. He adds that no satisfactory response had come to the oft-repeated question, "What is this delicious apple?"

Lowther records it from 6 stations in the Southern Division, with an asterisk indicating it is also reported in more than one division. No reports are recorded for the Northern or Central Division.

Tree

A fair-growing tree, moderately vigorous, upright in habit and rather slender while young. It forms its branches at an acute angle and makes a good round head at maturity; Downing calls it upright spreading. Annual shoots or twigs rather slender, upright, short-jointed. Young wood dark reddish chestnut, dotted with numerous grayish specks or lenticels; Downing calls the young shoots dark reddish brown. Old wood grayish chestnut.

Buds small, ovate, short, flattened, with prominent shoulders. Flower-buds medium size (Hovey).

Leaves medium size, ovate, narrowing to each end, sharply pointed, thick. They are bright green above, pale and slightly downy beneath, recurved on the midrib, little folded inwards, wavy, and rather deeply and sharply serrated. Petioles medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout (Hovey).

Flowers large, nearly white; petals ovate, cupped; clusters large (Hovey).

Comes into bearing moderately early (Hovey) or rather early (Beach). A regular and abundant cropper, productive to very productive; Budd and Hansen call it an early and heavy bearer. Beach calls the tree healthy, and says it is said to succeed best on good sandy loam.

Fruit

Size: Large; Beach gives large to medium. Hovey measures it about two and a half inches broad and two and three-quarters deep. Warder and Lowther also call their oblate fruit large.

Form: Oblong conical, rather irregular, ribbed, similar to the Yellow Bellflower in outline. The base is broad, flattened, and ribbed. The fruit tapers to a small, very narrow crown, which is also somewhat ribbed, with a few furrows around the eye. Thomas calls the surface more or less wavy. Beach gives the form as roundish ovate to oblong conic. Hovey finds its oblong conical form and "very peculiar formation about the stem" make it one of the most distinct as well as one of the most easily recognized of all apples. Warder and Lowther describe the fruit as oblate, and Warder adds angular.

Stem: Slender, curved to one side, short to long. Measured lengths run from about half an inch, "rather short" (Hovey), to one inch (Downing, Thomas). Warder's fruit has a stem medium to short.

Cavity: Irregular, sometimes russeted or brown; acute (Beach; Budd and Hansen). Depth runs from shallow to deep. Hovey and Thomas call it shallow, while Budd and Hansen call it deep and Downing gives the stalk as pretty deeply inserted. Thomas calls it usually wide, against Beach's rather small and rather narrow. Warder's fruit has a medium, regular, brown cavity.

Calyx: Small, closed; segments short and twisted; eye little sunk (Hovey). Warder alone gives the eye as medium and open.

Basin: Small to rather small, narrow to very narrow, moderately shallow (Beach). It is furrowed, plaited, wrinkled, corrugated, and ribbed. Warder gives it as moderately deep and folded.

Skin: Fair, smooth, with a delicate waxen or waxy-looking surface. The ground is pale yellow, pale greenish yellow, or greenish yellow. It is very distinctly and irregularly striped and splashed with bright red, pale crimson, or bright pale crimson, particularly over the base and near the stalk. Budd and Hansen describe it as covered with bright, rich, mixed red, with obscure carmine stripes and splashes on the sunny side. Warder gives a yellow surface mostly covered with mixed red and splashes of crimson. Showy (Elliott, Thomas); "very prepossessing in its appearance," "beautifully and most distinctly striped" (Hovey). Thomas adds that it is apt to be warty.

Dots: Minute. Warder describes them as scattering, large, yellow and gray.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white to yellowish, crisp, very tender, breaking, juicy. Hovey calls it fine, against Elliott's coarse and spongy. Warder's fruit has yellow, fine-grained, tender, juicy flesh. Juice plentiful, sprightly, rich, brisk, and high-flavored, of delicate flavor (Hovey); Thomas calls it only moderately rich. Flavor subacid to rather acid. Beach says it is at first briskly subacid but agreeable in flavor and quality when properly ripened, and Downing calls it somewhat acid but very agreeable. Warder calls the flavor of his fruit subacid and aromatic.

Quality runs from "second quality" (Thomas) to "very good," with Downing giving "Good to very good" and Elliott and Budd and Hansen "good." Hovey ranks it among "the very best winter apples," unsurpassed in tenderness, juice, and delicacy of flavor in December and January. Beach says that properly ripened it develops excellent quality. Warder rates his fruit "best for dessert," and Lowther calls his of good quality.

Core and seeds: Core rather large to large, open to partially open, with cells partly open. Seeds small, obovate, plump. Warder alone gives a small, closed core and plump, dark seeds.

Season

Early winter, from October or November to February or later, in greatest perfection in December and January. Hovey gives it as ripe in December and keeping till February. Elliott ends the season at December. Beach gives November to February or later in Middle New England, and reports that in Ohio it becomes an autumn apple. When carelessly handled it rots from bruising or ripens prematurely while too acid. Properly ripened, it loses its brisk acidity and develops excellent quality (Beach).

Warder gives August and September for the Indianapolis fruit, and Lowther gives early autumn.

Uses

Hovey counts it among the very best winter apples. Elliott calls it showy and salable. In Ohio, by the account Beach quotes, it is used only for cooking when there are plenty of other, preferred apples. Warder rates his fruit best for dessert, and Lowther gives his as suited for both kitchen and market use.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 8 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 5 catalogs (1845–1913) from Illinois, Massachusetts

View original book sources (8)

THE MINISTER APPLE,

MiNisTEE. Manning's Book of Fruits.

The Minister apple is far less extensively cultivated than its merits deserve. In Essex County, Massachusetts, where it originated, it is considerably disseminated, and is esteemed, by all who know it, as one of the very best winter apples ; not certainly as the latest keeper, but in the tenderness of its flesh, in the abundance of its sprightly juice, and the delicacy of its flavor, unsurpassed in the months of December and January, when it is in its greatest perfection. It is also very prepossessing in its appearance, as well as distinct in its form, having a delicate pale yellow and waxy-looking skin, beautifully and most distinctly striped with pale crimson; while its oblong conical form, similar to the Bellflower, and very peculiar formation about the stem, render it one of the most distinct as well as one of the most easily recognized of all apples.

The Minister originated on the farm of the late David Saunders, of Ipswich village, near Rowley, Mass., but at what period we have been unable to ascertain. It was first brought to notice by the late Dr. Spring, of Newburyport, who purchased the first fruit that was brought to market, and from this circumstance it was called the Minister apple. It soon came under the notice of the late R. Manning, of Salem, who was always collecting whatever appeared new and promising, for his pomological garden, and through his exertions it was introduced to the notice of cultivators generally. Subsequently, the late Capt. Lovett, of Beverly, added it to his collection, which embraced all the finest apples ; he considered it a most valuable variety, and, for many successive years, exhibited superior specimens before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

We have remarked that it is not so extensively cultivated as many other apples, being confined chiefly to Massachusetts. Among all the varieties brought before the Ohio Pomological Convention at its seven sessions up to 1856, we do not find even its name mentioned, showing how little it is disseminated in the West. It has never yet found its way to the Boston market in any quantity. Possessed of so many good qualities this may appear surprising, and it shows how slowly even our best fruits acquire a general reputation, or become extensively known.

The Minister is a fair growing tree, upright in habit, rather slender while young, but forming, at mature age, a good round head. It comes into bearing moderately early, and produces abundant crops.

Tree. — Moderately vigorous, upright in its growth, forming its branches at an acute angle, with rather slender annual shoots; old trees making a good head.

Wood. — Dark reddish chestnut, dotted with numerous grayish specks, rather slender and short-jointed; buds, small, ovate, short, flattened, with prominent shoulders ; old wood, grayish chestnut : Flower-buds, medium size.

Leaves. — Medium size, ovate, narrowing to each end, sharply pointed, thick, bright green above, pale and slightly downy beneath, recurved on the midrib, little folded inwards, wavy, and rather deeply and sharply serrated ; petioles medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout.

Flowers. — Large, nearly white ; petals, ovate, cupped ; clusters, large.

Fruit. — Large, about two and a half inches broad, and two and three quarters deep : Form, oblong conical, similar to the Bellflower, ribbed at the base, which is flattened, and tapering to the crown, which is small, and also somewhat ribbed : Skin, fair, smooth, pale greenish yellow, very distinctly and irregularly striped with bright red : Stem, rather short, about half an inch in length, slender, and inserted in a small, irregular and shallow cavity : Eye, small, closed, and little sunk in a small, furrowed basin ; segments of the calyx, short, twisted : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, crisp, and very tender: Juice, plentiful, rich, subacid, brisk, and high-flavored : Core, rather large, and partially open : Seeds, small, obovate, plump.

Ripe in December, and keeps till February.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Minister. From Massachusetts. Tree, productive. Fruit, large, oblong conical, ribbed ; red striped on greenish yellow ; stem, slender ; calyx, small, closed ; basin, furrowed ; flesh, yellowish white, coarse, spongy ; "good ;" showy and salable. October to December.

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

Minister.

This very nice apple was introduced to my attention by my very good friend Calvin Fletcher, Jr., of Indianapolis, in which neighborhood it grows. Its origin and history are unknown, nor do any satisfactory responses come to the oft-repeated question—What is this delicious apple?

Fruit large, oblate, angular; Surface yellow, mostly covered with mixed red and splashes of crimson; Dots scattering, large, yellow and gray.

Basin moderately deep, folded; Eye medium, open.

Cavity medium, regular, brown; Stem medium to short.

Core small, closed; Seeds plump, dark; Flesh yellow, fine-grained, tender, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic; Quality best for dessert; Season, August and September.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Minister.

A New England variety, introduced to notice by the late R. Manning. It originated on the farm of Mr. Saunders, Rowley, Mass. Tree moderately vigorous, upright spreading, very productive. Young shoots dark reddish brown.

Fruit large, oblong, tapering to the eye, around which are a few furrows— and resembling the Yellow Belle-Fleur in outline. Skin striped and splashed near the stalk, with bright red on a greenish yellow ground. Stalk an inch long, slender, curved to one side, and pretty deeply inserted. Calyx small, closed, inserted in a very narrow plaited or furrowed basin. Flesh yellowish white, very tender, with a somewhat acid, but very agreeable flavor. Good to very good. Core large and open. October to February.

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

Minister. Large, rather irregular, oblong-conical, ribbed, surface more or less wavy, base broad, apex very narrow; very distinctly striped with red on greenish yellow ground; stalk one inch long, slender; cavity usually wide, shallow, and irregular; flesh yellowish, moderately rich, sub-acid, flavor second quality. Productive, fair, and showy. Early winter. Apt to be warty. Mass.

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

MINISTER.

REFERENCES. 1. Manning, 1838:62. 2. Downing, 1845:116. 3. Ives, Mag. Hort., 14:264. 1848. 4. Thomas, 1849:169. 5. Cole, 1849:124. 6. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:61. 1851. 7. Hovey, 2:95. 1851. fig. and col. pl. 8. Elliott, 1854:147. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1854. 10. Hooper, 1857:61. 11. Warder, 1867:695. 12. Fitz, 1872:145. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:294. 14. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:133. 15. Taylor, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1895:193. 16. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:332. 1896.

SYNONYMS. Minister (7). MINISTER APPLE (7).

Fruit similar to Yellow Bellflower in form, pale waxen yellow splashed and striped with bright pale crimson (1, 7, 11). In Middle New England it is in season from November to February or later (1, 5, 7, 14), and is there still regarded with favor in many localities on account of its productiveness and good quality. "In Ohio it becomes an autumn apple and is used only for cooking when we have plenty of others that are preferred" (11). When carelessly handled it rots from bruising or ripens prematurely while too acid, but when properly ripened it loses its brisk acidity and develops excellent quality (5). The tree is healthy, moderately vigorous, a rather early bearer and a regular and abundant cropper (2, 5, 7, 11, 13). It is said to succeed best on good sandy loam (5, 12). The following account of the tree and fruit is taken from descriptions given by various writers (1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 13).

Historical. Originated on the farm of David Saunders near Rowley, Massachusetts. Introduced by Robert Manning of Salem, Massachusetts, more than a half century ago (1, 7). It has failed to win favorable recognition in New York and is not recommended for planting in this state.

TREE.

Tree moderately vigorous. Form upright while young but becoming roundheaded as it matures. Twigs slender, upright; internodes short. Bark dark reddish-chestnut. Lenticels numerous, gray. Buds small, short, ovate, flattened with prominent shoulders. Leaves medium in size, ovate, acute.

FRUIT.

Fruit large to medium. Form roundish ovate to oblong conic, ribbed, irregular, flattened at the base. Stem curved to one side, short to long, slender. Cavity rather small, acute, shallow to rather deep, rather narrow, irregular, sometimes russeted. Calyx small, closed; lobes short and twisted. Basin rather small, moderately shallow, narrow, furrowed and wrinkled. Skin smooth, waxen, pale yellow or greenish-yellow irregularly splashed and striped with bright red particularly over the base. Dots minute. Core rather large; cells partly open. Seeds small, plump, obovate. Flesh yellowish-white, crisp, very tender, breaking, juicy, at first briskly subacid but when properly ripened agreeable in flavor and quality.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Minister.—Origin, Rowley, Massachusetts; tree moderately vigorous, early and heavy bearer.

Fruit large; oblong conical, ribbed, irregular; surface smooth, greenish yellow, covered with bright, rich, mixed red, with obscure carmine stripes and splashes on sunny side; dots minute; cavity deep, acute, sometimes brown; stem long, slender, curved; basin very narrow, corrugated and ribbed; calyx small, closed. Core large, open; flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy, rather acid, good. Early winter.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Minister is a large, oblate apple of good quality, suited for both kitchen and market use, ripening in early autumn. It was reported by 6 stations in the Southern Division; the asterisk indicates the variety is also reported in more than one division. No reports were recorded for the Northern Division or Central Division.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
Minister Apple