Peach (Montreal)
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Peach (Montreal)
Origin / History
Of reputed French origin. Budd and Hansen give the origin as France. Beach records that some writers state the variety is French, among them the Montreal Horticultural Society Report of 1876, the earliest of his references. Hoskins (1894) considers a French origin doubtful: "Some of its characters would indicate it to be a Russian apple which has reached Canada via France, but this is only a conjecture."
Hoskins calls it a very popular fall apple all through Northern New England and Eastern Canada. He says it has long been the leading market apple of its season in Montreal and the surrounding territory on both sides of the line. Beach finds it but little known in New York. He holds that it cannot be expected to displace Oldenburg, which is of the same season, more productive (after Hamilton, 1890), and much better known.
Tree
Hardy, thrifty, vigorous, and very productive. Shoots light brown (Budd and Hansen).
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Only the U.S. Division of Pomology description of 1902, given by Budd and Hansen, calls it large.
Form: Oblong to conical, oval, or roundish oblong. Beach says that in form it somewhat resembles Porter. Lowther's table gives it as round.
Stem: Medium to long, slender.
Cavity: Regular, acute (Hansen), medium. Russeted, the russet in circles (Budd and Hansen).
Calyx: Closed or nearly closed, medium. Hansen describes the segments as large, erect, and convergent, with the tube funnel-shaped and the stamens marginal. The U.S. Division of Pomology description, given by Budd and Hansen, has the segments long, narrow, and slightly reflexed.
Basin: Narrow (Hansen), regular, medium, abrupt. Corrugated or furrowed.
Skin: Thin and tenacious, smooth, glossy, without bloom. Predominantly yellow with some red, sometimes with a bronze blush. The U.S. Division of Pomology description, given by Budd and Hansen, calls the surface white, lightly washed with dull red and indistinctly striped crimson. Lowther's table gives it as striped or splashed red. Hoskins likens the fruit to Yellow Transparent except for its blushed cheek.
Dots: White and suffused (Hansen), or yellow or brown (Budd and Hansen).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white to yellowish white, fine-grained, tender, juicy. Hansen gives the flavor as acid. Budd and Hansen give it as brisk, sprightly subacid. Quality "good" in Hansen and in Budd and Hansen; "VG!" in Lowther's table.
Core and seeds: Core clasping, closed (Hansen), wide, conical, large. Seeds large, short, and brown, ten in number (Budd and Hansen).
Season
Summer to early autumn, the same season as Oldenburg. Hoskins, as cited by Beach, gives September, the season not extending far into October except by extra care, and calls it a very good successor to Yellow Transparent. Lowther's table alone gives winter.
Uses
Kitchen and market. Salable in local markets, but being easily bruised it does not stand transportation well (Beach, after Raynes, Budd, Thomas, and Hoskins).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
In Lowther's station table the variety is reported from one station in the Northern Division and is noted as adapted to more than one division. Its Central Division entry reads "e.,".
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Peach of Montreal
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) — listed as Peach of Montreal
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902) — listed as Peach
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 — listed as Peach
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Montreal Peach
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Montreal Peach
View original book sources (4)
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Peach (Canada Peach, Montreal Peach)—Fruit medium, oblong to conical; surface yellow, sometimes bronze blush; dots white, suffused; cavity regular, acute, russeted; stem medium to long; basin narrow, corrugated; calyx closed; segments large, erect convergent. Core closed; clasping; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; flesh white, fine grained, juicy, acid, good. Summer, about the same as Oldenburg.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)PEACH (MONTREAL).
REFERENCES. 1. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1876:7. 2. Raynes, Ib., 1879:26. 3. Budd, Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1880:524. 4. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1881:178. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1883:12. 6. Thomas, 1885:520. 7. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1885:99. 8. Ib., 1886-87:92. 9. Burnet, Can. Hort., 12:339. 1889. 10. Hamilton, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 15:26. 1890. 11. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:246. 12. Munson, Me. Sta. Rpt., 1893:133. 13. Hoskins, Am. Gard., 15:272. 1894. 14. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:82. 1902. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:147.
SYNONYMS. Canada Peach (14). Montreal Peach (3, 14). PEACH (3, 11, 14). PEACH APPLE of Montreal (13). PEACH OF MONTREAL (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). PEACH of Montreal (2, 10, 12, 15). Pomme Peche (1).
Fruit predominantly yellow with some red; in form it somewhat resembles Porter being oval or conical. It is salable in local markets but being easily bruised it does not stand transportation well (2, 3, 6, 13). The tree is hardy, thrifty and very productive. According to Hoskins it is a very popular fall apple all through Northern New England and Eastern Canada. It has long been the leading market apple of its season, September, in Montreal and the surrounding territory on both sides of the line. Its season does not extend far into October except by extra care but it forms a very good successor to the Yellow Transparent which it resembles except for its blushed cheek (13). This variety is but little known in New York. It cannot be expected to displace Oldenburg which is of the same season, more productive (10) and much better known.
Historical. Some writers state that this is a variety of French origin (1) but Hoskins considers this doubtful. He states: "Some of its characters would indicate it to be a Russian apple which has reached Canada via France, but this is only a conjecture" (13).
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Peach of Montreal. — Origin, France; tree vigorous, shoots light brown.
Fruit large, roundish oblong; skin thin and tenacious; surface smooth, glossy, white, lightly washed with dull red, indistinctly striped crimson, without bloom; dots yellow or brown; cavity regular, medium, russet circles; stem medium, slender, long; basin regular, medium, abrupt, furrowed; calyx medium, nearly closed; segments long, narrow, slightly reflexed. Core wide, conical, clasping, large; seeds large, short, brown, ten in number; flesh yellowish white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, brisk, sprightly subacid, good. Early autumn. (U. S. Div. of Pomology, 1902.)
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Peach of Montreal: size medium; form round; color striped or splashed (red); quality "VG!"; use both kitchen and market; season winter; Northern Division 1 station (reported as adapted to more than one division); Central Division "e.,".