Sine-Qua-Non
AppleSine-Qua-Non
Origin / History
A native of Long Island, named by the late Wm. Prince (Downing) and brought to notice by him (Beach).
Beach traces the published record from the London Horticultural Society's Catalogue of 1831 through Downing (1845), Thomas (1849), Cole (1849), Waring (1851), Barry (1851), Elliott (1854), Hooper (1857), Gregg (1857), the Horticulturist (vol. 14, 1859), Warder (1867), and Lyon in the Michigan Horticultural Society Report of 1890.
Entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society in 1862 and dropped from that list in 1871. By 1905 Beach describes it as "now seldom found in cultivation."
Tree
Growth slow and crooked. Downing applies "rather slow and crooked in growth" to the young trees, and Elliott calls it a "slow, poor grower." Shoots greenish yellow (Thomas). In some cases an indifferent bearer (Elliott), in others productive (Cole, 1849; Lyon, Michigan Horticultural Society Report, 1890; both cited by Beach).
Fruit
Size: Medium, or about medium.
Form: Roundish, inclining to conical; Beach gives it as roundish ovate.
Stem: Slender, or quite slender, nearly an inch long (Thomas).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Closed (Elliott).
Basin: Smooth or very slightly plaited (Thomas).
Skin: Smooth, pale greenish yellow, shaded with reddish brown to the sun (Thomas).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Greenish white, or white; tender to very tender, juicy to moderately juicy. Flavor mild subacid, delicate, sprightly to very sprightly. Thomas alone calls the flesh fine grained and moderately juicy, "of a fine, agreeable, sub-acid flavor"; Downing gives the flesh as white and "of a delicate and very sprightly flavor." Quality "good" (Downing, repeated in Beach's condensed account).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
August, late August in Beach's account, ripening two weeks after Early Harvest (Thomas).
Uses
A dessert apple; Beach calls it "an August apple of good dessert quality."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1913) from Illinois, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)SiNE-QUA-NON.
From Long Island. Slow, poor grower, and an indifferent bearer. Fruit, medium, roundish, greenish yellow; stem, slender; calyx, closed; flesh, greenish white, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid. August.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SINE-QUA-NON.
A native of Long Island, named by the late Wm. Prince.
Fruit roundish conical, about medium size, smooth, pale greenish yellow. Stalk slender. Flesh white, very tender, juicy, and of a delicate and very sprightly flavor. Good. The young trees are rather slow and crooked in growth. August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Sine Qua Non. Size medium, roundish, inclining to conical; smooth, pale greenish yellow, shaded with reddish brown to the sun; stalk quite slender, nearly an inch long; basin smooth or very slightly plaited; flesh greenish white, fine grained, delicate, very tender, moderately juicy, of a fine, agreeable, sub-acid flavor. Shoots greenish yellow, growth slow. Ripens two weeks after Early Harvest. Origin, Long Island.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)SINE-QUA-NON.
REFERENCES. 1. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 1220. 2. Downing, 1845:76. 3. Thomas, 1849:143. 4. Cole, 1849:103. 5. Waring, 1851:30. 6. Barry, 1851:281. 7. Elliott, 1854:157. 8. Hooper, 1857:84. 9. Gregg, 1857:391. 10. Horticulturist, 14:425. 1859. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 12. Warder, 1867:732. 13. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:296. SYNONYMS. None.
An August apple of good dessert quality, now seldom found in cultivation. It originated on Long Island and was brought to notice by Wm. Prince (2). It was entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society in 1862 (11) and dropped from that list in 1871. The tree is a rather slow, crooked grower, in some cases an indifferent bearer (7), in others productive (4, 13). Fruit medium size, roundish ovate, pale greenish-yellow; flesh greenish-white, tender, juicy, mild subacid, sprightly, good; season late August.