Sine-Qua-Non
AppleSine-Qua-Non
Origin/History
Sine-Qua-Non is a native of Long Island, named and brought to notice by the late Wm. Prince (Downing; Beach). It was entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society in 1862 and dropped from that list in 1871 (Beach). References to the variety appear as early as the London Horticultural Society Catalogue of 1831 (No. 1220) and in Downing (1845). By the early 20th century it was seldom found in cultivation (Beach).
Tree
The tree is a rather slow and crooked grower; young trees are particularly slow and crooked in growth (Downing). Elliott calls it a "slow, poor grower." Bearing habit is variable: Elliott describes it as an indifferent bearer, while Cole and Lyon (per Beach) report it productive. Shoots are greenish yellow (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Medium, or about medium.
Form: Roundish, inclining to conical (Thomas; Downing describe as roundish conical); Beach describes as roundish ovate. Surface smooth.
Stem/Stalk: Quite slender, nearly an inch long (Thomas).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Closed (Elliott).
Basin: Smooth or very slightly plaited (Thomas).
Skin: Pale greenish yellow, shaded with reddish brown on the sun-exposed side (Thomas); other sources describe simply as pale greenish-yellow.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh white (Downing) to greenish-white (Beach, Elliott, Thomas); fine grained, delicate, very tender, juicy (Thomas says moderately juicy); flavor mild subacid, sprightly, of a fine, agreeable, delicate, and very sprightly sub-acid character. Quality rated "Good."
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripens in August — late August per Beach; Thomas specifies about two weeks after Early Harvest.
Uses
Dessert apple of good quality (Beach).
Subtypes/Variants
None described.
Other
Synonyms: None recorded (Beach).
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (4)
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.