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Vandervere Pippin

Apple

Vandervere Pippin

Origin / History

Origin unknown (Downing; Budd and Hansen), a judgment Beach repeats. Warder records its origin as "believed to have been Pennsylvania, but this is not well established," and Budd and Hansen restate the supposition. Elliott, who describes it under the heading "Vandervere," calls it "American. Native of Delaware," and writes, "We do not think the true Vandervere has ever been grown to any extent east of Pennsylvania." He refers other names "heretofore used in connection with this variety" to the Newtown Spitzenberg, Gray Vandervere, and Smokehouse.

Warder writes of "much confusion in the minds of authors who have written of this fruit, which, in some parts of the country is very well known and much cultivated." He took the name Vandervere Pippin as the one "by which it is almost universally recognized by cultivators." He notes that Elliott adopted it "only as a synonym" and "seems to have confounded this apple with the Pennsylvania Vandervere or Staalcubs described by Coxe."

Beach's references begin with Phoenix in the Horticulturist in 1849. They continue through Elliott (1854), Downing and Hooper (1857), Warder (1867), and Thomas (1875), and end with Budd and Hansen (1903).

Budd and Hansen call it "popular in parts of the West." Beach says it "has been grown to some extent in the West but has never been much cultivated in New York," and adds that "it appears that it is no longer listed by nurserymen." Lowther (1914) records it from two reporting stations in the Northern Division and notes that it was also reported in another division. At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, it was planted in spring 1894.

Tree

Very vigorous, large, spreading; a free, strong, rapid grower. Young wood smooth, light reddish brown, medium sized; buds reddish (Downing). Young shoots spotted (Elliott). Twigs and leaves "much like the Pennsylvania VanderVere" (Warder).

Productive, an early bearer (Elliott), bearing annually (Warder). Beach calls it "a reliable cropper," and Budd and Hansen "an abundant annual bearer." Downing alone calls it "a moderate bearer."

Rather subject to bitter rot (Warder). Elliott writes that "grown on soils deficient in lime, like many of our Western bottoms, and some of prairie, it has always more or less of dry bitter rot, but, when supplied with lime, the rot disappears, the fruit increases in size, and improves in quality." He adds that it needs good culture.

Fruit

Size: Medium to very large, by most accounts large. Warder gives large to very large; Lowther's station table gives medium. Elliott gives medium to large, smaller when grown North than South. Beach calls it "a large, coarse apple."

Form: Oblate, round flattened, or flat. Regular (Warder), though Elliott says sometimes angular. Approaching conic (Downing), remotely conic (Budd and Hansen), "round, flatish, conical" (Agassiz). Much more conical when grown North (Elliott).

Stem: Short (Downing), stout (Budd and Hansen), projecting about even with the surrounding surface (Elliott). Warder calls it long, of medium size.

Cavity: Wide or broad, open, regular, obtuse, deep. Often russeted (Downing). Budd and Hansen describe the russet as stellate, and Elliott says northern-grown fruit is often russeted about the stem.

Calyx: Small (Warder), with small segments (Elliott). Warder calls it closed; Downing calls it partially closed. Calyx tube funnel-shaped; stamens median (Budd and Hansen).

Basin: Wide, broad, open, regular, of moderate depth (Downing). Budd and Hansen call it shallow and smooth. Elliott says it sometimes shows slight waves or furrows.

Skin: Smooth (Warder). Ground yellow to orange yellow (Elliott), yellowish green or greenish yellow in Budd and Hansen and at Agassiz.

More or less covered with marbled red and scarlet stripes (Warder). Downing describes it as "flaked all over with red, striped on the sunny side," and Budd and Hansen as "striped, marbled, and blotched with red, with bright red stripes on sunny side." At Agassiz it showed streaks of bright red on the sunny side. Elliott gives "striped and stained with yellow red, few streaks of deeper red when grown exposed to the sun," and Lowther gives the color as yellow-red. Smaller and less highly colored when grown North than South (Elliott).

Dots: Large, rough, yellow and brown russet; Downing has the fruit "covered with rough brown dots." Warder calls them indented and sometimes irregularly net-veined, "making it less smooth." Budd and Hansen add some minute gray dots with green bases. Elliott describes "large yellow russet specks" set at intervals of a quarter to half an inch; when grown North these are grayer and much smaller.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white (Elliott) to yellow (Warder), greenish yellow in Budd and Hansen, white at Agassiz. Crisp, firm, breaking, granular, juicy, heavy; Elliott alone calls it tender.

Flavor brisk subacid, rich (Warder). Elliott calls it "aromatic, tender, sprightly, mild sub-acid." Warder calls it acid, which Beach restates as "of rather sharp acid flavor."

Quality "good" (Downing; Agassiz; Lowther). Warder dissents for the table: "Quality poor for table, excellent for cooking."

Core and seeds: Core regular, closed, "meeting and clasping the eye" (Warder); round, compact (Elliott). Seeds numerous, dark (Warder); large, ovate pyriform (Elliott).

Season

The recorded season runs from September into February. Most authors give an early-winter or winter season, from November or December into January or February. Downing gives September to February, and Beach "September or October to early winter." Warder gives December and says it "does not keep well."

Uses

A culinary apple, valuable for cooking and drying (Downing). Warder calls it "excellent for cooking" and "a great favorite with house-keepers," and also "a useful shade tree near the kitchen door." Lowther lists it for market use.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 6 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 5 catalogs (1894–1913) from Illinois, Oregon

View original book sources (7)

Vandervere. Vandervere Pippin, Red Vandervere, Fall Vandervere, Yellow Vandervere, Baltimore, of some incorrectly, Imperial Vandervere, Pennsylvania Vandervere, Striped Vandervere, Staalclubs, Watson's Vandervere, White Wine, of some. American. Native of Delaware. For other synonyms heretofore used in connection with this variety, see "Newtown Spitzenberg," page 94, Gray Vandervere, page 82, and Smokehouse, page 109. We do not think the true Vandervere has ever been grown to any extent east of Pennsylvania. The tree is a free grower, productive, and early bearer. Grown on soils deficient in lime, like many of our Western bottoms, and some of prairie, it has always more or less of dry bitter rot, but, when supplied with lime, the rot disappears, the fruit increases in size, and improves in quality; needs good culture. Grown North, it is smaller in size, and much more conical, and less highly-colored than South. Young shoots, spotted. Fruit, from medium to large; form, round flattened, sometimes angular; color, orange yellow, striped and stained with yellow red, few streaks of deeper red when grown exposed to the sun, dotted at intervals of a quarter to half-inch with large yellow russet specks; when grown North, these specks are more of gray and much smaller, often russeted about the stem; stem, projecting about even with surrounding surface; cavity, deep, open, regular; calyx, with small segments; basin, open, broad, sometimes slight waves or furrows; flesh, yellowish white, crisp, aromatic, tender, sprightly, mild sub-acid; core, round, compact; seeds, large, ovate pyriform. December to February.

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

Vandervere Pippin.

LARGE VANDERVERE—WATSON'S VANDERVERE—VANDERVERE (Elliott)—YELLOW VANDERVERE—and several others in the books.

There appears to have been much confusion in the minds of authors who have written of this fruit, which, in some parts of the country is very well known and much cultivated. I have taken the name by which it is almost universally recognized by cultivators, though it is adopted only as a synonym by Mr. Elliott, who seems to have confounded this apple with the Pennsylvania Vandervere or Staalcubs described by Coxe. Origin believed to have been Pennsylvania, but this is not well established. Tree very vigorous, large, spreading, productive, bearing annually; Twigs and leaves much like the Pennsylvania VanderVere. Fruit large to very large, regular, oblate; surface smooth, yellow, more or less covered with marbled red, and scarlet stripes; Dots large, yellow, indented, sometimes irregularly net-veined, making it less smooth. Basin wide, regular; Eye small, closed. Cavity wide, regular; Stem long, medium size. Core regular, closed, meeting and clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, dark; Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, granular, juicy, heavy; Flavor rich, acid; Quality poor for table, excellent for cooking; Season December. Does not keep well, rather subject to bitter rot, but a great favorite with house-keepers, and a useful shade tree near the kitchen door.

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

Vandervere Pippin.

Indiana Vandevere. Watson's Vandevere. Big Vandevere. Mountain Vandevere. Imperial Vandevere ?

Origin unknown. Tree a strong, rapid grower, spreading, a moderate bearer. Young wood smooth, light reddish brown, medium sized, buds reddish.

Fruit large, oblate, approaching conic, yellow, flaked all over with red, striped on the sunny side, and covered with rough brown dots. Stalk short, inserted in a broad, deep cavity, often russeted. Calyx partially closed, set in a moderate basin. Flesh crisp, with a brisk subacid flavor. Good. September to February. Valuable for cooking and drying.

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

VANDEVERE PIPPIN.

REFERENCES. 1. Phoenix, Horticulturist, 4:471. 1849. 2. Elliott, 1854:113. fig. 3. Downing, 1857:199. 4. Hooper, 1857:94. 5. Warder, 1867:462. 6. Thomas, 1875:204. 7. Budd-Hansen, 1903:193. fig.

SYNONYMS. Baltimore of some, incorrectly (2). Big Vandevere (3). Fall Vandervere (2). Gibbon's Smathhouse? (2). Gibbon's Smokehouse? (2). Imperial Vandervere (2). Indiana Vandevere (3, 6). Large Vandervere (5). Millcreek (2). Millcreek Vandervere (2). Pennsylvania Vandevere (2). Red Vandervere (2). Smokehouse? (2). Spiced Oxeye (2). Staalclubs (2). Striped Ashmore? (2). Striped Vandervere (2). VANDERVERE (2). Vandervere (5). VANDERVERE PIPPIN (1, 5). Vandervere Pippin (2). VANDEVERE PIPPIN (3, 6, 7). Vandevere Pippin (4). VANDEVERE YELLOW (4). Watson's Vandervere (2, 5). Watson's Vandevere (3, 6). Windower (1). Yellow Vandervere (2, 5).

A large, coarse apple, yellow, more or less covered with marbled red and scarlet stripes; flesh of rather sharp acid flavor, excellent for culinary use but not esteemed for dessert (5); in season from September or October to early winter. The tree is vigorous, large, spreading, a reliable cropper and productive. The twigs and leaves much resemble those of Vandevere (5). It appears that it is no longer listed by nurserymen.

Historical. Origin unknown (3, 5, 7). It has been grown to some extent in the West but has never been much cultivated in New York.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Vandevere Pippin. — Origin unknown, supposed to have been Pennsylvania, but this is not well established; popular in parts of the West; tree very vigorous, large, spreading; abundant annual bearer. Fruit large to very large, oblate, remotely conic, regular; surface yellowish green, striped, marbled, and blotched with red, with bright red stripes on sunny side; dots large, rough, yellow and brown russet, some minute, gray, with green bases; cavity wide, regular, obtuse, deep, with stellate russet; stem short, stout; basin wide, shallow, smooth; calyx partially closed. Core closed, regular, clasping; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; seeds many; flesh greenish yellow, firm, crisp, heavy, juicy, rich, brisk subacid, good, valuable for cooking and drying. November, December.

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

Vandervere. Size: medium; form: flat; color: yellow-red; quality: good; use: market; season: winter; Northern Division: 2 reporting stations (also reported in another division).

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

Planted Spring 1894. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit large round, flatish, conical. Skin greenish yellow, with streaks of bright red on the sunny side. Flesh white, crisp, of a brisk sub-acid character, quality good. Season January.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)
Baltimore Big Vandervere Big Vandevere Fall Vandervere Gibbon's Smathhouse Gibbon's Smokehouse Imperial Vandervere Imperial Vandevere Imperial Yandervere Indiana Vandevere Large Vandervere Millcreek Millcreek Vandervere Mountain Vandervere Mountain Vandevere Pennsylvania Vandervere Pennsylvania Vandevere Red Vandervere Smokehouse Spiced Oxeye Staalclubs Striped Ashmore Striped Vandervere Striped Vandevere Pippin Vandervere Vandevere Pippin Vandevere Yellow Watson's Vandervere Watson's Vandevere White Wine Windower Yellow Vandervere Vandevere Vandevere White Wine Winter Pearmain