Vandervere Pippin
AppleVandervere Pippin
Origin / History
Origin is uncertain. Warder (1867) believed it to have originated in Pennsylvania, though he noted this was not well established. Downing (1900) and Beach (1905) list origin as unknown.
There has been considerable confusion in the pomological literature regarding this variety. Warder noted that Elliott treated the name as a synonym and appeared to have conflated this apple with the Pennsylvania Vandervere or Staalcubs described by Coxe. Warder adopted the name Vandervere Pippin because it was almost universally used by cultivators in regions where the variety was well known and widely grown.
The variety has been grown to some extent in the West but was never much cultivated in New York. By the time Beach wrote in 1905, it appears to have been dropped from nursery listings.
Tree
The tree is vigorous and large, with a spreading habit, and is productive and a reliable cropper. Warder specifies that it bears annually. Downing describes it as a strong, rapid grower but characterizes bearing as moderate — a point on which Warder and Beach (both calling it productive and reliable) differ from Downing.
Young wood is smooth and light reddish brown, of medium size; buds are reddish (Downing). Twigs and leaves closely resemble those of the Pennsylvania Vandevere (Warder; Beach).
Fruit
Size: Large to very large (Warder); large (Downing; Beach). Beach notes it is a coarse apple.
Form: Regular, oblate (Warder). Downing describes it as oblate, approaching conic — a distinction from Warder's purely oblate characterization.
Stem: Warder describes the stem as long and of medium size. Downing describes it as short. These accounts conflict directly.
Cavity: Wide and regular (Warder). Downing describes the cavity as broad and deep, often russeted.
Calyx / Eye: Eye small, closed (Warder). Downing describes the calyx as partially closed.
Basin: Wide and regular (Warder). Moderate (Downing).
Skin: Surface smooth (Warder, who also notes that the large dots reduce smoothness), yellow ground, more or less covered with marbled red and scarlet stripes; on the sunny side, the striping is more pronounced (Downing). Downing describes it as "flaked all over with red." Dots are described by Warder as large, yellow, and indented, sometimes irregularly net-veined, giving the surface a less smooth appearance; Downing describes the dots as rough and brown — the two accounts conflict on dot color (yellow vs. brown).
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh yellow, firm, breaking, granular, juicy, and heavy, with a rich, acid flavor (Warder). Downing describes the flesh as crisp, with a brisk subacid flavor, and rates it Good. Beach describes the flavor as rather sharp and acid. Warder rates the quality poor for table use and excellent for cooking; Beach agrees it is excellent for culinary use and not esteemed for dessert.
Core / Seeds: Core regular, closed, meeting and clasping the eye; seeds numerous and dark (Warder). Not described in Downing or Beach.
Season
Warder places the variety in December and notes it does not keep well. Downing gives a range of September to February. Beach says September or October to early winter.
Uses
All three sources agree on its value for cooking. Downing additionally recommends it for drying. Warder notes it was a great favorite with housekeepers and remarks that the tree itself serves well as a shade tree near the kitchen door. All sources concur it is not esteemed as a dessert apple.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety is rather subject to bitter rot (Warder). By 1905 it appears to have been dropped from nursery catalogs (Beach).
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
From Pa. Pom. Report.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1894–1904) from Illinois, Oregon
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
View original book sources (3)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)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.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)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.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)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.