Vandevere
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Vandevere
Origin / History
An old variety, native of Wilmington, Delaware (Downing; Beach, citing Coxe and Downing). Warder records that Downing gives Delaware as its origin on the authority of Coxe, who described the fruit in 1817 under the name Vandervere. The earliest reference in Beach's list is the American Gardener's Calendar of 1806. Downing says it took its name from a Wilmington family named Vandiver, which "should be by right the name of the Apple." He kept the spelling Vandevere because the apple had so long been known and grown under it. Beach records that it is sometimes called the Vandevere of Delaware or the Vandevere of Pennsylvania.
Warder calls it an "old kitchen favorite, of Pennsylvania," which "has migrated westward until it has reached every State and county on its appropriate parallels of latitude, 39° to 42°." He described it as Pennsylvania Vandervere, adopting the name in common acceptance in the regions where it was best known. That name had been given to distinguish it from several other Vanderveres, and especially from the Newtown Spitzenberg, to which the name Vandervere had been applied in New York and westward on that parallel.
Beach states that the old variety commonly called Vandevere in New York is the Newtown Spitzenburg, which originated in Newtown, Long Island, and which he describes in his Vol. I, page 225. He calls the true Vandevere "quite distinct" from it. Budd and Hansen call Vandevere distinct from the Vandevere Pippin grown at the West. Downing notes "much confusion" respecting this apple and its sub-varieties, some of which may be grown under names he lists as synonyms. Beach reports that Vandevere has never been much cultivated in New York and is now seldom or never planted there. At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, it was planted in spring 1896 and under test in 1900.
Tree
Vigorous, healthy, and large (Warder); a vigorous grower at Agassiz. Beach, citing Coxe, Downing, and Thomas, gives medium size and moderately vigorous growth, and Downing gives moderate growth. Spreading (Warder; Beach); horizontal (Downing). Warder adds that it is very twiggy and drooping, and that the whole aspect of the tree is "peculiar and characteristic in summer or winter."
Young shoots smooth, dark grayish reddish brown, with bold, full, projecting, rounded conical buds (Downing). Foliage bright yellowish green, shining, pointed (Warder).
Not very productive (Downing; Beach, citing Coxe, Downing, and Thomas). Warder describes abundant fruit borne on the ends of the spray. Fruit subject to bitter rot (Warder).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Warder gives medium or less.
Form: Oblate. Warder gives oblate or globular-oblate, regular.
Stem: About an inch long (Downing); long, slender (Warder).
Cavity: Deep (Downing); wide, regular (Warder).
Calyx: Small, closed.
Basin: Round, moderate (Downing); wide, regular, not deep (Warder).
Skin: Smooth; waxen yellow to yellow or greenish yellow, striped or marked with red. Beach gives light red in indistinct streaks, and says well-colored specimens become deep red. Warder gives yellow, mottled and striped light red. At Agassiz the skin was greenish yellow, with a little russet and some red blush. Warder adds raised hemispherical warts of a yellow russet color on the smooth surface, often with a gray appearance over the whole exterior. When in perfection, "a beautiful and fine apple" (Beach).
Dots: Numerous, green or light gray (Downing; Beach). Warder calls them large, yellow, indented.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish, yellow in Warder. Compact but tender (Downing), crisp (Beach), and solid (Agassiz). Juicy (Warder; Agassiz). Breaking and granular (Warder).
Flavor fine, rich, subacid (Downing), "rich, sprightly, mild subacid" (Beach), and "rich, sub-acid, with a pleasant flavour" (Agassiz). Warder alone calls it "highly aromatic, acid."
Quality "good" (Downing; Agassiz). Warder rates it third for table.
Core and seeds: Core regular, closed, meeting and clasping the eye; seeds numerous, pointed, plump (Warder).
Season
The recorded season runs from October to January. Downing and Beach give the full span, October to January. Warder gives December and January, and at Agassiz the season was October and November. Does not keep well (Warder).
Uses
Chiefly a culinary apple: "valuable for culinary purposes" (Downing), "valued especially for culinary purposes" (Beach). Warder rates it first for kitchen. He says it may be used for cooking as soon as any other apple, making good sauce in July when not half grown. For cider, Warder reports that Coxe called it very good, "yielding a heavy must."
Subtypes / Variants
Downing describes a Vandevere received from Virginia, with slender young wood and very small, inconspicuous buds.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 15 catalogs (1864–1920) from Alabama, California, Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Henderson Luelling / Traveling Nursery (historical recall) , Oregon — 1904
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Pennsylvania Vandervere.
VANDERVERE (Coxe and Downing)—LITTLE VANDERVERE—GRAY VANDERVERE—STAALCUBS, ETC.
This old kitchen favorite, of Pennsylvania, has migrated westward until it has reached every State and county on its appropriate parallels of latitude, 39° to 42°.
Mr. Downing gives Delaware as its origin, on the authority of Coxe. In accordance with common acceptance in the regions where it is best known, I have adopted the above name, which was given to distinguish it from several other Vanderveres, and especially from the Newtown Spitzenberg, to which the name Vandervere had been applied in New York and westward on that parallel. Coxe describes the fruit in question under the name Vandervere.
Tree vigorous, healthy, large, spreading, very twiggy and drooping, with abundant fruit on the ends of the spray; Foliage bright yellowish-green, shining, pointed, the whole aspect of the tree peculiar and characteristic in summer or winter.
Fruit medium or less, oblate, or globular-oblate, regular; Surface smooth, but having raised hemispherical warts of a yellow russet color, yellow, mottled, and striped light red, often a gray appearance over the whole exterior; Dots large, yellow, indented.
Basin wide, regular, not deep; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, regular; Stem long, slender.
Core regular, closed, meeting and clasping the eye; seeds numerous, pointed, plump; Flesh yellow, breaking, granular, juicy; Flavor highly aromatic, acid; Quality for table third, for kitchen first, for cider Coxe says very good, yielding a heavy must; Season December and January.
The fruit is subject to bitter rot, and does not keep well, but may be used for cooking as soon as any other apple, making good sauce in July, when not half grown.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Vandevere.
White Vandevere. Vandevere of Pa. Green Vandevere. Little Vandevere of Indiana. Stalclubs. Vandiver. Vanderveer. Yellow Vandervere. Striped Vandervere. Pennsylvania Vandevere. Lasting Vandervere ? Fall Vandevere ? Red Vandevere.
The Vandevere is an old fruit, a native of Wilmington, Del., and took its name from a family there by name of Vandiver, which should be by right the name of the Apple ; but it has so long been known and grown under the spelling Vandevere, that we deem it best not to change it. There is much confusion existing respecting this Apple and its sub-varieties, which possibly some of those may be, grown under what we give as synonyms. Tree of moderate horizontal growth, not very productive. Young shoots smooth, dark grayish reddish brown, with bold, full, projecting, rounded conical buds.
Fruit of medium size, oblate. Stalk about an inch long, inserted in a deep cavity. Calyx small and closed, set in a round, moderate basin. Color waxen yellow, striped with red, and covered with numerous green dots. Flesh yellowish, compact, but tender, with a fine, rich, subacid flavor. Good. October to January. Valuable for culinary purposes.
There is a Vandevere which we have received from Virginia, the young wood of which is slender, with very small inconspicuous buds.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)VANDEVERE.
REFERENCES. 1. Am. Gard. Cal., 1806:585. 2. Coxe, 1817:141. fig. 3. Thacher, 1822:139. 4. Buel, N. Y. Bd. Agr. Mem., 1826:477. 5. Floy-Lindley, 1833:85. 6. Downing, 1845:141. fig. 7. Thomas, 1849:173. 8. Cole, 1849:122. 9. Horticulturist, 10:87. 1855. 10. Ib., 11:89. 1856. 11. Warder, 1867:735. 12. Fitz, 1872:121, 149, 153. 13. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 14. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:298. 15. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 16. Budd-Hansen, 1903:193.
SYNONYMS. Oxeye (8, 12). Staalcubs (2, 4). Stalcubs (3, 6). VANDERVERE (2, 6, 9, 10, 11). VANDEVEER (4). VANDEVERE (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16).
The old variety which is commonly called Vandevere in New York is known to pomologists by the name Newtown Spitzenburg, under which name it is described in Vol. I, page 225. It originated in Newtown, L. I. The true Vandevere which we are here considering is quite distinct from this Newtown Spitzenburg. When in perfection Vandevere is a beautiful and fine apple, medium in size, marked with light red in indistinct streaks over a yellow background; well colored specimens become deep red; dots numerous, green or light gray; flesh yellowish, crisp and tender with a rich, sprightly, mild subacid flavor, valued especially for culinary purposes; in season from October to January.
The tree is of medium size, spreading, moderately vigorous, not very productive (2, 6, 7).
Historical. An old variety native of Wilmington, Del. (2, 6). It is sometimes called the Vandevere of Delaware or the Vandevere of Pennsylvania. It has never been much cultivated in New York and is now seldom or never planted here.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Vandevere.—An old variety, originated at Wilmington, Delaware; distinct from Vandevere Pippin grown at the West.
Fruit medium, oblate; surface waxen yellow, striped with red; dots numerous, green; cavity deep; stem about one inch long; basin round, moderate; calyx small, closed; flesh yellowish, compact, but tender, with a fine, rich, subacid flavor, good, valuable for culinary use. October to January.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1896. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit of medium size, oblate. Skin greenish yellow, with a little russet, and some red blush. Flesh yellowish, solid, juicy, tender, rich, sub-acid, with a pleasant flavour, quality good. Season October and November.