Virginia Greening.

This apple is supposed from its name to have originated in Virginia. It is cultivated chiefly in the Southern States, and in those parts of the Northwest to which Southerners have migrated. Its chief merit is its long keeping. Tree large, spreading, productive.

Fruit large, regular, flat to roundish, generally the former; Surface smooth, dull green and often bronzy, never blushed; Dots scattered, large, white or gray, with whitish rings around them.

Basin regular, wide, shallow; Eye small, open. Cavity wide, regular, green; Stem long to medium.

Core regular, turbinate, closed, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, long; Flesh white, firm, breaking, sub-acid; Fit only for the kitchen; A long keeper; March and April; often subject to Bitter-rot.

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

Virginia Greening.

Boss Greening. Green Mountain Pippin. Virginia Pippin ?

Origin unknown, supposed Southern. Tree a vigorous grower and very productive.

Fruit large, oblate, greenish yellowish, thinly covered with large brown dots, and a slight blush. Stalk rather long, in a large cavity. Calyx open. Basin broad, corrugated. Flesh yellow, compact, a rather pleasant subacid. Esteemed at the South as a late keeper and a good market apple.

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

VIRGINIA GREENING.

REFERENCES. 1. Prince, N. E. Farmer, 8:1. 1829. 2. Kenrick, 1832:60. 3. White, Horticulturist, 7:319. 1852. 4. Elliott, 1854:160. 5. Downing, 1857:200. 6. Hooper, 1857:95. 7. Warder, 1867:416. fig. 8. Downing, 1869:393. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 10. Thomas, 1875:230. 11. Barry, 1883:356. 12. Wickson, 1889:248. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:251. 14. Budd-Hansen, 1903:195.

SYNONYMS. Green Mountain Pippin (8). Ross Greening (8). Virginia Pippin? (8).

A large, oblate, yellowish-green apple with hard, firm flesh. In the South, where it is supposed to have originated, it is valued as a late keeper. The tree is large, spreading, vigorous and productive. It is but little grown in this state.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium to nearly large, uniform in size and shape. Form oblate or roundish oblate varying to roundish conic, regular or nearly so, symmetrical. Stem medium to long, moderately slender. Cavity medium in size, acute to acuminate, deep, moderately narrow to rather broad, often slightly furrowed, russeted and with outspreading russet. Calyx medium or below, partly open; lobes slightly separated at the base, usually short and obtuse to acute. Basin medium size, usually rather shallow but varies to moderately deep, moderately wide, obtuse or occasionally rather abrupt, furrowed obscurely if at all, slightly wrinkled.

Skin thick, tough, smooth or slightly roughened with russet dots and flecks, grass-green sometimes with brownish blush. Dots distinct, usually areolar with russet center, whitish or fawn-colored on the blushed portion, often irregular toward the cavity.

Calyx tube cone-shape to funnel-form. Stamens median.

Core small to medium, axile or with a narrow, hollow cylinder in the axis; cells symmetrical, closed or sometimes slightly open; core lines meeting the limb of the calyx tube or clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels roundish to broadly obovate or approaching obcordate, deeply emarginate, smooth or slightly tufted. Seeds numerous, small, rather narrow, plump, acute to obtuse, usually smooth.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Virginia Greening. Size: large. Form: flat. Color: greenish yellow. Quality: good. Use: market. Season: winter. N. Div.: none reported. C. Div.: 9 stations reporting (also reported in another division). S. Div.: 1 station reporting (also reported in another division).

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

Virginia Greening. Fruit, large, roundish oval, flattened at ends, slightly angular, dull greenish yellow, brownish in sun, scattered brown specks with whitish green circle suffused around them ; stem, medium ; cavity, acuminate ; calyx, large, short segments ; core, small ; seeds, long ovate ; flesh, yellowish white, mild sub-acid; not quite "very good." December to March. Esteemed at the South as a keeper.

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

Virginia Greening. Large, oblate; skin yellowish, with large brown dots; stalk and cavity large; calyx open, basin large, abrupt; flesh yellow, coarse, with a rather pleasant sub-acid flavor. A good keeper. Southern.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Virginia Greening.—Supposed origin, Virginia; tree large, spreading, very productive.

Fruit large, roundish to roundish oblate; surface smooth, dull greenish yellow, brownish on sunny side; dots large, conspicuous, few, brown or grayish, with suffused whitish green rings or bases; cavity wide, large, regular, green; stem rather long; basin broad, wide, shallow, corrugated; calyx small, open. Core closed, regular, turbinate, meeting; seeds many, long; flesh yellowish, firm, pleasant subacid, good for kitchen and market. Late winter and spring.

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