White Astrachan
AppleWhite Astrachan
Origin / History
A Russian apple. Elliott lists it simply as "Foreign." Hedrick calls it an old European sort, known under many names in Europe, which has been more or less grown in the United States for nearly one hundred years. Beach's references to it begin with the Pomological Magazine of 1829 and the London Horticultural Society's catalogue of 1831. He says it has been known in this country for many years, citing American notices from the Magazine of Horticulture of 1835 onward. It was not entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society until 1889, and it was dropped from that list in 1891.
Beach calls it "of little or no value for this region" and "practically unknown in New York." Hedrick reports it offered by several nurserymen in the Pacific states, but it seems not to be grown east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a favorite in the Yolo district of California and in the valley and foot-hill regions of the central coast counties. Hedrick found only brief descriptions of it in the old fruit-books and compiled his account from them.
Tree
Similar in tree-characters to the well-known Red Astrachan, though quite different in fruit. Very hardy, rather compact, vigorous, fairly productive; somewhat subject to blight (Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium. Hedrick alone gives medium to large.
Form: Roundish, sometimes roundish oblate; irregular (Hansen). Elliott alone calls it roundish conical.
Stem: Short to long (Hansen).
Cavity: Regular (Hansen).
Calyx: Closed; calyx tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal (all Hansen).
Basin: Wide, shallow, corrugated and wrinkled (Hansen).
Skin: Very smooth (Downing). The color runs from white or nearly white (Elliott, Downing) to clear waxen yellow (Hansen). It carries a faint streak or a few faint streaks of red, which Downing places on one side. Hedrick adds that it sometimes has a pink blush. Downing describes the skin as covered with a white bloom and calls the apple "nearly white, semi-transparent."
Dots: White, minute, suffused, with some green dots (Hansen).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, quite white in Downing's account, partially or somewhat transparent. Tender, of delicate flavor (Downing); acid (Hansen). Juicy according to Hansen, but dry according to Elliott and "rather dry" according to Downing. Elliott and Downing both rate it "poor."
Core and seeds: Core closed, meeting; cells ovate (Hansen).
Season
August into September. The earlier authors give August alone, Downing as early as the first of August. Hansen extends the season through September.
Uses
A culinary apple. Hansen calls it "good for culinary use"; Hedrick says it is "highly prized for culinary purposes."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 20 catalogs (1845–1920) from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as White Astracan
- Hutchison Nursery , James Hutchison, Oakland , California — 1881
- W.R. Strong & Co. , Capital and Orange Hill Nurseries (Robert Williamson, prop.), Sacramento , California — 1886
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1906
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)White Astreachan. Transparent de Moscovie, | Glace de Zelande. Foreign. Medium, roundish conical, white, faint streak of red ; flesh, white, dry, poor. August.
[Additional entry in this volume: "White Astrachan", pp. 198–198]
White Astreachan. Transparent de Moscovie, | Glace de Zelande. Foreign. Medium, roundish conical, white, faint streak of red; flesh, white, dry, poor. August.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)White Astrachan. Pyrus Astracanica. Transparent de Moscovie. Glace de Zelande. Weisser Astrakan. Astracanischer Sommerapfel. A nearly white, semi-transparent Russian Apple. Fruit of medium size, roundish. Skin very smooth, nearly white, with a few faint streaks of red on one side, and covered with a white bloom. Flesh quite white, partially transparent, tender, and of delicate flavor, but rather dry. Poor. First of August.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)White Astrachan—Origin, Russia—Fruit medium, roundish, sometimes roundish oblate, irregular; surface clear waxen yellow; dots white, minute, suffused, some green dots; cavity regular; stem short to long; basin wide, shallow, corrugated and wrinkled; calyx closed. Core closed, meeting; cells ovate; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal; flesh white, juicy, somewhat transparent, acid, good for culinary use. August, September.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)WHITE ASTRACHAN.
REFERENCES. 1. Pom. Mag., 2:No. 96. 1829. col. pl. 2. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 32. 3. Floy-Lindley, 1833:6. 4. Mag. Hort., 1:391, 392. 1835. 5. Manning, Ib., 7:52. 1841. 6. Downing, 1845:78. 7. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:17. 1851. 8. Elliott, 1854:179. 9. Warder, 1867:735. 10. Leroy, 1873:79. fig. 11. Thomas, 1875:516. 12. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1:9. 1876. 13. Ib., 5:23. 1879. 14. Hogg, 1884:238. 15. Wickson, 1889:243. 16. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1889:14. 17. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:113. 1903.
SYNONYMS. ASTRACAN BLANCHE (10). Astracan d'Ete (10). Astracanischer Sommer (10). ASTRACHAN WHITE (2). Blanche Glacee d'Ete (10). De Glace d'Ete (10). De Glace Halive (10). De Moscovie d'Ete (10). Gelee d'Ete (10). Glace de Zelande (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10). Glacee d'Ete (10). Nalivi Jabloky (10). Pomme Astrachan (3). Pomme d'Astrachan (2). Pyrus Astracanica (1, 2, 6, 7). Taffetai (10). Transparent Apple (14). Transparente de Astracan (10). Transparente d'Ete (10). Transparente de Zurich (10). Transparente de Muscovie d'Ete (10). Transparent Muscovie (7). Transparent de Muscovie (1, 2, 3, 6, 8). WHITE ASTRACAN (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 15). White Astracan (10). WHITE ASTRACHAN (6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17).
A Russian apple of little or no value for this region. Fruit medium size, roundish to roundish oblate, waxen yellow or whitish with faint streaks of red; flesh white, acid, good for culinary use; season August and September (6, 17).
Historical. It has been known in this country for many years (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). It was not entered on the catalogue of the American Pomological Society till 1889 (16) and was dropped from that list in 1891. It is practically unknown in New York.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)WHITE ASTRACHAN. This is a Russian apple similar in tree-characters to the well-known Red Astrachan, but quite different in fruit. It is offered by several nurserymen in the Pacific states, but seems not to be grown east of the Rocky Mountains. The variety is a favorite in the Yolo district of California and in the valley and foot-hill regions in central coast counties. White Astrachan is an old European sort, known under many names in Europe, which has been more or less grown in the United States for nearly one hundred years. The only descriptions to be found are brief ones in the old fruit-books from which the following is compiled: Tree very hardy, rather compact, vigorous, fairly productive; somewhat subject to blight. Fruit medium to large, round or round-oblate, waxen-yellow or whitish, with faint streaks of red and sometimes with a pink blush; flesh white, acid, highly prized for culinary purposes; August and September.