White Calville
Apple
White Calville
Origin/History
The White Calville is a celebrated old French apple, of uncertain origin but recorded in 1600 and probably French (Bunyard). It has long been admired as a French table apple and esteemed for cooking (Coxe). Downing characterizes it as a celebrated old French sauce and cooking apple but, like most others of its class, "not worthy of cultivation." Thomas calls it "French. Valueless here." Elliott classifies it as "Foreign."
Tree
The growth of the tree is large, vigorous, and spreading (Coxe). Bunyard, in contrast, describes the growth as "weak; infertile." Leaf rather large, roundish, finely and regularly serrate (Bunyard). Mr. Leake, of Wisbech, finds this variety to do excellently in his soil, which is almost free from lime (Bunyard). Bunyard recommends it should be grown under glass or on a wall.
Fruit
Size
Large (Coxe); above medium (Elliott); medium (Downing, Thomas); medium, 3½ by 3 inches (Bunyard).
Form
Flat (Coxe); roundish flattened (Elliott); roundish conic, ribbed (Downing); roundish-conic, ribbed (Thomas); round-conical, irregular (Bunyard). Bunyard further notes the basin is "much ribbed."
Stem
The stalk is small and of middling length, the ends not very deeply indented (Coxe). Bunyard describes the stem as "rather long in a deep cavity."
Cavity
Per Coxe, the ends are "not very deeply indented." Per Bunyard, the stem sits in "a deep cavity."
Calyx / Eye
Eye closed in a deep and much ribbed basin (Bunyard).
Basin
Deep and much ribbed (Bunyard).
Skin
Smooth (Coxe); pale yellow, with a faint blush (Coxe); whitish or greenish yellow (Elliott); yellow, faint blush (Downing); yellow (Thomas); pale yellow (Bunyard).
Flesh / Flavor
White, tender, light and large grained; the juice lively without acidity (Coxe). White, negative (Elliott). Coarse, tender, pleasant; "Hardly good" (Downing). Coarse, pleasant (Thomas). Melting, pale yellow, aromatic (Bunyard); "Of delicate flavour and remarkably melting texture, but rarely well-finished in this country" (Bunyard).
Core / Seeds
The axis of the fruit is hollow, surrounded by five large seminal lodges, resembling, when cut transversely, the figure of a star; when ripe, the seeds may be heard to rattle (Coxe).
Season
November, February (Elliott, Downing); December (Thomas); January to April (Bunyard).
Uses
French table apple, highly esteemed for cooking (Coxe). Sauce and cooking apple (Downing). Culinary or dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard cites Ronalds, p. 37.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as CALVILLE BLANCHE D'HIVER
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as White Winter Calville
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 61. WHITE CALVILLE.
This is one of the most admired French table apples, and is highly esteemed for cooking: the size is large, the form flat, the skin smooth; the colour a pale yellow, with a faint blush—the flesh is white, tender, light and large grained; the juice lively without acidity: the axis of the fruit is hollow, surrounded by five large seminal lodges, resembling, when cut transversely, the figure of a star—when ripe, the seeds may be heard to rattle: the stalk is small and of middling length, the ends not very deeply indented—the growth of the tree large, vigorous and spreading; it [text continues on subsequent page, beyond provided range]
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)White Calville. White Winter Calville, | American White Winter Calville, Calville Blanche d'Hiver, | Niger. Foreign. Above medium, roundish flattened, whitish or greenish yellow; flesh, white, negative. November, February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)White Calville. White Winter Calville. Calville Blanche d'Hiver. Weisser Winter Calville. The White Calville is a celebrated old French sauce and cooking Apple ; but, like most others of its class, is not worthy of cultivation. Fruit medium, roundish conic, ribbed, yellow, faint blush. Flesh coarse, tender, pleasant. Hardly good. November, February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)White Winter Calville. Medium, roundish-conic, ribbed, yellow; coarse, pleasant. December. French. Valueless here.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)CALVILLE BLANCHE D'HIVER. Ronalds, p. 37. G., Weisser Winter Calville. (Glacé, Reinette à cotés, White Calville, etc.) Culinary or dessert, January to April, 3½ by 3, medium, round—conical, irregular. Colour, pale yellow. Flesh, melting, pale yellow, aromatic. Eye, closed in a deep and much ribbed basin. Stem, rather long in a deep cavity. Growth, weak ; infertile. Leaf, rather large, roundish, finely and regularly serrate. Origin, uncertain ; recorded in 1600. Probably French. Of delicate flavour and remarkably melting texture, but rarely well-finished in this country. Should be grown under glass or on a wall. Mr. Leake, of Wisbech, finds this to do excellently in his soil, which is almost free from lime.