White Calville
Apple
White Calville
Origin / History
Origin uncertain; recorded in 1600; probably French (Bunyard). A foreign variety, called French by Coxe and Thomas and "a celebrated old French sauce and cooking Apple" by Downing. Coxe in 1817 counted it "one of the most admired French table apples." Downing judged that, "like most others of its class," it "is not worthy of cultivation," and Thomas dismissed it as "valueless here." Bunyard calls it "rarely well-finished in this country."
Tree
Growth large, vigorous and spreading (Coxe). Bunyard, by contrast, calls the growth weak and the tree infertile. Leaf rather large, roundish, finely and regularly serrate (Bunyard). Tree tender and requiring a wall (Veitch). Bunyard advises that it "should be grown under glass or on a wall," and Veitch finds it particularly useful for pot culture under glass. Bunyard reports that Mr. Leake, of Wisbech, finds it to do excellently in his soil, which is almost free from lime.
Fruit
Size: Medium to large, the sources about evenly divided between medium and large, with Elliott's "above medium" between. Bunyard measures it 3½ by 3.
Form: Irregular, very uneven in form (Veitch), ribbed (Downing). Coxe and Elliott call it flat or roundish flattened; Downing and Bunyard call it roundish conic or round-conical.
Stem: Small and of middling length (Coxe), or rather long (Bunyard).
Cavity: Deep (Bunyard). Coxe describes both ends of the fruit as not very deeply indented.
Calyx: Eye closed (Bunyard).
Basin: Deep and much ribbed (Bunyard). Coxe describes the ends as not very deeply indented.
Skin: Smooth (Coxe). Yellow to pale yellow, whitish or greenish yellow (Elliott), with a faint blush.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white (Coxe, Elliott, Veitch) or pale yellow (Bunyard). Texture tender, light, and large grained (Coxe), coarse (Downing), delicate, melting. Bunyard writes "of delicate flavour and remarkably melting texture." Juice "lively without acidity" (Coxe). Flavor pleasant, aromatic (Bunyard). Elliott calls it "negative," and Downing rates it "hardly good."
Core and seeds: Axis hollow, surrounded by five large seminal lodges, which resemble the figure of a star when the fruit is cut transversely. When the fruit is ripe, the seeds may be heard to rattle (Coxe).
Season
The recorded season runs from November to April. The nineteenth-century American sources place it in early winter, November to February. Bunyard and Veitch give January to April.
Uses
Dessert, sauce and cooking. Coxe calls it a table apple "highly esteemed for cooking." Downing calls it a sauce and cooking apple. Bunyard lists it for culinary use or dessert, and Veitch calls it valuable for dessert or sauce.
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 2 catalogs (1845–1911) from England, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (6)
— 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.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, very uneven in form, flesh white and delicate, valuable for dessert or sauce, the tree is tender and requires a wall, particularly useful for pot culture under glass ... Jan. to April