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White Juneating

Apple
Illustration from The Herefordshire Pomona (1876–1885)

The Herefordshire Pomona (1876–1885)

White Juneating

Origin / History

An old variety, an "Old English sort" (Thomas). Bunyard, citing Ronalds, gives "Origin, English; before 1600," and his separate Juneating entry calls it "a very old variety known from the seventeenth century." Elliott calls it "Foreign." Veitch calls it "one of the oldest known." Downing records it as mentioned by Evelyn in 1660 and described by Ray in 1688, and Budd and Hansen, following him, call it an old English variety. It is the earliest apple of the season: "the earliest apple of all" (Bunyard), "the earliest of all apples" (Veitch). The Herefordshire Pomona, which describes it under the name Joanneting and calls it "The St. John Apple," says "the earliest apple of the year." Beach's references begin with the American Gardener's Calendar of 1806 and Coxe's 1817 work.

Hogg, quoted at length by Beach, calls it "one of our oldest apples, and although generally known and popular," and says it escaped the notice of Miller, who does not mention it in any edition of his Dictionary. He doubts that Parkinson's Geneting is this apple, since that figure is evidently intended for the Margaret, which in some districts is called Joaneting. He makes Rea, in 1665, the first to mention it: "a small, yellow, red-sided apple, upon a wall, ripe in the end of June." The Herefordshire Pomona repeats this account nearly word for word, but states outright that the apple escaped the notice of both Miller and Parkinson.

The name has been much discussed. Abercrombie was the first to write it "June-eating," as if alluding to its season. Hogg calls this "quite a misnomer," since by his account the fruit is not mature until the end of July. Dr. Johnson wrote it "Gineting" and derived it from the French "Janeton," meaning Jane or Janet, after a person of that name. Ray confessed he did not know its origin: "Pomum Ginettinum, quod unde dictum sit me latet" (Hist. Plant. II., 1599). Hogg adds that "there does not seem ever to have been a correct definition given of it."

Hogg derives the name from the festival of St. John the Baptist (June 24). He cites the medieval custom of making church festivals the periods by which events were timed and named. Country people still speak of crops to be sown or planted at Michaelmas, St. Martin's, or St. Andrew's tide, and parents dedicated children to a saint such as Jean Baptiste. Fruits were likewise named for the day about which they ripened: the Margaret Apple for St. Margaret's Day (July 20), and the Magdalene or Maudlin for St. Magdalene's Day (July 22).

Hogg also draws on several older authorities. Curtius (Hortorum, p. 522) says the "Joannina" are so called "Quod circa divi Joannis Baptistæ nativitatem esui sint." J. B. Porta says a kind ripening about the feast of St. John is commonly called "Malo de San Giovanni." Tragus (Hist., p. 1043) says the first apples to ripen among his people are called "Sand Johans Opffel," in Latin "Precocia mala." Merlet records the old French pear Amiré Joannet, the "Wonderful Little John," as named for ripening about St. John's Day. Adding the common apple ending "ing" to "Joannet" gives "Joanneting." Hogg concludes: "There can be no doubt that this is the correct derivation of the name of this apple."

The Herefordshire Pomona accepts this derivation and adds that the naming practice has continued to its own day for the sowing of crops and the ripening of fruits. It observes that June 24 Old Style falls on July 5 in the new calendar, so the fruit could well ripen about St. John's Day against a wall in some seasons. If, as its name suggests, the variety was imported from abroad, ripening in the open ground by July 5 would be nothing remarkable.

In America, Warder says it has long been known in the West and South as a very early apple and valued on that account, though quite small. Downing calls it "a very tolerable little Apple" and stresses that it is very distinct from the Early Harvest, which is sometimes called by this name. Elliott names its early maturity as its chief merit. Beach says it "has little to recommend it except that it ripens very early in the season," and notes that the name "Jennetting or Juneating" has been applied by some to this variety.

Tree

A fair to moderate grower, upright, forming a roundish, upright, spreading head (Downing). Thomas calls the growth upright and rather stout. The Herefordshire Pomona calls the tree hardy and healthy, but says it does not attain a large size. Twigs resemble those of the Early Harvest in color and arrangement (Warder). Leaves small, irregularly serrate or crenate, little upfolded (Bunyard).

Productiveness runs from fair to productive. Beach, summarizing Downing, Cole, and Hogg, calls the tree "not large" and "not a great bearer." The Herefordshire Pomona says that worked on Paradise stock it may be grown in pots, and then bears earlier and in greater abundance than on crab or free stock. Veitch says it should be grown on Paradise stock, "as otherwise it does not bear freely."

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the Rivers catalogue entry (1914) is partly garbled ("quality Greys and colours much") and describes a medium-sized, prolific fruit and an excellent cooker, at variance with the small early dessert apple of the other sources.] Rivers says it "will be prolific."

At the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, a tree planted in spring 1896 made a moderate grower.

Fruit

Size: Small; 2 by 1¾ (Bunyard). Warder calls it "quite small." Rivers gives "medium size."

Form: Round, a little flattened, to roundish oblate; regular to very regular or even. Thomas calls it only sometimes slightly oblate. Warder calls it flat, and the Agassiz report nearly flat.

Stem: Slender, rather long to long, from three-quarters of an inch (Thomas) to an inch (Herefordshire Pomona) in length, set shallow. Elliott calls the stem medium, and Bunyard's Juneating entry calls it small.

Cavity: Shallow, wide, lined with thin, delicate russet; very thin russet round the stalk (Thomas).

Calyx: Small, closed, surrounded with a few small plaits (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard gives the eye as "a little open or closed." Calyx tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal or median (Budd and Hansen).

Basin: Not deep, shallow to very shallow, broad (Elliott), slightly folded or corrugated. Bunyard calls it even.

Skin: Smooth, shining, polished. Pale green at first, then pale yellow, light yellow, or pale greenish yellow. The Herefordshire Pomona gives pale yellowish green in the shade and clear yellow toward the sun, and Bunyard gives straw-yellow. Elliott describes it as pale green marbled slightly with a darker shade. Sometimes a faint blush or faint red flush on the sunny side, given by the Herefordshire Pomona as a faint tinge of red or orange. Bunyard's Juneating entry calls the skin slightly greasy.

Dots: Small, russet (Elliott).

Flesh and flavor: White or whitish; crisp, breaking, tender, brisk; juicy until over-ripe, then dry. Flavor subacid and pleasant; "fresh" (Bunyard). The Herefordshire Pomona finds it "vinous and slightly perfumed," while Thomas calls it "not rich." Rivers calls the flesh "slightly sub-acid" and says "the flavour is often of some depth." The flesh soon becomes dry or mealy, "mealy and tasteless if kept only a few days after being gathered," and is "in the greatest perfection when eaten from the tree" (Herefordshire Pomona). The Agassiz report found it crisp but not juicy.

Quality "good" (Downing, Lowther), and Veitch says "of good flavour." Rivers calls it "excellent," and the Agassiz report "inferior in quality."

Core and seeds: Core closed; cells obovate or roundish obovate, axile (Budd and Hansen). Seeds dark brown (Elliott).

Season

The recorded season runs from late June into August. Most authors give the last of June and early July, among the very earliest apples; Thomas has it ripening a little before Yellow Harvest, and Lowther gives simply summer. Hogg and Bunyard put it at mid- to end of July, Hogg saying it is not mature "till the end of July." Veitch and Rivers carry it into August, and at Agassiz it ripened in August. It keeps only a few days before turning mealy, and is best eaten from the tree.

Uses

Chiefly a dessert apple, best eaten fresh from the tree. Warder lists it for table and market, and Lowther for kitchen and market. Thomas calls it "For cooking only," and Rivers calls it "an excellent cooker."

Subtypes / Variants

Thomas describes the May apple of Virginia as similar to, or identical in character and quality with, White Juneating. There it ripens about the first of summer and bears every year, and large quantities are sent to Baltimore for tarts.

Other

Bunyard gives two entries, "White Joaneting" and "Juneating," and warns that the latter is "Not to be confused with the Red Juneating." Lowther's station table reports "Northern Division reports: 'I'. Central Division reports: 7." Its asterisk marks a variety reported as adapted to or grown in more than one of the three divisions of the American Pomological Society.

Book Sources

Described in 9 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 10 catalogs (1855–1913) from Alabama, Arkansas, California, England, Illinois, Massachusetts

View original book sources (12)

White Juneating. Juneating, | Owens' Golden Beauty, | Carolina, of some, Caroline, | Early May, Foreign. Its early maturity its chief merit. Tree, fair upright growth, moderately productive. Fruit, small; pale green, marbled slightly with a darker shade, small russet dots; stem, medium; cavity, shallow; calyx, closed; broad basin; seeds, dark brown; flesh, white, tender, juicy, sub-acid. Last of June, early July.

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

White Juneating.

JUNEATING, COXE.—YELLOW JUNE.—EARLY MAY?

Downing thinks this a very old variety, mentioned by Evelyn in 1660, and by Ray in 1688. It has long been known in the West and South as a very early apple, and valued on this account, though quite small. The tree resembles that of the Early Harvest in the color and arrangement of its twigs. Fruit flat, regular; Surface smooth, pale yellow. Basin not deep, slightly folded; Eye small, closed. Cavity wide, shallow; Stem long, slender. Flesh breaking, whitish, juicy till over-ripe, when it is dry; Flavor sub-acid; Use table and market; Season June.

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

[Syn.: Ginetting; Juneting; Early Jenneting; White Juneating; Juneating; Owen's Golden Beauty; Primiting.]

The St. John Apple is the earliest apple of the year. It is one of our oldest apples, but though generally known and popular, it escaped the notice both of Miller and Parkinson. Rea first mentions it in 1665, and describes it as "a small, yellow, red-sided apple upon a wall, ripe the end of June."

The derivation of its name has given rise to much discussion. Abercrombie was the first to write it "June-eating," as if in allusion to the period of its maturity. Dr. Johnson, in his dictionary, writes it "Gineting," and says it is a corruption of "Janeton," signifying in French Jane or Janet, having been so called from a person of that name. Ray says, "Pomum Ginettinum, quod unde dictum sit me latet" (Hist. Plant. II., 1599).

There can be no doubt, however, that the Joanneting owes its name to its ripening about St. John Baptist's day (June 24th), which it might very well do against a wall in some seasons, particularly when we remember that at the time the name was given the old style of reckoning time was in use, and that the 24th day of June, O.S. would be the 5th of July in the new calendar. But supposing it to have been a variety imported from abroad, as its name would lead us to suppose it was, then there is nothing remarkable in its being ripe even in the open ground on the 5th of July. Curtius distinctly says the "Joannina" are so called "Quod circa divi Joannis Baptistæ nativitatem esui sint" (Hortorum. p. 522). J. B. Porta also says of it, "Est genus alterum quod quia circa festum Divi Joannis maturescit, vulgus 'Malo de San Giovanni' dicitur." And according to Tragus, "Quæ apud nos prima maturantur 'Sand Johans Opffel,' Latine, Precocia mala dicuntur." (Hist., p. 1043.)

In the Middle Ages it was customary to connect the festivals of the Church with events which took place at the same periods, and the practice has continued to our own days with reference to the sowing of crops and ripening of fruits, &c. Other apples have derived their names in the same way; thus we have the Margaret Apple, so called from being ripe about St. Margaret's Day (July 20th); the Maudlin, or Magdalene, from St. Magdalene's Day (July 22nd). There is also an old French pear, "Amiré Joannet" (Wonderful Little John), which Merlet informs us was so called because it ripened about St. John's Day. This is precisely analogous, for we have only to add "Joannet" the termination "ing," so common amongst apples, and we have our "Joanneting."

Description.—Fruit; small, round, and a little flattened. Skin; smooth and shining, pale yellowish green in the shade, but clear yellow, with sometimes a faint tinge of red or orange next the sun. Eye; small and closed, surrounded with a few small plaits, and set in a very shallow basin. Stalk; an inch long, slender, and inserted in a shallow cavity, which is lined with delicate russet. Flesh; white, crisp, brisk, and juicy, with a vinous and slightly perfumed flavour, but becoming mealy and tasteless if kept only a few days after being gathered. It is in the greatest perfection when eaten from the tree.

The tree is hardy and healthy, but does not attain a large size. If worked upon the Paradise stock it may be grown in pots, when the fruit will not only be produced earlier, but in greater abundance than on the crab or free stock.

— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

White Juneating. Joanneting. Owen's Golden Beauty. Juneating. Juniting. Jennetting. Ginetting. Gennetting. Juneting. Early Jennetting. Primiting. May Pippin. Yellow May. May of Virginia. Caroline. Carolina of some. Early May.

This is an old variety, mentioned by Evelyn in 1660, and described by Ray in 1688, and is a very tolerable little Apple, ripening among the very earliest, during the last of June and the first of July. It is very distinct from the Early Harvest, sometimes called by this name. Tree a moderate grower, and forms a roundish upright spreading head. Productive.

Fruit small, round, a little flattened. Calyx closed. Stalk rather long and slender. Pale green at first, light yellow, with sometimes a faint blush on the sunny side. Flesh crisp and of a pleasant flavor, but soon becomes dry. Good.

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

White Juneating. (Yellow May.) Small, round, sometimes slightly oblate, smooth, very regular; pale greenish yellow, or light yellow; very thin russet round the stalk; stalk slender, three-quarters of an inch long, set shallow; basin very shallow; tender, sub-acid, not rich, becoming dry. Ripens a little before Yellow Harvest. Growth upright, rather stout. Productive. For cooking only. Old English sort.

The May apple, of Virginia, is a fruit similar to or identical in character and quality with the White Juneating, where it ripens about the first of summer, bearing every year. Large quantities are sent to Baltimore for tarts.

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

WHITE JUNEATING.

REFERENCES. 1. Am. Gard. Cal., 1806:584. 2. Coxe, 1817:100. fig. 3. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 612. 4. Floy-Lindley, 1833:3. 5. Mag. Hort., 1:326. 1835. 6. Downing, 1845:78. fig. 7. Thomas, 1849:144. fig. 8. Cole, 1849:97. 9. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:17. 1851. 10. Elliott, 1854:162. 11. Hooper, 1857:20. 12. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 13. Horticulturist, 21:292. 1866. fig. 14. Warder, 1867:417. 15. Fitz, 1872:143, 151, 161. 16. Hogg, 1884:117. 17. Wickson, 1889:242. 18. Bruner, N. C. Sta. Bul., 182:23. 1903. 19. Budd-Hansen, 1903:200.

SYNONYMS. Bracken (8, 11, of Ohio 7). Carolina (10). Caroline (10). Early Jenneting (16). Early May (10, ?14). Gennetting (17). GINETTING (1). Ginetting (16). Jenneting (2). Jennetting (17). JOANETING (16). Juneateing (1). JUNEATING (4). Juneating (6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16). JUNETING (2). Juneting (16). Owen's Golden Beauty (3, 6, 10, 16). Primiting (16). WHITE JUNEATING (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19). White Juneating (16). Yellow May (18, 19). Yellow June (14).

This apple has little to recommend it except that it ripens very early in the season. It is small, roundish oblate, pale yellow, sometimes faintly blushed and has white, crisp, pleasant subacid flesh which becomes mealy if kept only a few days after it ripens. The tree is not large, only a moderate grower and not a great bearer (6, 8, 16).

Historical. Hogg (16) gives the following interesting account of the history of this apple and the probable derivation of the name Juneating:

" One of our oldest apples, and although generally known and popular, seems to have escaped the notice of Miller, who does not even mention it in any of the editions of his Dictionary. As I have doubts of this being the Geneting of Parkinson his figure being evidently intended for the Margaret, which in some districts is called Joaneting the first mention we have of this variety is by Rea, in 1665, who describes it as ' a small, yellow, red-sided apple, upon a wall, ripe in the end of June.'

"'Juneating,' as applied to this apple, is quite a misnomer. Abercrombie was the first who wrote it June-eating, as if in allusion to the period of its maturity, which is, however, not till the end of July. Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary, writes it Gineting, and says it is a corruption of Janeton (Fr.), signifying Jane or Janet, having been so called from a person of that name. Ray says, ' Pomum Ginettinum, quod unde dictum sit met latet.' Indeed, there does not seem ever to have been a correct definition given of it.

" My definition of the name is this. In the Middle Ages, it was customary to make the festivals of the Church periods on which occurrences were to take place or from which events were to be named. Even in the present day we hear the country people talking of some crop to be sown, or some other to be planted, at Michaelmas, St. Martin's, or St. Andrew's tide. It was also the practice for parents to dedicate their children to some particular saint, as Jean Baptiste, on the recurrence of whose festival all who are so named keep it as a holiday. So it was also in regard to fruits, which were named after the day about which they came to maturity. Thus, we have the Margaret Apple, so called from being ripe about St. Margaret's Day, the 20th of July; the Magdalene, or Maudlin, from St. Magdalene's Day, the 22d of July. And in Curtius¹ we find the Joannina, so called, ' Quod circa divi Joannis Baptistae nativitatem esui sint.' These are also noticed by J. Baptista Porta ; he says, ' Est genus alterum quod quia circa festum Divi Joannis maturiscit, vulgus Melo de San Giovanni dicitur.' And according to Tragus,² ' Quae apud nos prima maturantur, Sanct Johans Opfell, Latine, Praecocia mala dicuntur.'

" We see, therefore, that apples were called Joannina because they ripened about St. John's Day, and we have among the old French pears Amiré Joannet the ' Wonderful Little John,' which Merlet informs us was so called because it ripened about St. John's Day. If, then, we add to Joannet the termination ing, so general among our names of apples, we have Joanneting. There can be no doubt that this is the correct derivation of the name of this apple."

¹ Hortorum, p. 522. ² Hist., p. 1043.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Jennetting or Juneating", pp. 186–186]

JENNETTING or JUNEATING.

This name has been applied by some to White Juneating. For a description of this variety together with Hogg's account of the derivation of the name the reader is referred to White Juneating, page 240.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

White Juneating (Yellow May). — According to Downing this is an old English variety, mentioned by Evelyn in 1660 and described by Ray in 1688; tree a moderate grower, with roundish, upright, spreading head, productive.

Fruit small, round to roundish oblate, very regular; surface smooth, polished, pale yellow, sometimes with faint blush; cavity wide, shallow, lined with thin russet; stem rather long, slender; basin very shallow, slightly corrugated; calyx small, closed. Core closed; cells obovate, or roundish obovate, axile; tube funnel-shaped; stamens marginal or median; flesh white, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid, good but soon becomes mealy. Among the very earliest during the last of June and first of July.

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

White Juneating (80). Size: small. Form: round. Color: greenish yellow. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: summer. Northern Division reports: "I". Central Division reports: 7 (asterisk indicates the variety is reported as adapted to or grown in more than one of the three divisions of the American Pomological Society).

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

WHITE JOANETING. Ronalds, P. 1. (Early May, Jenetting, Primiting.) Dessert, mid-July, small, 2 by 1¾, round slightly flattened, regular. Colour, straw-yellow with occasional faint red flush. Flesh, crisp, white, flavour fresh. Eye, a little open or closed, in a shallow, even basin. Stem, long and slender, in a shallow cavity. Growth, moderate, upright; fertility, fair. Leaf, small, irregularly serrate or crenate, little upfolded. Origin, English; before 1600. The earliest apple of all.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Juneating", pp. 83–83]

JUNEATING. Dessert, end July, small, flattened round, even. Colour, pale greenish-yellow. Skin, slightly greasy. Stem, small. Growth, rather upright, moderate; fertility, moderate. Leaf, small, irregularly serrate, sometimes crenate, little upfolded. Origin, a very old variety known from the seventeenth century. Not to be confused with the Red Juneating.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Planted Spring 1896. Tree a moderate grower. Fruit small, nearly flat. Skin yellow with a faint blush. Flesh crisp, not juicy, inferior in quality. Season August.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

small, the earliest of all apples and of good flavour, it requires, however, to be eaten fresh from the tree as it soon becomes mealy. It is one of the oldest known and should be cultivated on the paradise stock as otherwise it does not bear freely ... July & Aug.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

excellent medium size; flesh slightly sub-acid and the flavour is often of some depth quality Greys and colours much; will be prolific and an excellent cooker - July-Aug.

— Thomas Rivers & Son, Thomas Rivers Catalogue of Fruits (1914) (1914)
Bracken Carolina Carolina of some Caroline Early Jenneting Early Jennetting Early May Gennetting Ginetting Jenetting Jenneting Jennetting Jennetting or Juneating Joaneting Joanneting Juneateing Juneating Juneting Juniting May Pippin May of Virginia May, or May Apple of Virginia Owen's Golden Beauty Owens' Golden Beauty Primiting Yellow June Yellow May Winter Pearmain Yellow June