White Spanish Reinette
Apple
White Spanish Reinette
Origin / History
Foreign; an old European variety long cultivated in Spain, France, and England. Its history, in the Herefordshire Pomona's words, "is quite lost" for this "valuable old variety." It is said to be the national apple of Spain, known there from great antiquity under the name "Camussar." Downing calls it "a very celebrated old Spanish variety."
The date of its introduction to England is not known. Mr. John Darby exhibited it at the Horticultural Society in 1829, from some very ancient trees then growing in Sussex. It is figured by Lindley, Pl. no. 110; Beach's earliest reference is a colored plate in the Pomological Magazine of 1830. The Herefordshire Pomona holds that "the general appreciation of this apple is shown by the wide extent of its growth and the great variety of its synonyms."
It was early imported into America. Elliott calls it probably the parent of Fall Pippin. Beach, citing Downing's 1869 edition, calls it perhaps the parent of both Fall Pippin and Holland Pippin, and places it in the group with those two varieties. In growth of tree and in the color and character of the fruit it resembles Fall Pippin (Thomas, Beach), but it is less regular in shape and keeps later. Downing states that it "is quite distinct from Fall Pippin." According to Lyon, as cited by Beach, it is seldom seen under its own name. Beach reports it little cultivated in New York, having been superseded by other varieties.
Tree
Healthy and vigorous in growth; an excellent bearer (Herefordshire Pomona). Wood, foliage, and vigorous habit are the same as Fall Pippin (Downing).
Does best in a dry, warm, loamy soil, "a characteristic which its name at once suggests" (Herefordshire Pomona). From the size and weight of the fruit it is better adapted to dwarf or espalier growth (Herefordshire Pomona).
Fruit
Size: Very large; Elliott calls it large. The Herefordshire Pomona gives three and a half inches wide by three and three-quarters inches high, and quotes Dr. Lindley: "Its principal defect" is "its gigantic size."
Form: Roundish oblate to roundish oblong. Downing gives roundish oblate and Elliott and Thomas roundish oblong; the Herefordshire Pomona gives "oblato-oblong," and Beach gives roundish oblate or inclined to oblong. Angular on the sides, with broad ribs terminating in an uneven crown, where it is nearly as broad as at the base. Elliott calls it sometimes ribbed, and Thomas alone calls it slightly conical. Less regular in shape than Fall Pippin (Beach).
Stem: Short, half an inch long.
Cavity: Narrow, small to rather small, even, regular.
Calyx: Large, open. Calyx tube conical; stamens marginal (Beach).
Basin: Deep, angular to broadly angular, oblique, irregular. The calyx is very deeply sunk (Downing).
Skin: Smooth, waxy, unctuous to the touch. Yellowish green in the shade. Next the sun it is orange, tinged with brownish red, forming a brownish-red blush on the exposed cheek; Thomas calls the sun side rich brownish red.
Dots: Strewn with dark dots (Herefordshire Pomona); sprinkled with grayish dots (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Yellowish white, crisp, tender, juicy, rich subacid. Elliott calls it sharp subacid; the Herefordshire Pomona calls it sugary. Quality "very good" (Downing, Beach); "first rate quality" (Herefordshire Pomona).
Core and seeds: Cells open, obovate (Beach).
Season
The recorded season runs from October into April. American records run from October or November to January or February; Lyon, as cited by Beach, gives October to January in Michigan. English accounts run later, from December to March or "even April" (Herefordshire Pomona), and to April by Hogg, as cited by Beach. It keeps later than Fall Pippin, a month longer according to Downing.
Uses
Dessert and culinary. Elliott calls it valued for cooking. The Herefordshire Pomona calls it suitable for dessert, "but more especially for culinary purposes." Beach rates it very good for either dessert or 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 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Saint Germain
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)White Spanish Reinette.
Reinette Blanche d'Espagne, | D'Espagne, De Ratteau, | Concombre Ancien.
Foreign. Probably the parent of Fall Pippin, Fruit, large, roundish oblong, sometimes ribbed ; calyx, large, open ; basin, deep, irregular ; stem, half inch long; cavity, even: color, yellowish green; flesh, yellowish white, crisp, sharp sub-acid ; valued for cooking. November to February.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- WHITE SPANISH REINETTE.
[Syn: Camussar; Reinette blanche d'Espagne; Reinette d'Espagne; Reinette tendre; Josephine; Belle Josephine; De Rattecm; Concombre ancien.]
The history of this valuable old variety is quite lost. It is said to be the national apple of Spain with the name "Camussar," and has been known there from great antiquity. The date of its introduction to England is not known, but it was exhibited at the Horticultural Society by Mr. John Darby in 1829, from some very ancient trees then growing in Sussex. It is figured by Lindley, Pl. no. 110.
Description.—Fruit: very large, three inches and a half wide, and three inches and three quarters high; oblato-oblong, angular on the sides and uneven at the crown, where it is nearly as broad as at the base. Skin: smooth and unctuous to the touch; yellowish green in the shade, but orange tinted with brownish red next the sun, and strewed with dark dots. Eye: large and open, set in a deep, angular and irregular basin. Stalk: half an inch long, inserted in a narrow and even cavity. Flesh: yellowish white, tender, juicy and sugary.
An apple of first rate quality suitable for dessert, but more especially for culinary purposes. It is in season from December to March or even April. The tree is healthy and vigorous in growth and an excellent bearer. It does best in a dry, warm and loamy soil, a characteristic which its name at once suggests. It is better adapted for dwarf, or espalier growth from the size and weight of the fruit. The general appreciation of this apple is shown by the wide extent of its growth and the great variety of its synonyms. "Its principal defect" says Dr. Lindley is its gigantic size.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)White Spanish Reinette. D'Espagne. Reinette Blanche d'Espagne. Fall Pippin, erroneously. Reinette d'Espagne. Large Fall Pippin. Camnesar. Cobbett's Fall Pippin. Elgin Pippin ?
A very celebrated old Spanish variety.
Fruit very large, roundish oblate, with broad ribs on its sides, terminating in an uneven crown, where it is nearly as broad as at the base. Calyx large, open, very deeply sunk in a broad-angled, oblique, irregular basin. Stalk half an inch long, set in a rather small, even cavity. Skin smooth, yellowish green on the shaded side, orange, tinged with brownish red next the sun, and sprinkled with grayish dots. Flesh yellowish white, crisp, tender, rich subacid. Very good. The tree has the same wood, foliage, and vigorous habit as our Fall Pippin, and the fruit keeps a month longer. This is quite distinct from Fall Pippin.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)White Spanish Reinette. (Reinette Blanche d'Espagne.) Very large, roundish, oblong, slightly conical, somewhat angular, ribbed; yellowish green in the shade, rich brownish red next the sun; stalk short, cavity small and even; calyx large, open; basin deep, angular; flesh yellowish white, crisp, flavor rich sub-acid. Growth of tree and fruit resemble that of Fall Pippin, but it keeps longer.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)WHITE SPANISH REINETTE.
REFERENCES. 1. Pom. Mag., 5:No. 110. 1830. col. pl. 2. Floy-Lindley, 1833:61. 3. Downing, 1845:130. 4. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:88. 1851. 5. Elliott, 1854:162. 6. Downing, 1869:404. 7. Leroy, 1873:669. fig. 8. Thomas, 1875:231. 9. Hogg, 1884:190. 10. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:300.
SYNONYMS. American Fall Pippin (9). Belle Josephine (9). Blanche (7). Blanche d'Espagne (7). Camuesar (1, 6, 9). Camoisas du roi d'Espagne (7). Campise Blanche (7). Camoisce Blanche (7). Camuezas (7). Camusar (7). Cobbett's Fall (1) err. Cobbett's Fall Pippin (2, 3, 6, 7) err. Concombre Ancien (1, 2, 5, 7, 9). De Ratteau (1, 2, 5, 7, 9). D'Espagne (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7). Elgin Pippin? (6). Episcopate (7). Fall Pippin (1, 2, 3, 7, err. 6) err. Josephine (9). Large Fall (1). Large Fall Pippin (2, 3, 6, 7). Philadelphia Pippin (7). Reinette A Gobelet (7). Reinette Blanche (7). REINETTE BLANCHE D'ESPAGNE (3, 9). Reinette Blanche d'Espagne (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8). REINETTE D'ESPAGNE (7). Reinette d'Espagne (1, 6, 9). Reinette Tendre (7). Saint-Germain (7). WHITE SPANISH REINETTE (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10). White Spanish Reinette (3, 7, 9). York Pippin (7).
This variety belongs in the group with Fall Pippin and Holland Pippin. It resembles Fall Pippin in the growth of the tree as well as in the color and character of the fruit, but is less regular in shape and keeps later (3, 6). Season here October to January or February; Hogg gives its season in England as December to April (9). Lyon gives its season in Michigan as October to January (10).
Historical. This is an old European variety which has long been cultivated in Spain, France and England (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9). It was early imported into this country and is perhaps the parent of our Fall Pippin and Holland Pippin (6). According to Lyon (10) it is seldom seen under its own name. It appears to be but little cultivated in New York having been superseded by other varieties.
FRUIT. Fruit very large. Form roundish oblate or inclined to oblong, angular, uneven at the crown where it is nearly as broad as at the base (3, 6, 9). Stem short. Cavity narrow, rather small, regular. Calyx large, open. Basin deep, broadly angular, irregular, oblique. Skin smooth, waxy, yellowish-green, with orange tinge and brownish-red blush on the exposed cheek. Calyx tube conical. Stamens marginal. Cells open, obovate. Flesh yellowish-white, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid, very good for either dessert or culinary purposes. Season October to January or February.