448 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It will be seen at once that we have here an attempt to base a 

 system upon the Apples themselves, taking for the main classes well- 

 known types and forming groups from them. 



As an illustration of his method the Calvilles may briefly be con- 

 sidered. The name Calville has been known in France for many 

 centuries, being first recorded by Le Lectier in 1628, and being in 

 all probability derived from the commune of Caleville, in the Depart- 

 ment of the Eure. The two old and well-known Calvilles, Blanche 

 and Rouge, have thus served as types around which a family was 

 established. Taking this accepted name, Christ defined them more 

 definitely as follows. For the purpose of separation three classes 

 were proposed : — ■ 



(a) True Calvilles, with open core and ribs. 



(b) False Calvilles, with wide core but no ribs. 



(c) Rose Apples. A closely related family of the Calvilles. 



In division (a) come such fruits as ' Calville Blanche d'Hiver,' 

 ' Calville Blanche d'Automne ' of the yellow-skinned sorts, and 

 ' Calville Rouge d'Hiver ' in the red varieties. 



In division (b) or False Calvilles are such as the ' Calville d'Automne 

 Rayee ' and 'Rote Flaschen Apfel.' 



In the third division (c) of Rose Apples Christ established a new 

 order which by later authors has been elevated to a separate class. 

 In this division come fruits with red skins, a light bloom, and tender 

 flesh, which is generally tinged with red. Examples are ' Red Astra- 

 chan,' and ' Duchess of Oldenburg.' 



The next group, the Reinettes, has a history even older than the 

 Calvilles, as the name has been used in France since 1540 at least, 

 and is probably a diminutive of Reine, as in our Queening. 



The oldest Reinette known is probably 'Reinette Sauvage,' a 

 cider Apple known in Normandy in the fourteenth century. ' Reinette 

 Franche ' is of an age hardly if any less, and seems to have been the 

 first fruit of size which has the true Reinette character. 



The Reinettes are an extremely important class, and most probably 

 form a real genetic division. According to Koch they derive from 

 Mains dasycarpa, and their notable characters are the texture of the 

 flesh, the dark green leaves, very woolly beneath, and the habit of 

 shrivelling when over-ripe. ' Ribston Pippin ' is a typical example. 



As Christ himself observes, one can say at once whether an Apple 

 is a Reinette or not, but at the same time it is extremely difficult 

 to formulate an exact definition. By the recognition, however, of 

 this most important class of Apples Christ did great service, and 

 all later attempts at a natural system have followed his lead in this 

 respect. He did not, however, subdivide this class, and it was reserved 

 for later authors to make this useful grouping. 



Of his next class, the Pippins, it is not possible to speak in such 

 high terms, as it is difficult to separate many of them from the Reinettes, 

 and the same may be said of the Pearmains, but it was at least an 

 attempt to continue his method of working from natural groups. 



