Plate III. 
MISCELLANEOUS DESSERT APPLES. 
“Studded with apples a beautiful show.”— Wordsworth. 
i. JOANNETING. 
[Syn. : Ginetting; Juneting ; Early Jenneting ; White Juneating; Juneating ; Owens 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 “ Gmeting,” 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 'd (Hist. Plant. II., iqqq). 
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, par¬ 
ticularly 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 Baptistce 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, “ Quce apud nos prinia maturantur ‘ Sand Johans OpffelJ Laline, 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 
