Apple varieties

[Mrs Ava]

On site today one of the other plotters was there and he was able to give me some valuable information.  He knew the variety of apples on my plot.  The bigger of the 2 is called 'Orleans Reinette' and the smaller is 'Bismark'.  Now I need to get some good labels so I can label them for properity.

Anyone else have these apples?

[Mrs Ava]

[Palustris]

Orleans Reinette is a late season apple which if kept really cool will store until March. It is usually ready to eat in December. It needs picking before it is fully ripe though. It also has a tendency to produce fruit in alternate years. Also called Winter Ribston.
Bismark is a large red apple Flesh white with a slightly green tinge, firm fine textured and juicy with acid flavour. Cooks well. Season of use is Nov. to Feb. Partly self fertile.

There is the the posibility of there being two "Bismarks",
Prince Bismark, a very large red apple and Bismark, a smaller apple with good keeping qualities.

These two varieties do not usually pollinate each other as the flowering seasons do not normally overlap.

[Mrs Ava]

Aha.  Thanks Eric.  The chap who told me the names did say the Orleans Reinette is an early blossomer, and since the man on the next plot, who has recently vanished, chopped the only other Orleans Reinette on the site down to the ground before vanishing, I might have a problem with fruit setting.  The Bismark produced whopping big apples, crunchy as can be, but then I like to eat cookers, I love that acidic crunch!