1. They have a fine-grained, delicate, crisp, firm, or tender flesh.—2. They are mostly the ideal of a handsome shaped apple; in them the convexity or bulge of the middle of the apple, towards the eye, is the same as that towards the stalk, or not much different.—3. They are all grey dotted, or have russety patches, or completely covered with russet.—4. They have only rarely an unctuous skin.—5. They have all the rich, aromatic, sugary, and brisk flavor, which is called the Reinette flavor—6. They decay very readily, and must, of all apples, hang longest on the tree.—7. The really sweet, and at the same time aromatic apples, belong to the Reinettes, only as regards their shape, their russety character, and their fine or firm flesh.—8. Apples with fine, firm, crisp flesh, which cannot of themselves form a separate class,—for instance, the Pippins also belong to this class.
ORDER I. SELF COLORED REINETTES.
1. Having an uniform green ground color, which changes to the most beautiful golden yellow.—2. Having no lively colors or marks of russet on the side next the sun; except those that are very much exposed, and which assume a slight tinge of red.—3. Having no covering of russet, but only slight traces of russety stripes.
ORDER II. RED REINETTES.
Having all the properties of the self colored Reinettes, but of a pure red on the side next the sun, without any mixture of russet.
ORDER III. GREY REINETTES.
1. Their ground color is green, changing to dingy dull yellow.—2. The coating of russet, or the russety patches spread over the greater part of the fruit are very conspicious.—3. The side next the sun is often dull brownish, or ochreous red.
ORDER IV. GOLDEN REINETTES.
1. On the side next the sun they are washed, or striped with beautiful crimson.—2. The ground color changes by keeping to beautiful deep yellow.—3. Over the ground color, and the crimson of the exposed side, are spread light thin patches, or a complete coat of russet.