Jersey Black.

BLACK APPLE of Coxe ?

This admirable but unpretending fruit has extended its way quietly through the country, along the parallels 40° to 42°, without ever having had any extra puffing, such as has given notoriety to some of its competitors for places in the orchard. Nobody speaks about this apple, nor writes about it, and yet it is everywhere to be found. This cannot be the Black Apple of Coxe and Downing, being quite different in some of its strong characters. Origin unknown, supposed to have been introduced into the West by Silas Wharton, of Warren County, Ohio, as it is found with the White Pippin and other favorite sorts of his introduction, and is in his published list.

Tree sufficiently vigorous, but does not grow large, spreading, often drooping when old, branches open, always fruitful, either well distributed in a light crop, or crowded in a full one.

Fruit full medium, round, angular and irregular, sometimes ribbed; Surface smooth, completely covered with deep red, striped darker, giving a purple, almost black hue to the fruit, often covered with a thin bloom; one variety is always lighter, stripes more distinct, and the flesh more stained; Dots numerous, minute, indented, purple.

Basin mostly shallow, folded and plaited; Eye small to medium, closed.

Cavity deep, acute, brown, often wavy or folded; Stem short, medium or long, usually stout, sometimes knobbed.

Core medium, regular, generally closed, clasping the eye; Seeds numerous, short, plump, pointed, dark; Flesh yellow, crisp, fine-grained, juicy, often stained pink or reddish; Flavor rich, mild sub-acid, aromatic, not spicy, satisfying; Quality good; Use, table, kitchen, cider and for stock; Season, December, January; keeps sound. A good market apple.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Jersey Black. Size medium, round, somewhat irregular; striped blackish red on lighter red, with numerous small dots; flesh often stained; stalk variable, cavity deep; basin shallow, plaited; flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, mild sub-acid, agreeable. Early winter. Tree vigorous, but does not grow large; spreading, productive. A valuable market apple at the West.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

BLACK JERSEY.

REFERENCES. 1. Coxe, 1817:139. fig. 2. Thacher, 1822:121. 3. Downing, 1845:99. 4. Horticulturist, 4:470. 1849. 5. Thomas, 1851:63. 6. Hooper, 1857:18. 7. Elliott, 1858:123. 8. Warder, 1867:653. fig. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 10. Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:327. 1896. 11. Budd-Hansen, 1903:49.

SYNONYMS. BLACK APPLE (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7). Black American (7). Dodge's Black (7). JERSEY BLACK (4, 10). Warder (8) describes a JERSEY BLACK which he believes is not the Black Apple of Coxe and Downing. Jersey Black (7).

Fruit medium, dark red, almost black. A pleasant flavored, dessert apple.

Origin. There are several varieties which have been disseminated under the name Black Apple and more or less confusion exists with regard to their correct names. Black Jersey is generally believed to be identical with the Black Apple described and disseminated by Coxe (1), although Warder differs from this view (8). It is an old variety now practically obsolete.

TREE.

Tree moderately vigorous, productive, with slender branches eventually becoming drooping. Twigs rather slender to rather stout, rather pubescent, clear olive-green mingled with red, irregularly overlaid with grayish scarfskin; internodes long. Lenticels conspicuous, numerous, raised, mostly below medium, elongated. Buds medium, not very prominent, broadly acute to obtuse, adhering and slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium. Form roundish, somewhat irregular; sides somewhat unequal; pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem variable, sometimes knobbed, often inserted under a lip. Cavity irregular, moderately deep to deep, acute. Calyx rather small, closed or partly open. Basin rather wide, somewhat abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled, shallow. Skin very dark red, almost black, shading to a wine red over yellow, and somewhat streaked in the lighter portions; sometimes it shows a whitish bloom; attractive. Dots many, whitish or light, rather large, showing through the red skin. Calyx tube conical. Core medium or above, usually axile, closed or somewhat open; core lines clasping. Carpels elongated ovate to obcordate, concave, slightly tufted. Seeds acute, plump, dark. Flesh yellowish-white often tinged with red, juicy, crisp, a little coarse, subacid becoming mildly sweet, aromatic, agreeable in flavor but not high in quality. Season November to January or February.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Black, Jersey. — An old variety; tree of moderate growth, spreading round head with drooping limbs, productive.

Fruit medium, round, angular, irregular, somewhat ribbed; surface smooth, wholly covered with deep red, with darker stripes, giving a purple, almost black, color, often with thin bloom; dots many, minute, indented, purple; cavity deep, acute, russet, often wavy or folded; stem variable; basin shallow, corrugated; calyx closed. Core medium, usually closed, clasping; seeds many, short, plump; pointed, dark; flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, often stained pink or reddish, mild, aromatic, agreeable subacid, good. Early winter.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

Jersey Black. Size: medium. Form: flat. Color: "dr". Quality: good. Use: family.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)