Cheese
AppleOrigin/History
The two sources give conflicting origins. Warder (1867) states the fruit was received from Lewis Sanders, of Grass Hills, Gallatin County, Kentucky, by whom it was grown and esteemed. Downing (1900) gives the origin as Lewisburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tree
Strong, vigorous, spreading, and productive annually. (Downing.) Not further described in Warder.
Fruit
Size and Form: Warder gives the size as medium to small; Downing gives medium to large. Both sources agree on the form: oblate.
Stem: Long and slender. (Warder.)
Cavity: Wide, regular, brown. (Warder.)
Calyx/Eye: Small, closed. (Warder.)
Basin: Variable: shallow and regular in some specimens, abrupt and deep in others. (Warder.)
Skin: Smooth. Ground color yellowish-green (Warder) or greenish (Downing), striped with red. Warder describes the striping as purple-red with splashes of deep red; Downing describes it as mostly overspread and striped with red. Dots scattered; Warder describes them as gray and purple, Downing as small and grayish.
Flesh/Flavor: The two sources conflict on flesh color: Warder gives yellow; Downing gives white. Both agree on fine-grained and tender texture, and on a subacid flavor. Warder adds that the flesh is juicy and the flavor agreeable, and rates the quality good for the table.
Core/Seeds: Core regular, closed; axis long; seeds plump, pointed, dark. (Warder.)
Season
Warder: December and January. Downing: November to February.
Uses
Good table apple. (Both sources.)
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Cheese.
This fruit was received from Lewis Sanders, of Grass Hills, Gallatin County, Kentucky, by whom it was grown and esteemed.
Fruit medium to small, oblate, regular; Surface smooth, yellowish-green, striped purple red, splashed deep red; dots scattered, gray and purple.
Basin shallow, regular, or abrupt and deep, in different specimens; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, regular, brown; Stem long, slender.
Core regular, closed; Axis long; Seeds plump, pointed, dark; Flesh yellow, tender, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, agreeable; Quality good for the table in December and January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cheese. Origin, Lewisburgh, Pa. Tree strong, vigorous, spreading, productive annually. Fruit medium to large, oblate, greenish, mostly overspread and striped with red, small grayish dots. Flesh white, fine-grained, tender, subacid. Good. November to February.