Cheeseboro
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Cheeseboro
Origin / History
An old variety of unknown origin (Beach), called American by Elliott. Beach's references place it in print by 1851 as "Cheeseborough Russet" in the Magazine of Horticulture. It appeared the same year as "Cheeseborough" in Emmons's Natural History of New York, with a colored plate. Beach's later references are Elliott (1854), Downing (1857), and Hooper (1857). They also include the American Pomological Society report of 1860, as "Cheeseboro's Russet." His list continues with Warder (1867), Thomas (1875), Waugh in the Vermont Station report (1901), and Ragan (1905), as "Cheeseboro."
Warder calls it "one of the largest and one of the poorest of the Russet apples, and unworthy of cultivation; on that account put upon record to be avoided." Downing calls it "an old fruit of little value," and Thomas likewise calls it "of little value." Beach, in 1905, describes it as fast becoming obsolete.
Tree
Beach describes the tree as large to very large, very vigorous, and long-lived. Its form is upright spreading or roundish. It is a reliable cropper, yielding good to heavy crops biennially or almost annually.
Fruit
Size: Large; large to very large (Beach). Warder ranks it among the largest of the Russet apples.
Form: Conical; regular (Warder).
Stem: Short (Warder).
Cavity: Pointed, regular (Warder).
Calyx: Eye large, closed (Warder).
Basin: Irregular, green (Warder).
Skin: Dull green or greenish yellow, overspread with thin russet; in general appearance a green or greenish russet. Fair (Warder). Warder's text reads "overspread with thin russet, or more southward."
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh greenish white to green, coarse, and dry to rather dry. Warder calls it "often dry" and breaking. Flavor subacid. Warder gives "acid or sub-acid, not rich." Downing calls it mild, subacid, almost sweet, and Beach gives "subacid or becoming almost sweet," "inferior in flavor and quality." Warder and Downing rate it "poor."
Core and seeds: Core large, closed, clasping. Seeds long, pointed, angular (Warder).
Season
The recorded season runs from October into early winter. Elliott and Downing give October and November, and Thomas autumn. Warder alone gives the later November and December.
Uses
For kitchen use only (Warder, Beach).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867) — listed as Cheesborough
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Cheeseborough Russet
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Cheesborough Russet
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Cheeseborough Russet
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cheesborough Russet. Howard Russet, | York Russet, of some, Kingsbury Russet, | Forever Pippin, of some. West. American. Large, conical, thin russet on greenish yellow; flesh, greenish white, coarse, dry, sub-acid. October, November.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Cheesborough.
This is one of the largest and one of the poorest of the Russet apples, and unworthy of cultivation; on that account put upon record to be avoided.
Fruit large and fair, conical, regular; Surface dull green, overspread with thin russet, or more southward.
Basin irregular, green; Eye large, closed.
Cavity pointed, regular; Stem short.
Core large, closed, clasping; Seeds long, pointed, angular; Flesh green, breaking, coarse, often dry; Flavor acid or sub-acid, not rich; Quality poor; Use, kitchen only; Season, November and December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cheeseborough Russet.
Pumpkin Sweet of some. Kingsbury Russet. Forever Pippin. Cheeseboro. Howard Russet. York Russet. Sweet Russet.
An old fruit of little value, large, conical, green russet. Flesh coarse, dry, mild, subacid, almost sweet. Poor. October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cheeseborough Russet. Large, conical, greenish russet; sub-acid. Of little value. Autumn.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)CHEESEBORO
REFERENCES. 1. Mag. Hort., 17:263. 1851. 2. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3: col. pl. No. 20. 1851. 3. Elliott, 1854:168. 4. Downing, 1857:211. 5. Hooper, 1857:25. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1860:243. 7. Warder, 1867:522. 8. Thomas, 1875:496. 9. Waugh, Vt. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:291. 1901. 10. Ragan, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 56:70. 1905.
SYNONYMS. Canada Reinette (9). Cathead (9). CHEESEBORO (10). CHEESEBORO'S RUSSET (6). CHEESBOROUGH (7). CHEESEBOROUGH (2, 9). CHEESEBOROUGH RUSSET (1, 3, 4, 5, 8). Cheeseborough Russet (9, 10). Forever Pippin (10, of some 3, 5). Howard Russet (3, 4, 5, 10). Kingsbury Russet (3, 4, 5, 10). Oxheart (9). Pumpkin Sweet of some (10). Sweet Russet (10). York Russet (10, of some 3, 5). York Russeting (10).
This is an old variety of unknown origin which is fast becoming obsolete. Tree large to very large, very vigorous, long-lived, a reliable cropper yielding good to heavy crops biennially or almost annually; form upright spreading or roundish. Fruit large to very large, conical, dull green overspread with thin russet, coarse, rather dry, subacid or becoming almost sweet, inferior in flavor and quality, suitable for kitchen use only; season October to early winter.