Cracking
Apple
Cracking
Origin / History
Originated in the eastern part of Ohio, on the farm of Henry Barger in Harrison County (Downing; Elliott; Warder; Budd & Hansen note Ohio origin). Elliott (1865) noted it as "new; highly esteemed where known," and Thomas considered it "valuable at the West."
Tree
Strong, vigorous grower with a spreading habit; productive (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Budd & Hansen). Requires little pruning (Elliott). Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy (Downing).
Fruit
Size
Large.
Form
Sources describe the form variously: oblate, somewhat uneven and irregular but handsome (Warder); roundish, slightly flattened, inclining to conic, obscurely ribbed (Downing); roundish (Elliott; Thomas); roundish oblate (Lowther); roundish oblate, slightly conical, obscurely ribbed, somewhat uneven and irregular (Budd & Hansen).
Stem / Stalk
Short (Warder; Elliott); rather stout (Warder); medium (Downing); slender (Thomas); short (Budd & Hansen).
Cavity
Sources disagree on the cavity's character. Warder describes it as acute, wavy, brown; Downing as rather deep and slightly russeted; Elliott as deep; Thomas as deep, narrow, and acuminate; Budd & Hansen as acute, wavy, slightly russeted.
Calyx / Eye
Eye medium, closed (Warder); calyx closed (Downing; Elliott; Budd & Hansen).
Basin
Wide and folded (Warder); corrugated (Downing; Budd & Hansen); furrowed (Elliott); deep and narrow (Thomas).
Skin / Surface
Surface smooth (Warder; Budd & Hansen). Ground color greenish-yellow until ripe, then often tinged with red (Warder); pale yellow with a slight tinge of red, thinly sprinkled with large dots (Downing); yellowish white, slight tinge of red in sun, with large green dots (Elliott); yellow (Lowther); light yellow with a tinge of red in the sun (Thomas); greenish yellow, with a slight tinge of red when fully ripe (Budd & Hansen). Dots numerous, minute, indented, and green (Warder; Budd & Hansen); large dots (Downing); large green dots (Elliott).
Flesh / Flavor
Yellow (Warder; Budd & Hansen); yellowish white (Downing); yellow (Thomas). Texture variously described as breaking and juicy (Warder); crisp, tender, juicy (Downing); tender, juicy, crisp, sprightly (Elliott); a little coarse, with a pleasant breaking texture (Thomas); tender, juicy, crisp (Budd & Hansen). Flavor sub-acid (Warder; Downing; Elliott; Thomas; Budd & Hansen); pleasant sub-acid (Thomas). Quality nearly first rate (Warder); good (Downing; Lowther); very good (Budd & Hansen).
Core / Seeds
Core wide, open, clasping the eye (Warder); core large (Downing); core open, large, clasping (Budd & Hansen). Seeds large, pointed, dark (Warder; Budd & Hansen).
Season
September and October (Warder); October, November (Downing); October to January (Elliott); September, October (Budd & Hansen).
Uses
Kitchen and table (Warder); valuable for cooking (Downing); kitchen (Lowther).
Distribution
Reported in more than one division — Northern Division: 2; Central Division: 2 (Lowther). Considered "valuable at the West" (Thomas).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Cracking.
This variety had its origin in the eastern part of Ohio. The tree is a strong grower and productive.
Fruit large, oblate, somewhat uneven and irregular, but handsome; Surface smooth, greenish-yellow until ripe, when it is often tinged with red; Dots numerous, minute, indented and green.
Basin wide, folded; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity acute, wavy, brown; Stem short, rather stout.
Core wide, open, clasping the eye; Seeds large, pointed, dark; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor sub-acid; quality nearly first rate; Use, kitchen and table; Season September and October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cracking.
Origin, farm of Henry Barger, Harrison Co., O. Tree spreading vigorous, and productive. Young shoots reddish brown, slightly downy.
Fruit fair, large, roundish, slightly flattened, inclining to conic, obscurely ribbed, pale yellow, with a slight tinge of red, thinly sprinkled with large dots. Stalk medium, in a rather deep slightly russeted cavity. Calyx closed in a corrugated basin. Flesh yellowish white, crisp, tender, juicy, subacid. Good. Core large. Valuable for cooking, October, November.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Cracking. Size: large. Form: roundish oblate. Color: yellow. Quality: good. Use: kitchen. Northern Division: 2 (reported in more than one division). Central Division: 2 (reported in more than one division).
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cracking.
From Harrison County, Ohio. Tree, strong grower; requires little pruning. Fruit, large, roundish, yellowish white, slight tinge of red in sun, and large green dots; stem, short; cavity, deep; calyx, closed; basin, furrowed; flesh, tender, juicy, crisp, sprightly, sub-acid. October to January. New; highly esteemed where known.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cracking. Large, roundish; light yellow, with a tinge of red in the sun; stalk slender, in a deep, narrow, acuminate cavity, basin deep and narrow; flesh a little coarse, yellow, with a pleasant breaking texture, and a good sub-acid flavor. Valuable at the West. Ohio.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Cracking.—Origin, Ohio; tree a strong spreading grower and productive.
Fruit large, roundish oblate, slightly conical, obscurely ribbed, somewhat uneven and irregular; surface smooth, greenish yellow, with a slight tinge of red when fully ripe; dots many, minute, indented, green; cavity acute, wavy, slightly russeted; stem short; basin wide, corrugated; calyx closed. Core open, large, clasping; seeds large, pointed, dark; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, crisp, subacid, very good. September, October.