Deacon Jones
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
DEACON JONES
Origin/History
Originated in Pennsylvania as a chance seedling. Received at the New York Station in 1892 for testing from J. S. Ford, Pittsford, New York, by whom it is being introduced. The form of the fruit and the character of the core indicate that this variety may be a seedling of the Yellow Bellflower.
Tree
Moderately vigorous. Branchlets willowy, long, slender, drooping. Form dense, upright spreading. Twigs long, nearly straight, moderately stout, with large terminal buds; internodes long to below medium. Bark clear brownish-red, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels numerous, generally medium in size, roundish or oval, raised, conspicuous. Buds small to medium, projecting, obtuse to somewhat acute, appressed, quite pubescent, deeply set in bark.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large to very large; pretty uniform in size, somewhat variable in shape. Form roundish conic varying to oblong conic, ribbed; axis sometimes oblique.
Stem: Short.
Cavity: Obtuse to acute or sometimes slightly acuminate, shallow to moderately deep, usually smooth, often prominently lipped.
Calyx: Small to above medium, closed or partly open, often leafy; lobes sometimes separated at the base.
Basin: Shallow to moderately deep, usually rather narrow, distinctly furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Thick, tough, smooth or slightly rough. Waxen yellow, mottled and blushed with red and with irregular dashes of carmine; in highly colored specimens being almost completely covered with an attractive deep red. Covered with a whitish bloom which gives the fruit a somewhat dull appearance.
Dots: Conspicuous, mingled small and large, whitish, many areolar with russet point; numerous toward the eye.
Calyx Tube: Variable in size, urn-shape to conic. Stamens median or below.
Core and Seeds: Core abaxile; cells symmetrical, wide open, very large; core lines nearly meeting. Seeds numerous, medium to small, rather dark brown, plump, obtuse, somewhat irregular. Carpels much tufted, emarginate, mucronate, elongated and rather broadly ovate.
Flesh and Flavor: Whitish, somewhat tinged with yellow, rather firm, coarse, somewhat crisp, tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid, slightly aromatic, not high in quality, fair to possibly good.
Season
November to March or later.
Storage/Keeping
In ordinary storage the fruit's season for home use extends from November to March. In cold storage, the commercial limit for barrel stock appears to be March first, but the fruit has kept free from scald and rot until May. The fruit has a tough skin and firm texture and stands handling well. There is little waste from drops and culls.
Tree Performance
In the orchard the tree is thrifty, comes into bearing young, is almost an annual bearer, and very productive. The fruit hangs well to the tree. The tree is a fine grower in the nursery and "delivers" well.
Uses and Quality Assessment
Not good enough in quality to be recommended for home use, but may possibly be of value as a commercial variety. The fruit is showy and of good marketable size, averaging larger than Baldwin. When well colored it is handsome. Probably would generally be rated superior to Ben Davis for dessert purposes.
Other
The variety shows comparative characteristics that suggest possible relationship to Yellow Bellflower, based on fruit form and core character.
References: 1. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:40. 1903. 2. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:116. 1904.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)DEACON JONES.
REFERENCES. 1. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:40. 1903. 2. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:116. 1904.
Fruit showy and of good marketable size, averaging larger than Baldwin. When well colored it is handsome, the yellow ground color being mostly overlaid with good red, relieved with dots of a contrasting color. The tree is a fine grower in the nursery and "delivers" well. In the orchard it is thrifty, comes into bearing young, is almost an annual bearer and very productive. The fruit hangs well to the tree. There is little waste from drops and culls. The flesh is rather coarse; the flavor is mild and the quality is not high, but probably it would generally be rated superior to Ben Davis for dessert. It has a tough skin and firm texture, and stands handling well. In ordinary storage its season for home use extends from November to March. So far as tested in cold storage, the commercial limit for barrel stock appears to be March first, but the fruit has kept free from scald and rot till May (1). It is not good enough in quality to be recommended for home use, but it may possibly be of value as a commercial variety.
Historical. Originated in Pennsylvania as a chance seedling. Received here in 1892 for testing from J. S. Ford, Pittsford, N. Y., by whom it is being introduced. The form of the fruit and the character of the core indicate that this variety may be a seedling of the Yellow Bellflower.
TREE. Tree moderately vigorous; branchlets willowy, long, slender, drooping. Form dense, upright spreading. Twigs long, nearly straight, moderately stout, with large terminal buds; internodes long to below medium. Bark clear brownish-red, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; pubescent. Lenticels numerous, generally medium in size, roundish or oval, raised, conspicuous. Buds small to medium, projecting, obtuse to somewhat acute, appressed, quite pubescent, deeply set in bark.
FRUIT. Fruit large to very large; pretty uniform in size, somewhat variable in shape. Form roundish conic varying to oblong conic, ribbed; axis sometimes oblique. Stem short. Cavity obtuse to acute or sometimes slightly acuminate, shallow to moderately deep, usually smooth, often prominently lipped. Calyx small to above medium, closed or partly open, often leafy; lobes sometimes separated at the base. Basin shallow to moderately deep, usually rather narrow, distinctly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin thick, tough, smooth or slightly rough, waxen yellow, mottled and blushed with red and with irregular dashes of carmine, in highly colored specimens being almost completely covered with an attractive deep red. It is covered with a whitish bloom which gives the fruit a somewhat dull appearance. Dots conspicuous, mingled small and large, whitish, many areolar with russet point; numerous toward the eye. Calyx tube variable in size, urn-shape to conic. Stamens median or below. Core abaxile; cells symmetrical, wide open, very large; core lines nearly meeting. Seeds numerous, medium to small, rather dark brown, plump, obtuse, somewhat irregular. Carpels much tufted, emarginate, mucronate, elongated and rather broadly ovate. Flesh whitish, somewhat tinged with yellow, rather firm, coarse, somewhat crisp, tender, moderately juicy, mild subacid, slightly aromatic, not high in quality, fair to possibly good. Season November to March or later (1, 2).