Harrison
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Harrison
Origin / History
Harrison originated in Essex County, New Jersey, and took its name from a family there (Coxe). Coxe in 1817 called it "the most celebrated of the cider apples of Newark in New-Jersey." He found it cultivated in high perfection and to a great extent in that neighborhood, particularly on the Orange mountain, and very extensively cultivated in Essex County. From its long stalk it was often called the long stem (Coxe).
The celebrated Newark cider is made from Harrison mixed with a small proportion of Campfield (Elliott). Downing calls New Jersey the most celebrated cider-making district in America and says Harrison has long enjoyed the highest reputation as a cider fruit.
Warder calls it "this famous Jersey cider apple." He says it has been carried westward over a great extent of territory, where it succeeds admirably well, and where "the necessities of the people have brought to light its good properties for the kitchen as well as for the cider mill."
Tree
Strong, vigorous, and thrifty in growth, large and spreading. Hard wood; numerous suckers thrown out from the limbs (Coxe). Hardy (Elliott).
A certain bearer, very productive, bearing very large crops. Coxe records that in the year he wrote, one tree in an orchard in Essex County produced upwards of 100 bushels. Of these, 87 were gathered when fully ripe; the rest were fallen fruit, carefully measured to ascertain the quantity.
Fruit
Size: Small to medium. Most authors give it as small or below the middling size; Downing calls it medium.
Form: Rather long, ovate, roundish ovate, or roundish oblong, pointed toward the crown. Warder gives it as round-conical, somewhat angular and irregular.
Stem: Long, one inch or more. Red and knobby (Warder).
Cavity: Medium to wide; regular and brown (Warder). Coxe says the ends are deeply hollowed.
Calyx: Eye small, closed; segments long (Warder).
Basin: Shallow, furrowed or plaited, or none at all (Elliott, Warder). Coxe, by contrast, gives the ends as deeply hollowed.
Skin: Yellow, rarely blushed (Warder). Surface not smooth, rough to the touch from the specks. Warder adds frequent rose-colored spots, with marks radiating from the cavity over the base of the fruit.
Dots: Many, small, distinct. Coxe and Elliott give them as black specks, Elliott adding "light-suffused shade around"; Warder gives them as gray.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow, firm, compact, tough, rather dry; dry till ripe, then juicy (Warder). Flavor rich to very rich and saccharine, spicy, subacid to acid; the taste "pleasant and sprightly, but rather dry" (Coxe). Warder rates the quality "good." Elliott says that "in absence of better fruit, and kept until March, it becomes 'very good' for dessert."
Core and seeds: Core large (Elliott); regular, heart-shaped, closed, scarcely meeting the eye (Warder). Seeds long, ovate, numerous, small.
Season
The fruit ripens and falls easily from the tree about the first of November. It keeps well when housed and is remarkably free from rot (Coxe). The recorded season runs from November into April, with dessert use from March (Elliott) into April (Warder).
Uses
Chiefly a cider apple; ten bushels of fruit make a barrel of cider. The cider is high-colored, rich, sweet, and of great strength and body. Coxe says it commanded a high price in New York, frequently ten dollars and upwards per barrel when fined for bottling, and that one barrel of cider produces fourteen quarts of distilled spirits. Also used for cooking and for dessert in April (Warder), and for dessert when kept until March (Elliott).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 83. HARRISON.
This is the most celebrated of the cider apples of Newark in New-Jersey: it is cultivated in high perfection, and to a great extent in that neighbourhood, particularly on the Orange mountain; the shape is rather long, and pointed towards the crown—the stalk long; hence it is often called the long stem—the ends are deeply hollowed; the skin is yellow, with many small but distinct black spots, which give a roughness to the touch: the flesh is rich, yellow, firm and tough; the taste pleasant and sprightly, but rather dry—it produces a high coloured, rich, and sweet cider of great strength, commanding a high price in New-York, frequently ten dollars and upwards per barrel when fined for bottling. The trees are certain bearers; the apples fall about the first of November; they are below the middling size, remarkably free from rot; ripen at that time, but will keep well when housed. The tree is of strong and vigorous growth, throwing out numerous suckers from the limbs—the wood is hard—ten bushels are required for a barrel of cider—one barrel will produce fourteen quarts of distilled spirits: it obtained its name from a family in Essex county New-Jersey, where it originated, and is very extensively cultivated. One tree of this kind this year, in an orchard in Essex county, produced upwards of 100 bushels, 87 of which were gathered when fully ripe, the others were fallen fruit, carefully measured to ascertain the quantity.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Harrison.
Generally grown for cider, but, in absence of better fruit, and kept until March, it becomes "very good" for dessert. Tree, thrifty, hardy, very productive. Fruit, medium or small, roundish ovate ; yellow, with black specks, light-suffused shade around ; stem, one inch ; cavity, wide ; calyx, closed ; basin, shallow, furrowed ; flesh, yellow, firm, spicy, sub-acid ; core, large; seeds, long, ovate, November to March. It is from this variety, mixed with a small proportion of Campfield, that the celebrated Newark cider is made.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Harrison.
This famous Jersey cider apple, from Essex County in that State, has been carried westward over a great extent of territory, where it succeeds admirably well, and where the necessities of the people have brought to light its good properties for the kitchen as well as for the cider mill.
Tree vigorous, large, spreading, productive.
Fruit small, round-conical, somewhat angular and irregular; Surface not smooth, yellow, rarely blushed; frequent rose-colored spots, and marks radiating from the cavity over the base of the fruit; Dots small, distinct, gray.
Basin none, or very shallow, plaited; Eye small, closed; Segments long.
Cavity medium, regular, brown; Stem long, red, knobby.
Core regular, heart-shaped, closed, scarcely meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, small; Flesh yellow, compact, dry till ripe, then juicy; flavor acid to sub-acid, very rich, saccharine; Quality good; Use, especially for cider, also for cooking and for dessert in April. Keeps well.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Harrison.
New Jersey is the most celebrated cider-making district in America, and this Apple, which originated in Essex County of that State, has long enjoyed the highest reputation as a cider fruit. Ten bushels of the Apples make a barrel of cider. The tree grows thriftily and bears very large crops.
Fruit medium size, ovate or roundish oblong. Skin yellow, with roughish, distinct black specks. Stalk one inch or more long. Flesh yellow, rather dry and tough, but with a rich flavor, producing a high-colored cider, of great body. The fruit is very free from rot, falls easily from the tree about the first of November, and keeps well.