JACK.

REFERENCES. 1. (?) Hooper, 1857:46. 2. (?) Downing, 1869:206. 3. (?) Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:334. 1896. SYNONYMS. (Early Jack 1)? (JACK APPLE 1)? (OSKALOOSA 2, 3)?

Fruit of good medium size, yellow; flesh very tender, rich, mild subacid. It is highly esteemed for its excellent dessert quality but it is too tender to stand shipping very well and on account of its irregular shape and yellow color it is not sufficiently attractive for market purposes. The tree is not a vigorous grower and has rather slender twigs. Possibly this is identical with Oskaloosa which has Jack as a synonym, (2, 3) but we have been unable to obtain fruit of Oskaloosa and the available descriptions of that variety are so meager that it is impossible to determine whether or not it is identical with the variety described above.

Historical. Jack is grown to a very limited extent in East Bloomfield, Ontario county, N. Y. We have not obtained it from any other locality. We have been unable to learn where it originated, or whether it is the Jack mentioned by Hooper (1).

TREE.

Tree not very vigorous with moderately long, slender, crooked branches. Form at first upright spreading but becoming roundish and rather dense. Twigs long, straight, slender; internodes short. Bark brown or reddish-brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, rather conspicuous, medium size, oblong, slightly raised. Buds small, plump, obtuse, appressed, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit medium or above, sometimes rather large, not uniform in shape or size. Form oblate varying to roundish oblate or to oblate conic, very irregular, obscurely ribbed, often with the sides somewhat furrowed and unequal. Stem short to medium, slender. Cavity acuminate, usually deep, medium in width, russeted, with concentric russet lines often extending beyond the cavity, sometimes lipped. Calyx medium size, usually open. Basin small to medium, rather shallow to moderately deep, narrow to medium in width, unsymmetrical, irregularly furrowed or nearly smooth. Skin rather thin, waxy, glossy, attractive yellow with shades of green, sometimes faintly tinged with red and marbled with whitish scarf-skin over the base somewhat after the manner of Yellow Newtown. Dots mostly small and depressed mingled with a few that are larger, scattering and irregular with russet center. Calyx tube medium in width and length, conical to somewhat funnel-form. Stamens median or below. Core medium in size, somewhat abaxile; cells usually symmetrical, somewhat open; core lines clasping. Carpels elliptical, deeply emarginate. Seeds medium or below, wide, short, rather flat, obtuse, mingled with light and dark brown. Flesh tinged with yellow, moderately firm, moderately crisp or breaking, very tender, moderately juicy, very mild subacid, very good for dessert. Season October and November.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)