Jackson
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Jackson
Origin / History
Origin, Bucks County, Pa. (Elliott, Downing, Beach). Beach cites Smith, Horticulturist, 1856; Brinckle, Horticulturist, 1857, with a figure; Downing, 1857; Warder, 1867; and Thomas, 1885. Long known in Pennsylvania, but not disseminated to any considerable extent in New York (Beach). Beach calls it "a greenish-yellow apple of medium size, not particularly attractive," and does not recommend it for planting in New York.
Tree
Tree vigorous; upright grower (Downing). Form roundish or spreading, rather dense (Beach). Branches moderately long, stout, crooked. Young wood dark brown. Twigs long, curved, stout; internodes medium. Bark dark brown, lightly streaked with scarf-skin, pubescent near the tips. Lenticels numerous, small, round, not raised. Buds deeply set in the bark, medium in size, broad, obtuse, appressed, slightly pubescent.
Fruit
Size: Medium, uniform in size and shape.
Form: Roundish to roundish oblate, symmetrical.
Stem: Medium to rather long, slender.
Cavity: Deep, narrow to rather broad; usually acuminate, often heavily russeted, with outspreading irregular rays.
Calyx: Medium in size, closed (Elliott), or closed or sometimes open (Beach); lobes long, rather narrow, acute. Calyx tube large, long, conical to funnel-form, extending nearly to the core. Stamens marginal to median.
Basin: Abrupt, medium in depth to deep, moderately wide, slightly furrowed and wrinkled.
Skin: Moderately thick, tender; greenish yellow with many dark green blotches and gray dots, the dark blotches and gray dots showing in the sun (Elliott). Red stripes very few, faint, scarcely perceptible; Elliott adds mottlings of red. On the exposed side a warm mottled brown blush (cheek).
Dots: Gray dots scattered over the surface. On the brown blush of the exposed side, numerous white dots, each with a central gray speck.
Flesh and flavor: Greenish, or slightly tinged with yellow (Beach). Fine in texture, crisp, tender to very tender, juicy. Flavor aromatic (Elliott); very mild subacid mingled with sweet. Quality "good" (Beach); "Good to very good" (Downing).
Core and seeds: Core medium in size, abaxile; cells unsymmetrical, wide open; core lines clasping. Carpels smooth, nearly cordate to broadly ovate. Seeds numerous, dark brown, medium in size, plump, obtuse.
Season
October to February (Downing, Beach); Elliott gives October to December.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Possibly identical with: preceding
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Jackson.
From Bucks Co., Pa. Fruit, medium, roundish; color, greenish yellow, with dark blotches and gray dots in sun, faint stripes and mottlings of red; stem, in a deep narrow cavity; calyx, closed; basin, slightly furrowed; flesh, greenish, tender, juicy, aromatic flavor. October, December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Jackson.
Origin, Bucks Co., Pa. Tree upright grower. Young wood dark brown.
Fruit medium, roundish oblate, greenish yellow, with many dark green blotches and gray dots, a very few faint stripes, and warm mottled brown cheek. Flesh greenish, fine texture, tender, juicy. Good to very good. October, February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)JACKSON.
REFERENCES. 1. Smith, Horticulturist, 11:286. 1856. 2. Brinckle, Ib., 12:520. 1857. fig. 3. Downing, 1857:156. 4. Warder, 1867:723. 5. Thomas, 1885:514.
SYNONYM. Jackson Seedling (1).
A greenish-yellow apple of medium size, not particularly attractive. In season from October to February. Not recommended for planting in New York.
Historical. Origin, Bucks county, Pa. (1, 2, 3). Although it has long been known in Pennsylvania it has not been disseminated to any considerable extent in this state.
TREE.
Tree vigorous; branches moderately long, stout, crooked. Form roundish or spreading, rather dense. Twigs long, curved, stout; internodes medium. Bark dark brown lightly streaked with scarf-skin, pubescent near the tips. Lenticels numerous, small, round, not raised. Buds deeply set in bark, of medium size, broad, obtuse, appressed, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium, uniform in size and shape. Form roundish to roundish oblate, symmetrical. Stem medium to rather long, slender. Cavity usually acuminate, deep, narrow to rather broad, often heavily russeted and with outspreading irregular rays. Calyx medium in size, closed or sometimes open; lobes long, rather narrow, acute. Basin abrupt, medium in depth to deep, moderately wide, slightly furrowed and wrinkled. Skin moderately thick, tender, greenish-yellow with many dark green blotches and gray dots, a very few faint red stripes scarcely perceptible, and on the exposed side a warm mottled brown blush, containing numerous white dots with a central gray speck in each (2). Calyx tube large, long, conical to funnel-form, extending nearly to core. Stamens marginal to median. Core medium in size, abaxile; cells unsymmetrical, wide open; core lines clasping. Carpels smooth, nearly cordate to broadly ovate. Seeds numerous, dark brown, medium in size, plump, obtuse. Flesh slightly tinged with yellow, fine, crisp, very tender, juicy, very mild subacid mingled with sweet, good.