Jacobs Sweet.* Tree vigorous, spreading; fruit medium to large, roundish-oblate; light yellow with numerous large greenish dots, occasionally blushed; flesh white, crisp, somewhat coarse, but good. November to late winter. An excellent winter sweet. Medford, Mass.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

JACOBS SWEET.

REFERENCES. 1. Manning, Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1880:235. 2. Ib., Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:28. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:242. 4. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:253. 1895. 5. Ib., West. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1896:52. 6. Manning, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1899:185. 7. Budd-Hansen, 1903:105. 8. Rural N. Y., 62:771. 1903. fig. 9. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:45. 1903. 10. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:126. 1904.

SYNONYMS. JACOBS (4, 5, 9). JACOB'S SWEET (1, 2, 3). Jacobs Sweet (9). JACOB'S WINTER SWEET (3). Jacobs' Winter Sweet (4).

A large showy apple, green or yellowish often with bright blush. In form, color and texture it somewhat resembles Bough Sweet. It is one of the best sweet apples of its season for baking. The fruit is very tender and liable to crack and spot. It rots on the tree and also in storage. It is an unreliable keeper and rather variable in season but commonly is in season about with Pumpkin Sweet or Tompkins King. Its commercial limit varies from October to December or later in cellar storage and from January to March in cold storage (9, 10). The tree is not a very satisfactory grower in the nursery but in the orchard it is vigorous, comes into bearing moderately young and is almost an annual bearer often yielding rather heavy crops. It is recommended for the home orchard but not for general commercial planting.

Historical. Originated by Charles Sumner Jacobs, Medford, Massachusetts, about 1860 (1, 2). It has been but sparingly disseminated in New York state.

TREE.

Tree medium to large, vigorous. Form spreading. Twigs short to rather long, rather stout, straight or slightly curved; internodes medium to short. Bark clear light brownish-red with some olive-green, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; rather pubescent. Lenticels rather inconspicuous, rather scattering, small, elongated, sometimes raised. Buds lightly attached to the bark or free, medium or below, very prominent, fleshy, broad, obtuse, pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit above medium to large or very large. Form roundish often inclined to conic, sometimes slightly oblate, pretty symmetrical. Stem medium to short. Cavity rather wide, moderately deep to deep, acute or approaching acuminate, sometimes slightly furrowed or compressed, seldom russeted. Calyx medium, closed or partly open. Basin often abrupt, usually round, medium in width and depth. Skin tough, somewhat waxen, rather glossy, clear yellow or greenish, often with a bright blush. Dots obscure, whitish or russet. Calyx tube cone-shape or somewhat funnel-form. Stamens median to basal. Core rather large, somewhat abaxile; cells pretty symmetrical, open or partly closed; core lines slightly clasping. Carpels large, roundish to broadly obovate. Seeds numerous, medium, acute. Flesh whitish tinged with yellow, moderately firm, moderately coarse, very tender, crisp, juicy, slightly aromatic, very sweet, good.

Season October to March or April.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

Jacobs Sweet. — Origin, Medford, Massachusetts; resembles Sweet Bough in habit of growth, in texture and feeling of skin, but has more blush and is a late keeper.

Fruit large to very large, round oblate, somewhat conical; surface yellow, with red or brownish-red blush, often much russeted; dots white, large, distinct; cavity large, wide; stem medium; basin deep, smooth; calyx open. Core small, closed; tube conical; flesh white, firm, very rich, juicy, sweet. Excellent for table or baking. October to March.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

JACOBS SWEET. Jacobs Winter Sweet. Jacobs Sweet has many of the qualities which have made its more widely-known rival, Sweet Bough, a universal favorite. The apples of the two, in color, form, and texture are much alike. The fruits of this variety are very tender, crack easily, and are susceptible to the scab-fungus. Add to these faults, unreliability in keeping and great variability in season, and it may be seen why Sweet Bough is generally thought to be the better apple. The variety is best known in New England, where it originated at Medford, Massachusetts, about 1860.

Tree medium to large, vigorous, spreading. Fruit medium to large, round, inclined to conic, sometimes oblate, symmetrical; stem short; cavity wide, deep, acute, sometimes furrowed or compressed, seldom russeted; calyx closed or partly open; basin often abrupt, round, medium in width and depth; skin tough, waxen, glossy, yellow with a bright blush; dots obscure white or russet; calyx-tube cone-shape; stamens median; core large, abaxile; cells symmetrical, open or partly closed; core-lines clasping; carpels large, round to broad-obovate; seeds numerous, acute; flesh yellow, firm, coarse, very tender, crisp, juicy, aromatic, very sweet; good; October to April.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1893. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit very large, roundish, conical. Skin green with a dull red blush. Flesh white, crisp, moderately juicy, tender, sweet, quality good. Season December and January.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)