Jefferson County

Apple

Jefferson County

Origin / History

The variety originated in Jefferson County, New York, from which it takes its name. It was listed by the American Pomological Society in 1873. According to Beach (1905), it has been sparingly disseminated in various parts of the country but is as yet little known, and so far as can be learned it is not being planted in New York.

Tree

Sources differ somewhat on vigor and habit. Downing describes the tree as vigorous, hardy, spreading, and an early and great bearer, with young wood dull grayish brown. Elliott describes the tree as vigorous and productive. Thomas likewise calls it vigorous and productive. Beach (1905) describes the tree as of medium size, moderately vigorous, somewhat drooping in form, with rather slender twigs; it comes into bearing young and is a reliable bearer, producing some fruit nearly every year and alternating heavy crops with lighter ones.

Fruit

Size: Medium.

Form: Sources vary slightly. Downing: roundish oblate, slightly conic. Elliott: globular. Thomas: roundish, regular. Lowther: roundish (oblate).

Stem / Cavity: Stem set in a deep cavity (Elliott); cavity deep (Thomas).

Calyx: Small (Elliott, Thomas).

Basin: Deep (Elliott); deep and smooth (Thomas).

Skin: Yellow, splashed and shaded with fine red, with minute light dots and some blotches of russet (Downing). Greenish yellow, with marblings and shades of red russet in the sun (Elliott). Striped and shaded red on yellow (Thomas). Yellow shaded and splashed with red, not very bright in color (Beach). Yellow-red (Lowther). Beach notes that the fruit frequently does not color properly.

Flesh / Flavor: Whitish yellow, juicy, tender, pleasant subacid (Downing). Crisp, juicy, mild subacid (Elliott). Crisp, tender, with a very good mild subacid flavor (Thomas). Tender, rather firm, crisp, of good flavor and excellent quality (Beach); however, when the fruit does not color properly it is of poor flavor (Beach). Quality good (Downing: "good to very good"; Lowther: "good").

Core / Seeds: Core small (Downing).

Season

October and November (Downing, Beach); late autumn (Thomas); October to December (Elliott); winter (Lowther).

Uses

Particularly suitable for dessert (Beach). Lowther reports use for both kitchen and market. Beach states it is not regarded as a good market variety, as there is apt to be a rather large amount of small, imperfect, or otherwise unmarketable fruit.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Lowther's division reports: 2 reporting stations, with the asterisk indicating the variety is reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions of the American Pomological Society.

Book Sources

Described in 5 period pomological works

View original book sources (5)

Jefferson County.

Origin, Jefferson Co., N. Y. Tree vigorous, hardy, spreading, an early and great bearer. Young wood dull grayish brown.

Fruit medium, roundish oblate, slightly conic, yellow, splashed and shaded with fine red, minute light dots and some blotches of russet. Flesh whitish yellow, juicy, tender, pleasant subacid. Good to very good. Core small. October, November.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

REFERENCES. 1. Horticulturist, 10:254. 1855. fig. 2. Downing, 1857:156. 3. Warder, 1867:723. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1873. 5. Thomas, 1875:201. 6. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292.

SYNONYMS. None.

This variety originated in Jefferson county, N. Y., hence its name (2). The tree is of medium size, moderately vigorous; form somewhat drooping; twigs rather slender. It comes into bearing young and is a reliable bearer producing some fruit nearly every year, alternating heavy with lighter crops. The fruit is yellow shaded and splashed with red, not very bright in color, in season during October and November. It is particularly suitable for dessert, the flesh being tender, rather firm, crisp, of good flavor and excellent quality but it is not regarded as a good market variety for there is apt to be a rather large amount of small, imperfect or otherwise unmarketable fruit and when the fruit does not color properly, as happens in many cases, it is of poor flavor. It was listed by the American Pomological Society in 1873. It has been sparingly disseminated in various parts of the country but is as yet little known. So far as we can learn it is not being planted in New York.

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

Jefferson County. Size: medium. Form: roundish (oblate). Color: yellow-red. Quality: good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: winter. Division reports: 2 reporting stations, with the asterisk indicating the variety is reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions of the American Pomological Society.

— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)

Jefferson County. From Jefferson Co., N. Y. Tree, vigorous, productive. Fruit, medium, globular ; color, greenish yellow, with marblings and shades of red russet in sun ; stem, in a deep cavity ; calyx, small ; basin, deep ; flesh, crisp, juicy, mild sub-acid. October, December.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Jefferson County. Medium, roundish, regular; striped and shaded red on yellow; cavity deep; calyx small; basin deep, smooth; flesh crisp, tender, with a very good mild sub-acid flavor. Late autumn. Tree vigorous, productive. Jefferson County, N. Y.

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