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Apple

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Origin and History

Origin: Berks County, Pennsylvania. Warder (1867) notes it is an old apple, supposed by some to have come from New Jersey, and reports finding it in the oldest orchards of grafted fruits in Southwestern Ohio, rarely elsewhere in the West. The description below is drawn in part from the interim report of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, as Warder notes he had not had opportunity to examine the fruit himself.

Tree

Tree vigorous, upright spreading. (Downing.)

Fruit

Size and Form: Large. Warder describes the form as roundish; Downing gives roundish, inclining to conic.

Skin: Of an exceedingly beautiful waxen orange-yellow color (Warder; Downing echoes "beautiful waxen orange-yellow"), marked with a few russet dots, and a delicately striped and richly mottled carmine cheek.

Stem: Warder: very short and rather stout. Downing: short (stoutness not noted).

Cavity: Narrow, acuminate, shallow.

Calyx: Large.

Basin: Deep, rather wide, furrowed.

Flesh: Yellowish, somewhat tough. Downing attributes the toughness to the texture of the flesh and adds that it is moderately juicy; Warder attributes the toughness to the fact of the fruit's being shriveled. The two sources diverge on flavor character: Warder describes the flavor as approaching that of a pineapple; Downing describes it as subacid and quince-like. These are substantially different characterizations and may reflect different specimens, different stages of ripeness, or different tasters.

Quality: Warder rates it very good; Downing rates it good.

Season

Season: December to March (Downing) or December to April (Warder). A late-keeping winter apple.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

Neversink.

Not having had an opportunity of examining this fruit, I quote the ad interim report of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society;

"Origin Berks County, Pennsylvania.

"Fruit large, roundish, exterior of an exceedingly beautiful waxen orange-yellow color, with a few russet dots, and a delicately striped and richly mottled carmine cheek; Stem very short and rather stout, cavity narrow, acuminate, shallow; Calyx large, basin deep, rather wide, furrowed; Flesh yellowish, somewhat tough, owing to the fact of its being shriveled; Flavor approaches to that of a pineapple; Quality very good; December to April."

An old apple, supposed to have come from New Jersey; found in the oldest orchards of grafted fruits in Southwestern Ohio, seldom elsewhere in the West that I have seen.

— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)

Neversink. Origin, Berks Co., Pa. Tree vigorous, upright spreading. Fruit large, roundish, inclining to conic, beautiful waxen orange-yellow color, with a few russet dots, and a delicately striped and richly mottled carmine cheek. Stalk short. Cavity narrow, acuminate, shallow. Calyx large. Basin deep, rather wide, furrowed. Flesh yellowish, somewhat tough, moderately juicy, subacid, quince-like. Good. December to March.

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