Ohio Nonpareil

Ohio Nonpareil

Origin and History

This variety originated near Massillon, Ohio. According to Warder (1867), it originated with Mr. Myers, near Massillon, and was described in the Western Horticultural Review for February 1853; the original tree had borne annual crops of evenly sized fruit for twenty years. Downing (1900) states the origin is in doubt, the first known trees being in the orchard of Bowman, Massillon, Ohio. Beach (1905) notes it was first described in 1848, making it an old variety, though he confirms the Massillon, Ohio origin. Beach further observes that it had not been much disseminated in New York but was more popular in the Middle West, where it was still offered by nurserymen.

Warder compared it with some of the best dessert apples of the season — Hawley, Fall Pippin, Fall Wine, Rambo, and others — and reported this variety was declared to be "better than the best."

[NOTE: Downing (1900) contains a second, separate entry also titled "Ohio Nonpareil" with synonyms Ohio Pippin, Ernst's Pippin, and Shannon. That entry describes a distinct variety, supposed to have originated near Dayton, Ohio, and first disseminated by the late A. H. Ernst of Cincinnati. It is described as a large, roundish oblate apple, yellow with mottled red in the sun, with yellowish, moderately juicy, pleasant, sharp subacid flesh rated merely "Good," with season November to January. Its tree has strong, dull reddish brown, quite downy young shoots — in contrast to the smooth shoots of the true Ohio Nonpareil. That variety is not merged here, as it appears to be a different apple sharing the name.]

Tree

The tree is described as vigorous and healthy by Warder (1867), while Beach (1905) characterizes it as medium in size and only moderately vigorous. Downing (1900) notes that the young trees are very vigorous with stout, straight shoots, while orchard trees become very wide, regular, open, and spreading, requiring little or no thinning and bearing the fruit evenly over the whole tree, all fair-sized, smooth fruit. Warder similarly describes the tree as spreading with limbs straight, stout and compact, not liable to break with the weight of fruit.

Young shoots are smooth, rich, dark reddish brown (Downing). Bark olive-green with some reddish-brown, thinly streaked and mottled with gray scarf-skin (Beach). Twigs medium length, curved, rather stout (Beach). Lenticels scattering, conspicuous, large, usually round, becoming laterally compressed (Beach). Buds medium to small, obtuse, appressed, pubescent (Beach).

Regarding bearing habit, Warder reports that the original tree bore annual crops for twenty years, but Beach states it does not come into bearing very young and is not always a reliable cropper.

Fruit

Size: Warder describes the fruit as large to very large; Downing and Beach both describe it as medium to large.

Form: Roundish oblate, often obscurely ribbed (Beach). Warder describes it as regular and oblate, and very handsome.

Stem: Warder describes the stem as short and small. Downing says medium and rather slender. Beach describes it as medium to rather short and rather thick.

Cavity: Rather large, acute, deep, and pretty symmetrical, more or less russeted, the russet sometimes outspreading over the base (Beach). Warder describes it as deep, acute, and regular. Downing says large, deep, and regular.

Calyx: Warder describes the eye as large and closed. Downing says the calyx is rather large and partially open, with segments rather short. Beach describes it as medium or above, closed or slightly open, with lobes medium in length, narrow, and acute.

Basin: Beach describes the basin as rather small, medium in depth, narrow to moderately wide, somewhat abrupt, and rather symmetrical. Warder says medium, wide, and regular. Downing simply says medium.

Skin: Pale yellow to deep yellow, almost entirely overspread with bright red, mottled and irregularly striped and splashed with carmine (Beach). Downing describes it as yellow, shaded, marbled, and splashed with two shades of rich red, thinly sprinkled with light and gray dots. Warder says the surface is smooth, yellow, covered with bright red, with scattered gray dots.

Dots: Moderately numerous, small to medium, areolar with russet center or grayish (Beach). Warder describes them as scattered and gray. Downing says thinly sprinkled with light and gray dots.

Calyx Tube: Moderately short, conical (Beach). Stamens basal to nearly median (Beach).

Core: Small (Downing, Beach). Warder says regular and somewhat open. Beach provides further detail: somewhat abaxile; cells symmetrical, not uniformly developed, nearly closed to somewhat open; core lines meeting or slightly clasping. Carpels roundish, rather flat, tufted (Beach).

Seeds: Warder describes them as numerous and medium. Beach says medium size, moderately long, plump, acute, and tufted.

Flesh: Tinged with yellow (Beach) or yellowish (Warder) or yellowish white (Downing). Fine-grained and tender (all sources agree). Beach adds that it is firm, moderately fine, and crisp. Juicy (all sources). Subacid and rich (Warder, Downing). Beach describes the flavor as agreeable subacid and aromatic. Downing says slightly aromatic. Warder calls it sub-acid and rich.

Quality: Warder rates it first quality. Downing rates it very good. Beach rates it good to very good.

Season

Warder gives the season as September to December. Downing and Beach both give October and November.

Uses

Suitable for table, market, cooking, or drying (Warder). Beach describes it as a fine fall apple of good color and good quality for either dessert or culinary purposes, regarded as a good variety for home use, with some recommending it for commercial planting.