Sharp
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Sharp
Origin and History
Sharp was received by the New York Station in 1889 from Benjamin Buckman of Farmingdale, Illinois, for testing. Buckman had obtained his stock from the Illinois Experiment Station, which in turn had secured the variety from A. N. Lawver, who received it from Halliday and Son of Baltimore, Maryland. Sharp is distinct from both Sharp Greening and Sharp Russet. Buckman believed it to be identical to the Butler or Butler Sweet variety of Pennsylvania.
Tree Characteristics
The tree is below medium size and a slow grower with short, moderately stout branches. Form is upright spreading or roundish and open. Twigs are short to below medium length, stout to rather slender, straight, with medium internodes. Bark is dull brown or brownish-red with some olive-green, streaked with thin scarf-skin, and slightly pubescent. Lenticels are quite numerous, medium to small, oblong, and slightly raised. Buds are medium size or below medium, prominent, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, and pubescent.
The tree is not a strong grower but comes into bearing young and yields full crops biennially.
Fruit Characteristics
Size and Form: Fruit is often below medium size, sometimes above medium, uniform in shape and size. Form is roundish oblate to roundish conic, sometimes approaching oblong conic, regular or very faintly ribbed, and symmetrical.
Stem: Often very short and not exserted.
Cavity: Usually rather large, acute to acuminate, moderately deep to deep, moderately wide to wide. Sometimes very slightly furrowed and often russeted.
Calyx and Basin: Calyx is small to medium, closed or partly open, with long lobes. Basin is moderately shallow to rather deep, moderately wide, abrupt, smooth or sometimes slightly ridged or wrinkled.
Skin: Attractive pale yellow partly covered with a bright blush. Dots are minute, pale or brown.
Internal Structure: Calyx tube is funnel-form. Stamens are median to basal. Core is medium in size, somewhat abaxile, with cells open or closed; core lines are clasping. Carpels are broadly roundish or somewhat elliptical, emarginate. Seeds are medium or above medium, moderately long, rather flat, obtuse, and dark.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh is whitish, moderately firm, fine-grained, tender, crisp, and juicy. Flavor is mild subacid, nearly sweet, very good.
Season and Storage
Sharp comes in season late September into October. In ordinary storage it commonly reaches its commercial limit in November, though sometimes a portion of the fruit keeps until March.
Uses and Market Value
At its best, Sharp is an excellent dessert fruit of very attractive appearance and very good quality. It is less suitable for most culinary uses because of its mildly subacid or nearly sweet character. It is not a good market variety because very often it is below medium size and not highly colored. In appearance it somewhat resembles Maiden Blush in both shape and color.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)SHARP.
REFERENCES. 1. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:602. 1893. 2. Ib., Gard. and For., 8:428. 1895. 3. Burrill and McCluer, Ill. Sta. Bul., 45:311. 1896. 4. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul., 48:56. 1903. 5. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:144. 1904.
SYNONYMS. None.
This at its best is an excellent dessert fruit of very attractive appearance and very good quality. It is less suitable for most culinary uses because it is mildly subacid or nearly sweet, and it is not a good market variety because very often it is below medium size and not highly colored. It resembles Maiden Blush somewhat in shape and color. In this region it comes in season early in October or late in September. In ordinary storage it commonly reaches its commercial limit in November, but sometimes a portion of the fruit keeps till March. The tree is not a strong grower, but it comes into bearing young and yields full crops biennially.
It is distinct from both Sharp Greening and Sharp Russet. Buckman believes that it is the same as the Butler or Butler Sweet of Pennsylvania.
Historical. Received from Benjamin Buckman, Farmingdale, Illinois, in 1889 for testing at this Station. Mr. Buckman obtained his stock from the Illinois Experiment Station. That Station secured the variety from A. N. Lawver, who received it from Halliday and Son, Baltimore, Maryland.
TREE.
Tree below medium size, a slow grower with short, moderately stout branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs short to below medium, stout to rather slender, straight; internodes medium. Bark dull brown or brownish-red with some olive-green, streaked with thin scarf-skin; slightly pubescent. Lenticels quite numerous, medium to small, oblong, slightly raised. Buds medium size or below medium, prominent, plump, obtuse, free or nearly so, pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit often below medium, sometimes above medium, uniform in shape and size. Form roundish oblate to roundish conic, sometimes approaching oblong conic, regular or very faintly ribbed, symmetrical. Stem often very short and not exserted. Cavity usually rather large, acute to acuminate, moderately deep to deep, moderately wide to wide, sometimes very slightly furrowed and often russeted. Calyx small to medium, closed or partly open; lobes long. Basin moderately shallow to rather deep, moderately wide, abrupt, smooth or sometimes slightly ridged or wrinkled.
Skin attractive pale yellow partly covered with a bright blush. Dots minute, pale or brown.
Calyx tube funnel-form. Stamens median to basal.
Core medium in size, somewhat abaxile; cells open or closed; core lines clasping. Carpels broadly roundish or somewhat elliptical, emarginate. Seeds medium or above, moderately long, rather flat, obtuse, dark.
Flesh whitish, moderately firm, fine-grained, tender, crisp, juicy, mild subacid, nearly sweet, very good.
Season late September into October.