Abercromby

Pear

Abercromby

Origin/History

An American chance seedling (wilding) found in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. Downing (1900) records it under the alternate designation Abercromby's Seedling. Hedrick (1921) cites Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869) as the primary reference.

Tree

Vigorous, stout grower; an early and abundant bearer. (Hedrick does not describe the tree.)

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium size. Downing describes the form as globular obovate obtuse pyriform, with the greatest breadth at the centre; Hedrick, drawing on the same source, gives the form simply as obtuse-pyriform, greatest breadth at center, omitting the "globular obovate" qualifier.

Stem: Stalk short. (Hedrick does not mention the stem.)

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Large and open. (Hedrick does not mention the calyx.)

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Rather rough (Downing) / rough (Hedrick); greenish yellow, netted and patched with russet (Downing) / greenish-yellow, russeted (Hedrick); with a mottled red cheek (both sources).

Flesh and Flavor: Whitish, coarse, moderately juicy, sweet, slightly vinous. Downing adds "granular" to the flesh description; Hedrick does not. Quality rated Good by both sources.

Core and Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Ripens early in August (Downing); August (Hedrick).

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

None described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

Abercromby. Abercromby's Seedling. An American chance seedling that was found in Tallapoosa Co., Ala. Tree a vigorous, stout grower, an early and abundant bearer. Fruit medium size, globular obovate obtuse pyriform, greatest breadth at centre. Skin rather rough, greenish yellow, netted and patched with russet, and with a mottled red cheek. Stalk short. Calyx large and open. Flesh whitish, coarse, granular, moderately juicy, and sweet, slightly vinous. Good. Ripens early in August.

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

Abercromby. 1. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 654. 1869. A wilding found in Tallapoosa County, Ala. Fruit medium, obtuse-pyriform, greatest breadth at center; skin rough, greenish-yellow, russeted, with a mottled, red cheek; flesh whitish, coarse, moderately juicy, sweet, slightly vinous; good; Aug.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Abercromby Seedling Abercromby's Seedling