THE ADAMS PEAR.

Adams. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xx. 1854.

The Adams is one of the recent additions to our increasing list of American pears, and may justly claim a prominent place among our best varieties. It ripens at an opportune season, just as the Bartlett is past its prime, and well supplies the place of that popular variety, resembling it much in appearance, — surpassing it in beauty, — rivalling it in productiveness, — and excelling it in quality. If it equalled it in size, — a quality deemed so essential by many, — it would undoubtedly be considered the greatest of recent acquisitions.

The Adams is a Massachusetts pear, and was raised in Waltham by Dr. H. Adams, a zealous amateur of that place. Through his kindness we were early supplied with the scions, and, after fruiting it in our collection, we gave a full account of it in the Magazine of Horticulture, accompanied with a brief history of its origin by Dr. Adams, in which he states that "it was produced in his garden, and was grown from a fruit of the Seckel which stood near a Bartlett. The seed was planted in the autumn of 1836, and first bore fruit in 1848. It is a vigorous tree, and an abundant and constant bearer, never having failed to perfect a crop since it began to bear." We named it the Adams in honor of its originator.

It is undoubtedly the result of an accidental cross of the Seckel with the Bartlett ; for the tree, in its growth and habit, resembles the Seckel, while the leaves and fruit resemble the Bartlett. The fruit also, in a degree, seems to combine the characteristics of the two ; being more brisk and sprightly than the Bartlett, with something of the flavor of the Seckel. We have fruited it now for four or five years, and do not hesitate to pronounce it one of our best pears.

The tree is a vigorous grower, with an upright and nearly erect habit, making a rather compact and fine pyramidal head, even without the aid of the pruning-knife, somewhat resembling the Seckel. It does not appear to thrive very well upon the quince. It comes into bearing rather early.

Tree. — Vigorous, upright, erect, and very symmetrical in habit, forming its branches regularly and at a rather acute angle ; annual growth moderately stout, straight, and of medium length.

Wood. — Dark reddish brown, thickly dotted with large, round, grayish specks, rather stout and short-jointed; old wood, grayish brown; buds, medium size, broad, short, curved inwards at the point, nearly erect, with prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size, obtuse.

Leaves. — Medium size, ovate, broadest about the middle, tapering to each end, recurved on the midrib, folded inwards on the sides, thick, dark green, deeply and sharply serrated; petioles, medium length, about one and a half inches long, moderately stout.

Flowers. — Small ; petals small, ovate ; clusters, compact.

Fruit. — Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diameter : Form, pyramidal, full at the crown, contracted slightly in the middle, obtuse at the stem, with an uneven surface, something like the Bartlett: Skin, fair, smooth, deep yellow, tinged with red on the sunny side, dotted all over with russet specks, and slightly russeted at the base of the stem : Stem, short, about half an inch long, stout, wrinkled, fleshy at the base, and obliquely inserted without any cavity : Eye, small, closed, and set even with the crown, surrounded with a few small uneven ribs ; segments of the calyx, short : Flesh, white, fine, melting and very juicy : Flavor, rich, brisk, vinous, perfumed and excellent : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, brown.

Ripe in September, and keeps into the middle of October.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Adams.

American. Wood, short-jointed, moderate healthy grower. Fruit, medium, obtuse ovate pyriform ; deep yellow, tinged with pale red in sun, dotted with russet specks ; stem, short, wrinkled, fleshy, obliquely inserted ; calyx, small, closed ; short segments ; flesh, white, melting, juicy, vinous, perfumed; core small; seeds, medium. September and October. New. Originated in Waltham, Mass. First fruited in 1847.

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

Adams.

Raised by Dr. H. Adams, of Waltham, Mass. Tree a vigorous grower, with an upright, erect habit, making a pyramidal head. Young wood reddish yellow brown.

Fruit large, obovate pyriform, largest at centre. Surface uneven. Skin pale yellow shaded with light crimson in the sun, with many brown, green, and reddish dots. Stalk short, often set with a russeted lip. Calyx closed. Basin very shallow. Flesh white, very juicy, melting, vinous. Very good. Ripens early September.

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

Adams. Large, pyriform; deep yellow, smooth, shaded red next the sun; stalk short, stout, wrinkled at base; scarcely sunk, eye small, closed, even with the crown; flesh white, fine, melting, rich, vinous, perfumed. September and October. Shoots dark brown, tree upright. Massachusetts.

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

Adams. 1. Mag. Hort. 20:464, fig. 21. 1854. 2. Hovey Fr. Am. 2:91, Pl. 1851.

Raised from seed of Seckel planted in 1836 by Dr. H. Adams, Waltham, Mass. It first bore fruit in 1848. Fruit large, obovate-pyriform, yellow, shaded with crimson; flesh white, vinous; first; early Sept.

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