American Beauty

Pear

Origin & History

Originated in Livingston County, New York, according to Downing and Thomas; Hedrick instead places the origin "in the neighborhood of Buffalo, N. Y." and attributes it to a Mr. Sterling. All sources agree the tree was grown from seed brought from Connecticut; Hedrick dates this to about 1828. Elliott notes the variety was long known as De Motte in Michigan.

Tree

Vigorous, upright growth; an early bearer and productive. Elliott describes the growth as "thrifty." Young wood grayish-yellowish brown (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Medium (Downing, Hedrick); medium or rather large (Thomas); large (Elliott).

Form: Nearly round, slightly oval, very obscurely pyriform (Downing). Almost spherical, slightly oval (Hedrick). Roundish-obovate (Elliott). Roundish-obovate, sometimes obscurely pyriform (Thomas).

Skin: Yellow, sometimes with a few small patches of russet, and on the sunny side a mottled crimson cheek. Elliott describes the color as pale yellow, shaded with red in the sun, with russet at the base of the stem. Thomas gives light yellow, often with a little russet, and a red cheek.

Stem: Rather stout, inserted in a slight cavity, sometimes by a ring (Downing). Thomas describes the stalk as long and stout, inserted in a slight cavity by a fleshy ring. Elliott simply notes the stem is long.

Cavity: Slight (Downing, Thomas), with russet at the base of the stem (Elliott).

Calyx: Open.

Basin: Medium, rather uneven (Downing). Shallow, uneven (Thomas).

Flesh & Flavor: Rather coarse, juicy, with a very sugary, brisk flavor (Downing); Hedrick concurs, describing "a saccharine, brisk flavor." Downing and Hedrick describe the flesh as melting; Elliott and Thomas describe it as half melting. Elliott notes the flesh is white. Quality rated "good to very good" by Downing; "very good" by Hedrick and Elliott; Thomas rates it simply "good," remarking that the tree's strong upright growth, productiveness, and the handsome appearance of the fruit render it a market variety, "although not standing very high in quality."

Core & Seeds: Core large (Elliott). Not described by other sources.

Season

Ripens last of August and first of September (Downing). First of September (Thomas). Early September (Elliott). September (Hedrick).

Uses

Recommended as a market variety on account of the handsome appearance of the fruit and the productivity of the tree (Thomas).

Subtypes & Variants

Not described in sources.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Sterling.

De Mott.

Origin, Livingston Co., N. Y.; grown from seed brought from Connecticut. Tree vigorous, upright. Young wood grayish-yellowish brown, an early bearer, and productive.

Fruit medium, nearly round, slightly oval, very obscurely pyriform.

Skin yellow, sometimes with a few small patches of russet, and on the sunny side a mottled crimson cheek. Stalk rather stout, inserted in a slight cavity, sometimes by a ring. Calyx open, in a medium, rather uneven basin. Flesh rather coarse, juicy, melting, with a very sugary, brisk flavor. Good to very good. Ripens last of August and first of September.

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

Sterling, i. Mag. Hort. 13:443, 444, fig. 36. 1847. Raised by a Mr. Sterling in the neighborhood of Buffalo, N. Y., from seed brought from Connecticut about 1828. Fruit medium, almost spherical, slightly oval, yellow, with occasionally a few small patches of russet and on the sun-exposed cheek a mottled crimson blush; flesh rather coarse, juicy, melting, with a saccharine, brisk flavor; very good; Sept.

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

Sterling. De Motte. American. Native of Western New York. Tree, thrifty, upright growth, early bearer. Fruit, large, roundish obovate, pale yellow, shaded with red in sun, russet at base of stem : stem, long ; calyx, open ; core, large ; flesh, white, coarse, half melting, juicy ; "very good." Early September. Long known as De Motte in Michigan.

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

Sterling. Medium or rather large, roundish-obovate, sometimes obscurely pyriform; light yellow, often with a little russet, and a red cheek; stalk long and stout, inserted in a slight cavity by a fleshy ring, basin shallow, uneven; flesh rather coarse, juicy, half melting, good. First of September. The strong upright growth and productiveness of the tree, and the handsome appearance of the fruit, render the Sterling a market variety, although not standing very high in quality. Origin, Livingston County, N. Y.

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

De Mott De Motte Sterling Dosoris