Colonel Wilder
Pear
Colonel Wilder
Origin/History
Colonel Wilder originated from seed sown by Bernard S. Fox of San Jose, California, about 1870, and was named after Marshall P. Wilder of Boston, Massachusetts. It was once a favorite in California, though subsequently reported as little planted there. At one time it was prominent in eastern orchards because of its late season and large, handsome, well-flavored fruits. The variety came into competition with Beurré d'Anjou, however — the season and fruits of the two being similar — but the trees of Colonel Wilder were so greatly outmatched by those of Beurré d'Anjou that this variety became less and less planted in the East.
Just prior to his death, Mr. Fox, in a letter to the editor of the Rural Press, wrote of three pears — P. Barry, Fox, and Colonel Wilder — as follows: "The list of pears is already large, and, unless something extremely good is offered, there is no use adding to it. But, after many years of trial here and elsewhere, I claim now, that, at their respective times of ripening, there are no large pears superior to them in size, flavor, and good shipping qualities."
The variety was considered perhaps worth preserving in pear collections for the sake of variety (Hedrick).
Tree
Medium in size, spreading and drooping, open-topped, hardy, an uncertain bearer. Trunk shaggy. Branches stocky, roughish, reddish-brown, nearly covered with gray scarfskin, marked with many lenticels. Branchlets slender, willowy, light brown with a slight reddish tinge, smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised, obscure lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, free or slightly appressed. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, narrow, short, oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2½ in. long, slender, pale green or yellowish, sometimes with a tinge of pink; stipules light greenish-yellow with a pink tinge.
Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs. Blossoms open very late. Flowers 1¼ in. across, in dense clusters of 7 or 8 buds; pedicels ½ in. long, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit
Size and Form: Hedrick describes the fruit as large — 3 in. long, 2½ in. wide, uniform in size — oblong-obovate-pyriform, with unequal sides and ribbed surface. Thomas describes it as above medium and obovate pyriform.
Stem: ¾ in. long, thick, curved.
Cavity: Small, obtuse, shallow, narrow, furrowed, occasionally lipped.
Calyx: Large, open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute.
Basin: Shallow, narrow, abrupt, usually smooth, symmetrical.
Skin: Thick, tough, rough, dull. Color light yellow, often with a faint orange-red blush on the exposed cheek, with nettings and markings of russet. Dots numerous, small, grayish and russet-colored, conspicuous.
Flesh and Flavor: Yellowish-white, granular around the core, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a musky flavor. Quality good.
Core and Seeds: Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines. Calyx-tube short, wide, conical. Seeds wide, plump, acute.
Season
Hedrick gives the season as late December to February. Thomas gives "early winter." Both sources agree the variety is a late-season pear.
Uses
Noted for large size, good flavor, and good shipping qualities (Fox, as cited in Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)COLONEL WILDER
- Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt. Pt. 2. 119. 1875. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 2nd App. 146, fig. 1876. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 23. 1881. 4. Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 114. 1891.
Colonel Wilder originated in California and was once a favorite there, but is now reported as being little planted. At one time it was prominent in eastern orchards because of its late season and large, handsome, well-flavored fruits. The variety came in competition with Beurré d'Anjou, however, the season and fruits of the two being similar, but the trees of Colonel Wilder were so greatly outmatched by those of Beurré d'Anjou that this variety is less and less planted in the East. Perhaps it is worth preserving in pear collections for the sake of variety.
This pear originated from seed sown by Bernard S. Fox, San Jose, California, about 1870. It was named after Marshall P. Wilder, Boston, Massachusetts. Just prior to his death Mr. Fox, in a letter to the editor of the Rural Press, wrote of three pears, P. Barry, Fox, and Colonel Wilder, as follows: "The list of pears is already large, and, unless something extremely good is offered, there is no use adding to it. But, after many years of trial here and elsewhere, I claim now, that, at their respective times of ripening, there are no large pears superior to them in size, flavor, and good shipping qualities."
Tree medium in size, spreading and drooping, open-topped, hardy, an uncertain bearer; trunk shaggy; branches stocky, roughish, reddish-brown nearly covered with gray scarfskin, marked with many lenticels; branchlets slender, willowy, light brown, with a slight reddish tinge, smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised, obscure lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, free or slightly appressed. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, narrow, short, oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2½ in. long, slender, pale green or yellowish, sometimes with a tinge of pink; stipules light greenish-yellow, with a pink tinge. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs; blossoms open very late; flowers 1¼ in. across, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ½ in. long, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit in season, late December to February; large, 3 in. long, 2½ in. wide, uniform in size, ribbed, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem ¾ in. long, thick, curved; cavity small, obtuse, shallow, narrow, furrowed, occasionally lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, abrupt, usually smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, rough, dull; color light yellow, often with a faint orange-red blush on the exposed cheek, with nettings and markings of russet; dots numerous, small, grayish and russet-colored, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, granular around the core, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a musky flavor; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, plump, acute.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Colonel Wilder. Above medium, obovate pyriform, yellow with some russet, juicy, melting, sweet. Early winter. Origin, Cal.