Columbia

COLUMBIA

1. Mag. Hort. 2:37. 1836. 2. Kenrick Am. Orch. 159. 1841. 3. Mag. Hort. 9:252, fig. 15. 1843. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 430, fig. 198. 1845. 5. Horticulturist 1:20, 480, fig. 9. 1846-47. 6. Hovey Fr. Am. 2:17, Pl. 1851. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 66. 1862. 8. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:589, fig. 1867. 9. Pom. France 4: No. 140, Pl. 140. 1867. 10. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 725. 1869.

Once a favorite in eastern United States, Columbia is planted now only in collections. The variety never was a leader as far north as the pear regions of New York and Massachusetts, but when pear-growing was being attempted in the southern states in the middle of the last century, before the advent of Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte, Columbia was the most dependable sort for the South. The pears are not attractive in appearance, nor remarkably good in quality, but the trees are vigorous, healthy, and very fruitful, although they come in bearing late. The variety is above the average in both fruit and tree, and is too valuable to be discarded. This variety must not be confused with the Columbia now listed in many catalogs, the proper name of which is Barseck.

The original seedling grew on the farm of a Mr. Casser in Westchester County, thirteen miles from New York City. In 1835, Bloodgood and Company, nurserymen of Flushing, Long Island, secured fruit from the original tree, which was then fifteen inches in diameter, and sent it to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Later, the variety was propagated and distributed by the Bloodgood Nursery. Columbia was added to the fruit-catalog of the American Pomological Society in 1862.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk stocky, roughish; branches thick, rough, shaggy, dull brownish-red overspread with much gray scarfskin, marked with roundish lenticels; branchlets short, light brown intermingled with green, dull, smooth, glabrous, with few very small, slightly raised, lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, usually appressed. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, long-oval, thin; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely serrate, usually tipped with very small glands; petiole 2¼ in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs; blossoms late; flowers 1¼ in. across, very showy, in dense clusters, 9 to 12 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1½ in. long, very thick, pubescent, light green.

Fruit ripe from late November to January; large, 3 in. long, 2⅝ in. wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, broad at the middle, unequal sides, uniform in general shape; stem 1 in. long, curved, thick; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, smooth; calyx partly open, large; lobes narrow, acuminate; basin shallow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thick, granular, tough, roughish, dull; color yellowish-green, frequently with a dotted, dull red blush on the exposed cheek; dots many, of various colors, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm, granular, rather tough, very juicy, sweet, aromatic and rich; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube wide, conical; seeds narrow, very long, often flattened and abortive, acuminate.

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

THE COLUMBIA PEAR.

Columbia. Kenrick's American Orchardist. Columbian Virgoulouse, Mag. of Hort. vol. ix.

The Columbia pear has not, we believe, been fully appreciated. It is now nearly twenty years since it was first introduced to notice, and it is yet only cultivated to a limited extent. When all its qualities are considered, it must rank among our most popular varieties. The fruit is of the largest size, with a clear yellow skin when mature, handsome and prepossessing in appearance, and keeps even as late as February. Though not so high flavored as the Glout Morceau or Winter Nelis, it is melting, juicy, and excellent. The tree is a vigorous and healthy grower, bearing the most abundant crops, and has that good characteristic of being a native fruit.

The Columbia was introduced to notice by Messrs. Bloodgood & Co., Flushing, L. I., who sent the fruit to the Mass. Hort. Society, in December, 1835, accompanied with a letter giving a brief history of the pear. In this letter, which was published in the Mag. of Hort., (vol. ii. p. 37,) it is stated that " the original tree was a seedling, about fifteen inches in diameter. It was upon a farm belonging to Mr. Cusser, in Westchester County, thirteen miles from the city of New York. Messrs. Bloodgood & Co. saw the tree, and also a grafted one from the original, four inches in diameter, which produced that year (1835) four bushels of pears."

The excellence of the specimens induced many amateurs to add the Columbia to their collections, and the variety was much sought after. But owing to its tardiness in coming into bearing, and probably its ordinary cultivation, it has latterly been somewhat neglected. We think, however, it will yet become a very popular pear.

The Columbia is a strong though not a rapid grower. It has an upright habit, forming a pyramidal head. It is slow in coming into fruit, and does not succeed well upon the quince.

Tree. — Moderately vigorous, upright, making only a few lateral branches, which diverge at first, but are erect at the ends ; annual shoots stout, of moderate length.

Wood. — Light brownish olive, dotted with small whitish specks, stout and rather long-jointed ; old wood, dull grayish olive ; buds, large, long, sharply pointed, diverging, with prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, small, sharply pointed.

Leaves. — Large, oblong, rather narrow, broadest about the middle, narrowing to each end, bright green, thickly nerved, recurved on the midrib, little wavy, folded inwards, obtusely and but slightly serrated ; petioles, long, about one and a half inches, slender.

Flowers. — Large ; petals obovate, crumpled, cupped ; cluster loose.

Fruit. — Large, three and a half inches long, and two and a half in diameter : Form, oblong, or ovate-oblong, full at the crown, broadest about the middle, swollen on one side, and tapering roundly to the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, greenish yellow when mature, slightly russeted around the eye, and regularly dotted with large russet specks : Stem, long, one and a quarter inches in length, nearly straight, rather slender, and obliquely inserted in a shallow cavity on the side of a slight protuberance : Eye, large, open, and little sunk in a contracted, rather shallow basin ; segments of the calyx broad, spreading, reflexed : Flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, melting and juicy : Flavor, sugary and good, with a pleasant though not high perfume : Core, large : Seeds, small, slender, pointed, light brown.

Ripe from December to February.

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

Columbia. Columbian Virgalieu, | Columbian Virgalouse.

Native of Westchester county, N. Y. Without being of more than second quality, its hardihood of tree, productive habit, and fruit uniformly smooth and fair, make it a valuable as well as profitable variety. Tree, thrifty; young shoots, yellowish brown.

Fruit, large or above medium, oblong obovate pyriform; color, at first pale green, becoming, when ripe, fine golden yellow, dotted with small gray dots; stem, medium size, slightly curved; calyx, rather small, partially open, or half closed; basin, shallow; core, medium; seeds, oblong pyriform; flesh, white, moderately juicy, sweet; variable quality. December to January.

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

Columbia.* (Columbian Virgalieu, Columbia Virgouleuse.) Large, long obovate, regular, handsomely rounded or obtuse, largest nearest the middle; surface pale green, becoming pale yellow, always smooth and fair; stalk an inch and a quarter long, rather slender; cavity narrow, deep; calyx erect, basin small; flesh white, melting, and buttery, of moderately rich flavor. Ripens early winter. Growth upright, vigorous, shoots brownish yellow. The large, handsome fruit, and the great productiveness of the tree, have rendered this variety popular and profitable for market, although not high in quality. It does not appear to succeed so well as far north as Boston or Rochester as farther south. A native of Westchester County, N. Y.

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