Cushing
PearCushing
Origin / History
Cushing is an American native pear, originating at Hingham, Mass., on the grounds (Hedrick: "the farm") of Colonel Washington Cushing. Downing places its origin "about forty years ago." Hedrick records that it was introduced to notice at the first annual show of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1829. His references begin with Prince, Pom. Man. 1:144, 1832, and include Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, 1869. Downing calls it "a very sprightly Pear." Hedrick ranks it "among the best autumn pears."
Tree
Hardy (Elliott). Growth slender to rather slender, diverging; shoots spreading. Branches olive yellow brown (Downing). Very productive. Downing writes that "like many of our native varieties, it produces most abundant crops."
Fruit
Size: Medium, Thomas allowing medium or rather large. Hedrick calls it somewhat variable according to cultivation and soil.
Form: Obovate, tapering rather obliquely to the stem (Downing), or of the Doyenné form (Thomas). Elliott calls it ovate obovate, Hedrick obovate-obtuse.
Stem: An inch long.
Cavity: Abrupt.
Calyx: Small to rather small.
Basin: Of moderate size (Downing); rather shallow (Thomas).
Skin: Smooth, light greenish yellow, with a dull red cheek, blushed on the sunny side. Downing calls the cheek occasional, Hedrick says it appears sometimes, and Thomas says rarely.
Dots: Small, gray, sprinkled over the surface; russety dots sprinkled all over (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, juicy. Flavor sweet, sprightly ("agreeably sprightly"), perfumed, rich, "with a fine flavor." Quality "very good" (Hedrick, and Elliott in quotation marks) to "nearly first-rate" (Thomas); Downing rates it "Good."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September, in the early part of autumn; middle of September (Downing).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas figures the fruit as Fig. 670.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1855) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cushing.
American. Native of Hingham, Mass. Tree, hardy, of slender, diverging growth. Fruit, medium, ovate obovate, light greenish yellow, small gray dots, dull red cheek; calyx, small; stem, one inch long; flesh, white, fine-grained, melting, sweet; "very good." September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cushing.
The Cushing is a native of Massachusetts, having originated on the grounds of Colonel Washington Cushing, of Hingham, about forty years ago. It is a very sprightly Pear, and, like many of our native varieties, it produces most abundant crops. Branches rather slender, diverging, olive yellow brown.
Fruit medium size, obovate, tapering rather obliquely to the stem. Skin smooth, light greenish yellow, sprinkled with small gray dots, and occasionally a dull red cheek. Stalk an inch long, planted in an abrupt cavity. Calyx rather small, set in a basin of moderate size. Flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, sweet, sprightly, perfumed. Good. Middle of September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cushing. Medium or rather large, obovate, or Doyenné form; surface light greenish-yellow, rarely a dull red cheek; stalk an inch long, cavity abrupt; basin rather shallow; flesh fine-grained, buttery, melting, with a fine flavor, nearly first-rate. Ripens in the early part of autumn. Shoots spreading. Very productive. Origin, Hingham, Mass. Fig. 670.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Cushing.
- Prince Pom. Man. 1:144. 1832.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 730. 1869.
A native pear which originated on the farm of Col. Washington Cushing, Hingham, Mass. It was introduced to notice at the first annual show of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1829. Fruit medium, somewhat variable according to cultivation and soil, obovate-obtuse, light greenish-yellow, sometimes blushed with dull red on the sunny side and sprinkled all over with russety dots; flesh fine, white, melting, juicy, agreeably sprightly, rich; very good, among the best autumn pears; Sept.