DOUGLAS

1. Kan. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 63. 1908-09. 2. Rural N. Y. 70:59, fig. 24. 1911. 3. U. S. D. A. Yearbook 267, Pl. 4. 1912. 4. Rural N. Y. 72:458, fig. 146. 1913. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 41, 42. 1915.

In regions where blight and heat make pear-growing precarious, and only pears with oriental blood, as Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte, can be grown, Douglas, which belongs with the pears just named, might well be tried. Certainly it is better in flavor than any other variety of its class. The trees come in bearing remarkably early, and are as productive as those of Kieffer, though hardly as large or as vigorous. The trees are inclined to overbear, in which case the fruits run small. The variety has little to recommend it for New York, but those who grow Kieffer might put it on probation with the hope of growing a fruit passably fair for dessert.

Douglas is a seedling of Kieffer crossed, it is believed, with Duchesse d'Angoulême by O. H. Ayer, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, about the year 1897. It fruited first in 1902 and attracted the attention of A. H. Griesa, also of Lawrence, who propagated it in 1907, and sent out specimens of it for appraisement in October, 1910, when it was very favorably reported on by many prominent horticulturists. In accordance with Mr. Griesa's suggestion, it was named Douglas after the county of its origin.

Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, very productive; trunk slender, smooth; branches slender, dull brownish-red, mottled with gray scarf-skin; branchlets medium in thickness and length, smooth, glabrous, sprinkled with numerous raised, conspicuous lenticels. Leaf-buds large, long, pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, thick; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely and shallowly serrate; petiole 1¾ in. long. Flower-buds large, long, conical, plump, free; flowers 1½ in. across, white or occasionally with a faint tinge of pink, 11 or 12 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅜ in. long.

Fruit matures in October; large, 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide, obovate-pyriform, tapering at both ends like the Kieffer; stem 1⅝ in. long, slender; cavity deep, narrow, compressed, often lipped; calyx small, partly open; basin furrowed; skin thick, tough; color pale yellow, heavily dotted and sometimes flecked with russet; dots numerous, small, light russet or greenish; flesh tinged with yellow, firm but tender, granular, very juicy, sweet yet with an invigorating flavor; quality good. Core closed, axile; calyx-tube short, wide; seeds long, plump, acute.

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

DOUGLAS. In regions where blight and heat make pear-growing precarious, and pears with oriental blood, as Kieffer, Garber and Le Conte, must be grown, Douglas, which belongs with the pears just named, might well be tried. It is better in flavor than any other variety of its class. The trees come in bearing remarkably early, and are as productive as those of Kieffer, though hardly as large or vigorous. The trees are inclined to overbear, in which case the fruits run small. The variety has little to recommend it, but those who grow Kieffer might put it on probation with the hope of growing a fruit passably fair for dessert. Douglas is a seedling of Kieffer crossed, it is believed, with Duchesse d'Angouleme by O. H. Ayer, Lawrence, Kansas, about 1897.

Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, very productive; trunk slender, smooth; branches slender, dull brownish-red. Leaves 3¼ inches long, 1¼ inches wide, thick; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely and shallowly serrate; petiole 1¼ inches long. Flowers 1¼ inches across, white or occasionally with a faint tinge of pink, 10 or 12 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in October; large, 3¼ inches long, 2¼ inches wide, obovate-pyriform, tapering at both ends like the Kieffer; stem 1¼ inches long, slender; cavity deep, narrow, compressed, often lipped; calyx small, partly open; basin furrowed; skin thick, tough; color pale yellow, heavily dotted and sometimes flecked with russet; dots numerous, small, light russet or greenish; flesh tinged with yellow, firm but tender, granular, very juicy, sweet yet with an invigorating flavor; quality good; core closed, axile; calyx-tube short, wide; seeds long, plump, acute.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)