Douglas
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Douglas Pear
Origin/History
Douglas is a seedling of Kieffer, crossed, it is believed, with Duchesse d'Angoulême, raised by O. H. Ayer of 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 for appraisement in October 1910, at which time 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.
In regions where blight and heat make pear-growing precarious, and only pears with oriental blood — such as Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte — can 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. Those who grow Kieffer might put it on probation with the hope of growing a fruit passably fair for dessert.
Tree
Medium in size and vigor, upright, very productive. Inclined to overbear, in which case the fruits run small. Trees come into bearing remarkably early and are as productive as those of Kieffer, though hardly as large or as vigorous.
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. Flower-buds large, long, conical, plump, free.
Fruit
Size and Form: Large. The two Hedrick sources give slightly different measurements: Pears of New York (1921) gives 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide; Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922) gives 3¼ in. long, 2¼ in. wide. Obovate-pyriform, tapering at both ends like the Kieffer.
Stem: Slender. Measurements conflict between sources: Pears of New York gives 1⅝ in. long; Cyclopedia gives 1¼ in. long.
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 and Flavor: Tinged with yellow; firm but tender, granular, very juicy; sweet yet with an invigorating flavor. Quality good.
Core and Seeds: Core closed, axile. Calyx-tube short, wide. Seeds long, plump, acute.
Tree — Leaves and Flowers
Leaves thick; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely and shallowly serrate. Measurements conflict between sources: Pears of New York gives leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, petiole 1¾ in. long; Cyclopedia gives leaves 3¼ in. long, 1¼ in. wide, petiole 1¼ in. long.
Flowers white, or occasionally with a faint tinge of pink. Measurements and cluster counts differ between sources: Pears of New York gives flowers 1½ in. across, 11 or 12 buds in a cluster, pedicels 1⅜ in. long; Cyclopedia gives flowers 1¼ in. across, 10 or 12 buds in a cluster.
Season
Fruit matures in October.
Uses
Passably fair for dessert. Best suited to regions with oriental-blood pear conditions (heat, blight pressure) where varieties such as Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte are the standard. Has little to recommend it for regions — such as New York — where higher-quality pears can be grown.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)DOUGLAS
- 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, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)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.