General Taylor
PearGeneral Taylor
Origin / History
Native of Maryland. Downing had "no doubt of this being a native American seedling." General Taylor was first introduced by L. N. Rogers of Baltimore, who found it in the town of Franklin, Md. Hedrick dates the finding of the original tree at Franklin to 1854, citing the Magazine of Horticulture, vol. 20, pp. 75 and 269, 1854. Elliott (1865) says the tree "supposed to be the original one" grows near Baltimore and is 25 or 30 years old. Downing records that it was afterwards said to have been brought from Germany by a man named Keyports, but he could "find nothing resembling it in any foreign pomological work."
Tree
Vigorous, upright. Young wood reddish brown grayish (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Rather small or under medium to medium. Downing alone calls it medium.
Form: Turbinate, obscurely pyriform, broad at the crown. Obovate obtuse pyriform, sometimes oblate obtuse pyriform (Downing).
Stem: Medium length and thickness, a little inclined (Downing). Inserted in the cavity.
Cavity: Small (Downing) to very small (Elliott).
Calyx: Partially closed (Elliott) or partially open (Downing).
Basin: Broad, not very deep, furrowed or lightly corrugated.
Skin: Yellow, largely to practically wholly covered with cinnamon russet; partially netted and patched with russet, with much russet near the calyx. On the exposed side it becomes fawn (Elliott), or it is shaded in the sun with thin bright rich crimson (Downing).
Dots: Many, russet (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white to whitish, granular, a little coarse, somewhat gritty at the core; becoming buttery and melting; juicy, sweet, aromatic, very rich, highly flavored. Elliott calls the aroma "delicious," judges the flavor "as high as the Seckel," and rates the quality "best"; Thomas calls it "very rich, excellent." Downing rates it "good to very good."
Core and seeds: Core medium. Seeds dark brown, ovate, with no angle at the obtuse end (Elliott).
Season
October and November. Elliott gives November; Downing gives October.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Elliott's description is credited to an "Ad. Int. Rept."
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)General Taylor.
Native of Maryland. The tree supposed to be the original one grows near Baltimore, and is 25 or 30 years old.
Size, under medium ; form, turbinate, obscurely pyriform, broad at the crown ; color, cinnamon russet, becoming fawn on the exposed side ; stem, inserted into a very small cavity; calyx, partially closed, set in a broad, not very deep, furrowed basin ; core, medium ; seeds, dark brown, ovate, no angle at the obtuse end ; flesh, yellowish white, granular, becoming buttery and melting, but somewhat gritty at the core ; flavor, as high as the Seckel, aroma, delicious ; quality, "best." November. (Ad. Int. Rept.,
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)General Taylor.
Homewood. Keyports.
We have no doubt of this being a native American seedling. It was first introduced by L. N. Rogers, of Baltimore, who found it in the town of Franklin, Md. Afterwards it was said to have been brought from Germany by a man named Keyports, but we can find nothing resembling it in any foreign pomological work. Tree vigorous, upright. Young wood reddish brown grayish.
Fruit medium, obovate obtuse pyriform, sometimes oblate obtuse pyriform, yellow, shaded in the sun with thin bright rich crimson, partially netted and patched with russet, much russet near the calyx, and many russet dots. Stalk medium length and thickness, a little inclined in a small cavity. Calyx partially open. Basin lightly corrugated. Flesh whitish, a little coarse, juicy, melting, sweet. Good to very good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)General Taylor. Rather small, turbinate, cinnamon russet; granular, buttery, melting, aromatic; very rich, excellent. November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)General Taylor.
- Mag. Hort. 20:75, 269. 1854.
Introduced by L. N. Rogers, Baltimore, Md., the original tree having been found by him at Franklin, Md., in 1854. Fruit medium or under, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, yellow but practically all cinnamon-russet; flesh yellowish-white, granular, buttery, melting, sweet, highly flavored; good to very good; Oct. and Nov.