Haddington
Pear
Haddington
Origin / History
American. Raised from seed of the Pound pear by J. B. Smith at Haddington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hedrick calls Smith a farmer near Haddington and dates the seedling to 1828. The first reference in Hedrick's citation list is the Magazine of Horticulture, volume 13, page 274 (1847).
Tree
Vigorous; spreading (Downing); productive (Elliott).
Fruit
Size: Above medium; rather large (Thomas).
Form: Obovate-pyriform. Elliott calls it oblong obovate pyriform; Downing calls it obovate or pyriform.
Stem: Medium (Elliott); slender (Downing).
Cavity: Small (Downing), shallow (Elliott).
Calyx: Small to medium: small in Downing, medium in Elliott. Segments short, erect (Elliott).
Basin: Round, shallow (Downing).
Skin: Greenish yellow, with brownish cheeks and patches of russet.
Dots: Russet; minute (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow to yellowish, juicy, aromatic. Crisp (Downing, Thomas). Hedrick says the texture varies, "some being quite melting, others inclined to break." Good in Downing and Hedrick; Elliott gives "very good."
Core and seeds: Core medium; seeds long, ovate (Elliott).
Season
January to April; winter (Thomas).
Uses
Baking (Thomas).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1849) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)HADDINGTON. Smith's Haddington.
American. From seed of Pound Pear, grown by J. B. Smith, Esq., at Haddington, Pa. Tree, vigorous, productive. Fruit, above medium, oblong obovate pyriform, greenish yellow, brownish cheeks, and russet dots and patches; stem, medium; cavity, shallow; calyx, medium; segments, short, erect: core, medium; seeds, long, ovate; flesh, yellowish, juicy, aromatic; "very good." January to April.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Haddington.
Raised by J. B. Smith, Philadelphia. Tree vigorous, spreading.
Fruit above medium, obovate or pyriform. Color greenish yellow, with a brownish cheek. Stalk slender, inserted in a small cavity. Calyx small, in a round, shallow basin. Flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, with an aromatic flavor. Good. January till April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Haddington. Rather large, obovate pyriform, greenish-yellow; crisp, aromatic—baking. Winter. Phila.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Haddington. i. Mag. Hort. 13:274. 1847. In 1828 J. B. Smith, a farmer near Haddington, Philadelphia, raised this pear from seed of a Pound pear. Fruit above medium, obovate-pyriform, greenish-yellow, with a brownish cheek and minute russet dots and patches; flesh yellowish, juicy, aromatic; texture varies, some being quite melting, others inclined to break; good; Jan. to Apr.