THE HOWELL PEAR.

Howell. Magazine of Horticulture, vol xv. p. 69.

The Howell, though of recent introduction to notice, and not yet very generally cultivated, proves to be one of our best native pears; not, perhaps, so exquisite in flavor as some other sorts, but possessing so many of the indispensable requisites of a fine fruit that it must become a general favorite. The tree is hardy, quite vigorous, with a good habit, and the fruit is large, exceedingly fair, always perfect, and of the first quality.

The Howell is a Connecticut pear, and was raised from seed by the late Thomas Howell, Esq., of New Haven. The seeds were planted in his garden in that city, in 1829 or '30, and the tree came into bearing in 1842 or '43. Mr. Howell's premises adjoined those of the late Gov. Edwards, whose seedling pears have attracted considerable attention; and it was about the time that the Governor's trees began to bear fruit, that Mr. Howell, incited, no doubt, by his neighbor's good example, planted the seeds from which this and several others were raised.

The seeds planted by Mr. Howell were taken from a variety known in New Haven as the Jonah pear, a very hard and tough winter fruit, rarely fit for the table. The tree stood in his garden, with a White Doyenne on one side, and a Summer Bon Chretien on the other. The Howell evidently is a natural cross between the two, retaining some of the characteristics of both. It has the habit and the foliage of the Bon Chretien; while in the delicacy and fineness of its flesh, and its brisk and vinous flavor, it approaches the Doyenne: but what appears rather remarkable is that it should be such a fair fruit, when that from both of its parents is subject to spot and crack. The experience of four years has never yet enabled us to find a defective pear on the Howell.

The tree is a free and vigorous grower, with a spreading habit, throwing out its branches quite horizontal at first, but curved upwards at the ends. It begins to bear rather early, and produces good crops. Whether it will succeed or not on the quince, we have no satisfactory experience; but we are inclined to think that, like most of our American pears, it will not do well on that stock.

HOWELL PEAR.

Tree. — Vigorous, upright, but spreading in habit, with the annual shoots curved, of medium length.

Wood. — Brownish olive, dotted with grayish specks, stout and short-jointed; old wood, grayish brown; buds, medium size, roundish, short, erect, with large prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, obovate, with brownish scales.

Leaves. — Medium size, ovate, broadest near the base, shortly pointed, bright green, glossy, finely nerved, wavy, and very finely serrated; petioles, rather long, nearly two inches in length, rather slender.

Flowers. — Medium size; petals, small, roundish, cupped.

Fruit. — Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diameter: Form, obovate, inclining to pyramidal, regular, rather full and broad at the crown, and tapering to the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, lemon yellow when mature, with a slight tinge of blush on the sunny side, and regularly covered with brownish russet specks: Stem, medium length, about an inch long, moderately stout, curved, and inserted without any depression: Eye, rather large, open, and little sunk in a very broad, smooth basin; segments of the calyx, rather long and partially reflexed: Flesh, white, slightly coarse, melting, and juicy: Flavor, rich, brisk, and vinous, with a pleasant perfume: Core, medium size: Seeds, rather large, long and pointed.

Ripe the last of September and beginning of October, and keeps well.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Howell.—The Howell Pear is one of the most beautiful in cultivation. It was raised from seed by a gentleman of that name, at New-Haven, many years since. From the experience of three or four years, this variety gives promise of sustaining a high reputation. Size—large, three inches high by two and three-fourths broad. Form—obovate, obtuse pyriform, contracted towards the stem, surface a little irregular, like the Thompson. Stem—one inch or more in length, often curved, and set without depression. Calyx—medium size, open, sunk in a moderately deep irregular cavity. Color—at maturity, clear pale yellow, covered with numerous small russet dots, and occasionally with a faint red blush on the sunny side. Flesh—melting and juicy. Flavor—rich, slightly acidulous, with a delicate aroma. Season—ripens from October first to fifteenth.

— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)

Howell.

American. Native of New Haven, Conn., recently introduced to notice. Fruit, large, obovate pyriform, pale yellow, small russet dots, faint red blush in sun ; stem, often curved, without depression ; calyx, open ; basin, irregular ; flesh, melting, juicy, slightly acidulous, delicate aroma. October.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Howell.* Rather large, wide-obovate, sometimes with a short obscure neck; light yellow, frequently with a handsome cheek, dots minute; stalk rather long and stout, a little fleshy at insertion, scarcely sunk; calyx in a small, smooth basin; flesh white, melting, buttery, moderately rich, aromatic, somewhat variable in quality. Tree a strong grower, fruit remarkably fair, mid-autumn. Shoots brown, strong, erect, and ascending. New Haven, Conn. Fig. 716.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Howell. — Large, roundish obovate, regular; color rich yellow with traces of red in the sun, and numerous prominent grayish dots; stalk one inch long, stout and set in narrow shallow cavity. Flesh white, juicy, vinous, sprightly, with few seeds, very good. Popular across the continent. Connecticut.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

HOWELL

1. Mag. Hort. 15:69, fig. 12. 1849. 2. Hovey Fr. Am. 2:75, Pl. 1851. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 210. 1856. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 510, fig. 1857. 5. Hoffy N. Am. Pom. 1: Pl. 1860. 6. Pom. France 3: No. 105, Pl. 105. 1865.

Howell's Seedling. 7. Mag. Hort. 14:519. 1848.

Howell is everywhere condemned by faint praise. The variety is a little too good to be discarded and not quite good enough to be generally recommended. Its characters in tree and fruit are faulty by reason of their mediocrity. After having said that the trees are not above the average in vigor, healthfulness, hardiness, and fruitfulness, it remains only to be said that their spreading tops make them desirable orchard inhabitants and handsome dooryard ornamentals. The fruits cannot be praised for attractive appearance or good quality, but they are preeminently meritorious in that they are probably more often uniform in appearance, quality, and freedom from the ravages of the scab fungus than those of almost any other pear. These qualities make Howell a most estimable variety for the home orchard where intensive care cannot be given. The variety further commends itself to amateur growers, because the trees bear early, annually, and abundantly. Howell seems to be better suited to the middle western states than to the eastern states.

In 1829 or 1830, Thomas Howell, New Haven, Connecticut, planted in his garden seeds from a variety of pear known locally as the Jonah, a hard and tough winter sort which seldom matures sufficiently to be regarded as a dessert fruit. One of the trees resulting from these seeds came into bearing in 1842 or 1843. Specimens were exhibited in Faneuil Hall by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1848 and were considered to be "of the first class and worthy of cultivation in every place where the soil and climate are congenial." In 1856, the Howell pear was recommended for general cultivation by the American Pomological Society.

Tree large, vigorous, spreading, open-topped; trunk thick; branches stocky, reddish-brown, overspread with gray scarf-skin, with few small lenticels; branchlets thick, short, dull reddish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with a few large, raised lenticels.

Leaf-buds large, long, conical, free. Leaves 2 in. long, 1½ in. wide, oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate, hairy, tipped with very minute glands; petiole 1 in. long.

Flower-buds large, long, conical, rather plump, free; flowers open early, 1½ in. across, in dense clusters, from 7 to 15 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1⅛ in. long, pubescent, greenish.

Fruit ripe in late September and October; medium in size, 2⅝ in. long, 2½ in. wide, uniform in size and shape, round-obovate, symmetrical; stem 1 in. long, thick, straight; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, often with almost no cavity, smooth, symmetrical; calyx open, small; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, obtuse; basin obtuse, slightly furrowed, nearly symmetrical; skin smooth, dull; color pale lemon-yellow, marked on the side exposed to the sun with a trace of blush and with patches and tracings of russet; dots many, small, russet, very conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm but tender, granular, melting, very juicy, sweet, with a rich, somewhat brisk, almost vinous flavor, aromatic; quality very good. Core rather large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds long, plump, acute, frequently abortive.

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

HOWELL. Fig. 84. Howell's Seedling. Howell is everywhere condemned with faint praise. After having said that the trees are not above the average in vigor, healthfulness, hardiness, and fruitfulness, it remains only to be said that their spreading tops make them desirable orchard inhabitants and handsome dooryard ornamentals. The fruits cannot be praised for attractive appearance or good quality, but they are meritorious in that they are more often uniform in appearance, quality, and freedom from the ravages of the scab fungus than those of almost any other pear. These qualities make Howell an estimable variety for the home orchard where intensive care cannot be given. The trees bear early, annually, and abundantly. Howell seems to be better suited to the middle western states than to the eastern states. About 1830, Thomas Howell, New Haven, Connecticut, planted pear seeds in his garden; one of the trees resulting from these seeds was named Howell.

Tree large, vigorous, spreading, open-topped; trunk thick; branches stocky, reddish-brown, with few small lenticels. Leaves 2¼ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate, hairy, tipped with very minute glands; petiole 1¼ inches long. Flowers open early, 1¾ inches across, in dense clusters, from 5 to 7 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripe in late September-October; medium in size, 2¾ inches long, 2¾ inches wide, uniform in size and shape, round-obovate, symmetrical; stem ¾ inch long, thick, straight; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, often with almost no cavity, smooth, symmetrical; calyx open, small; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, obtuse; basin obtuse, but slightly furrowed, nearly symmetrical; skin smooth, dull; color pale lemon-yellow marked on the side exposed to the sun with a trace of blush and with patches and tracings of russet; dots many, small, russet, very conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm but tender, granular, melting, very juicy, sweet, with a rich, somewhat brisk, almost vinous flavor, aromatic; quality very good; core rather large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds long, plump, acute, frequently abortive.

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

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong grower and a constant bearer. Fruit large, roundish, pyriform. Skin light yellow, with a reddish cheek and sprinkled with russet dots. Flesh white, juicy, melting and briskly vinous. Season October.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

A beautiful, large, pale yellow pear with a red cheek; fine quality; flesh is white, tender, juicy and sweet; vigorous and productive; ripens in September and October. It is a good shipper and commands a good price. Originated in New Jersey.

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)