Idaho. (Mulkey.) Large, nearly round, regular; golden yellow, many russet dots; cavity irregular, rather deep; basin shallow, pointed; flesh melting, juicy, sprightly, vinous, very good. Early autumn.

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

Idaho. — Large, nearly round, regular; color golden yellow; dots numerous; stalk short, largest at upper end, inserted in irregular and quite deep cavity. Flesh melting, juicy, vinous, only good in quality. Season, early autumn. Double starred in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Nevada.

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

IDAHO. (Lindsey.) Dessert, November to December, large, 3½ by 3, flattened round, quite apple like, uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, light yellow, largely marked and marbled with rough russet. Flesh, fine grained, juicy, sweet, with a curious flavour not very attractive. Eye closed, twisted in a deep basin. Stem, very stout in a deep cavity. Growth, very vigorous; fertility good. Origin, raised at Idaho, and introduced in 1889.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

IDAHO

1. U. S. D. A. Rpt. 572, Pl. II. 1888. 2. Can. Hort. 12:2, fig. 1, Pl. 1889. 3. Wickson Col. Fruits 341. 1889. 4. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 477, fig. 691. 1897. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1899. 6. Rev. Hort. 60. 1901. 7. Budd-Hansen Am. Hort. Man. 2:249. 1903.

There is much difference of opinion as to the value of Idaho in America. Without question, the variety is of considerable worth in parts of the Pacific Northwest, and especially in regions where hardihood is a prime requisite. There, presumably, the fruits are larger and better flavored than in the East. As the accompanying plate shows, the pears are only medium in size on the grounds of this Station, but they are attractive in color and of excellent taste. The core is small, and the seeds are often abortive and sometimes wanting. The flesh is tender, buttery and almost free from granulation, with a rich, sweet, vinous flavor which make the rating for this fruit "good to very good." In many regions the pears are large, rough, and gross — sometimes a facsimile of Duchesse d'Angoulême. The trees are dwarf and fruitful to a fault so that the pears often run small; they are hardier than those of almost any other pear and bear annually. To offset these good characters, however, the trees have the fatal fault of blighting, so that the variety is of value only in regions where blight is not an annual scourge of this fruit.

Idaho was raised from seed of an unknown variety about the year 1867 by a Mrs. Mulkey, Lewiston, Idaho, and, having been propagated by the Idaho Pear Company, was first brought to public notice in the autumn of 1886 by John H. Evans of Lewiston. In 1888 it was introduced to Europe and was shown at the congress of fruit growers held at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1899. Idaho is included in the American Pomological Society's list of fruits recommended for general cultivation, having been added to this list in 1899.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk smooth; branches slender, smooth, reddish-brown overspread with much gray scarf-skin, sprinkled with many small lenticels; branchlets dull brownish-red, overlaid with scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with small lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, free; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole ⅝ in. long.

Flower-buds short, conical, very plump, free, singly on short spurs; flowers showy, 1⅛ in. across, in dense racemes, average 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅛ in. long, pubescent.

Fruit matures in late September and October; medium in size, 2⅝ in. long, 2⅝ in. wide, roundish, slightly pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1 in. long, thick, slightly curved; cavity acute, narrow, furrowed, slightly lipped; calyx closed; lobes broad, acute; basin shallow, obtuse, somewhat furrowed; skin thick and granular, tough, roughish; color dull lemon-yellow, tinged with green, dotted and streaked with russet, splashed with russet patches; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh dull white, tinged with yellow, firm, tender, buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, almost vinous; quality good to very good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, acute.

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

IDAHO. There is much difference of opinion as to the value of Idaho. Without question, the variety is of considerable worth in parts of the Pacific Northwest, especially in regions where hardihood is a prime requisite. In the East, the pears are only medium in size, but they are attractive in color and of excellent taste. The core is small, and the seeds are often abortive and sometimes wanting. The flesh is tender, buttery and almost free from granulation, with a rich, sweet, vinous flavor which make the rating for this fruit "good to very good." In many regions, the pears are large, rough and gross, sometimes a facsimile of Duchesse d'Angouleme. The trees are rather dwarf and are fruitful to a fault, so that the pears often run small; they are hardier than those of almost any other pear and bear annually. To offset these good characters, the trees have the fault of blighting, so that the variety is of value only in regions where blight is not an annual scourge of this fruit. Idaho was raised from seed of an unknown variety about the year 1867 by a Mrs. Mulkey, Lewiston, Idaho.

Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; branches slender, smooth, reddish-brown, sprinkled with many small lenticels. Leaves 3½ inches long, 1½ inches wide, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole ¾ inches long. Flowers showy, 1¼ inches across, in dense clusters, nearly in racemes, average 8 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures late September-October; medium in size, 2⅛ inches long, 2⅛ inches wide, roundish, slightly pyriform, symmetrical; stem ¾ inch long, thick, slightly curved; cavity acute, narrow, furrowed, slightly lipped; calyx closed; lobes broad, acute; basin shallow, obtuse, somewhat furrowed; skin thick and granular, tough, roughish; color dull lemon-yellow, tinged with green, dotted and streaked with russet, splashed with russet patches; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh dull white, tinged with yellow, firm, tender, buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, almost vinous; quality good to very good; core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, acute.

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

Planted Spring 1891. Tree a strong grower. Fruit medium to large, roundish, Skin green. Flesh woody, quality poor. Season September.

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