Idaho
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Idaho (Pear)
Origin/History
Idaho was raised from seed of an unknown variety about the year 1867 by a Mrs. Mulkey of Lewiston, Idaho. Propagated by the Idaho Pear Company, it 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 was added to the American Pomological Society's list of fruits recommended for general cultivation in 1899.
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. In many regions the pears are large, rough, and gross — sometimes a facsimile of Duchesse d'Angoulême.
Tree
Medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive. Described as dwarf and fruitful to a fault, so that the pears often run small. Hardier than those of almost any other pear and bears annually. The trees have the serious fault of blighting, making the variety of value only in regions where blight is not an annual scourge.
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, averaging 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅛ in. long, pubescent.
Fruit
Size and Form: Sources conflict on size: Hedrick (1921) describes the fruit as medium in size, measuring 2⅝ in. long by 2⅝ in. wide, and notes that fruits on the grounds of the New York Station were only medium, though in other regions they may be large; Thomas (1903) calls them large. Form roundish, slightly pyriform, symmetrical, and regular.
Stem: 1 in. long, thick, slightly curved.
Cavity: Sources conflict: Hedrick describes the cavity as acute, narrow, furrowed, and slightly lipped; Thomas describes it as irregular and rather deep.
Calyx: Closed; lobes broad, acute.
Basin: Sources conflict on character: Hedrick describes it as shallow, obtuse, and somewhat furrowed; Thomas describes it as shallow and pointed.
Skin: Thick and granular, tough, roughish. Color dull lemon-yellow, tinged with green (Hedrick); described as golden yellow by Thomas. Dotted and streaked with russet, splashed with russet patches. Dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous.
Flesh and Flavor: Dull white, tinged with yellow, firm, tender, buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, almost vinous, and almost free from granulation (Hedrick). Thomas describes the flesh as melting, juicy, sprightly, and vinous. Quality rated good to very good by both sources. The core is small, and the seeds are often abortive and sometimes wanting entirely.
Core and Seeds: Core closed, with clasping core-lines. Calyx-tube short, wide, conical. Seeds wide, acute; frequently abortive or absent.
Season
Matures late September and October (Hedrick). Thomas places it in early autumn, which is broadly consistent with this range.
Uses
A dessert pear of good to very good quality. Particularly valued in the Pacific Northwest, where the combination of hardiness and annual bearing makes it commercially significant in blight-free regions.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety's attractive color and excellent taste — particularly the tender, buttery, nearly granule-free flesh with its rich, sweet, vinous flavor — are its primary merits. These qualities are best realized in the Pacific Northwest; eastern-grown fruits tend to be smaller. The trees' exceptional hardiness and reliable annual bearing are notable assets, but susceptibility to fire blight limits usefulness to regions where blight pressure is low.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 37 catalogs (1884–1925) from Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Glen St. Mary Nurseries (G.L. Taber , Proprietor), Glen St. Mary , Florida — 1893
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Green's Nursery Co. (Charles A. Green) , Rochester , New York — 1894
- Multnomah Nurseries , Russellville , Oregon — 1894
- The Vineland Nurseries (Kelsey & Co. , Proprietors), St. Joseph, Missouri (Office: 13th and Atchison Sts., 2 Blocks East of the Citizens St. Car Line) — 1894
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
- Mountain Grove Nurseries (Tippin & Moore , Proprietors; Geo. T. Tippin, J. W. Tippin, J. C. Moore), Mountain Grove , Missouri — 1901
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- J.B. Pilkington , Portland , Oregon — 1907
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Carlton , Oregon — 1909
- Milton Nursery Co. (A. Miller & Sons , Proprietors), Milton , Oregon — 1909
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Ballygreen Nurseries , Hanford , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Van Holderbeke Nursery Co. , Incorporated, Spokane, Washington (nurseries at Otis Orchards WA, Pasadena WA, Kennewick WA) — 1913
- Fancher Creek Nurseries , George C. Roeding, Fresno , California — 1918
- Oregon Nursery Co. , Orenco , Oregon — 1920
- Christopher Nurseries / John Stewart & Sons , Christopher , Washington — 1920
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925
View original book sources (2)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)IDAHO
- 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.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)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.