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Ives' Pear

Pear

Origin/History

Raised by Dr. Eli Ives, New Haven, Connecticut.

Tree

Vigorous and very productive.

Fruit

Size: Small, though Hedrick describes it as small to medium.

Form: Downing describes the fruit as oval oblong pyriform; Elliott as irregularly turbinate, inclined; Hedrick as rather globular; and Thomas as turbinate, irregular. The variation across sources suggests an irregular shape that different authors categorized differently.

Stem: Long. Elliott specifies it is inserted by a fleshy ring or lip.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Open.

Basin: Very small.

Skin: Greenish, with a brownish-red cheek.

Flesh/Flavor: Juicy, melting, sugary, and good.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Ripens first of September. Thomas gives early September.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Hedrick cites Field's Pear Culture (1858) and Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869) as references.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Ives' Pear.

Raised by Dr. Eli Ives, New Haven, Conn. Tree vigorous and very productive.

Fruit small, oval oblong pyriform, greenish, with a brownish-red cheek. Stalk long. Calyx open. Basin very small. Flesh juicy, melting, sugary, and good. Ripens first of September.

A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Ives.

  1. Field Pear Cult. 273. 1858. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 788. 1869.

Raised by Dr. Eli Ives, New Haven, Conn. Fruit small to medium, rather globular, greenish, brownish-red cheek; flesh melting, sugary, juicy; good; Sept.

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

Ives' Pear. Raised by Dr. Eli Ives, New Haven, Conn. Tree, vigorous and very productive. Fruit, small, irregularly turbinate, inclined ; skin, greenish, with a brownish red cheek ; stalk, long, inserted by a fleshy ring or lip ; calyx, open ; basin, very small ; flesh, juicy, melting, sugary, and good. Ripens first of September.

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

Ives' Pear. Small, turbinate, irregular, greenish and brownish-red; juicy, melting; good. Early September. Conn.

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