Jones
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Jones
Origin/History
Originated at Kingsessing, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. First documented by Downing in 1857 (Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, p. 515), with a figure added in the 1869 edition (p. 793).
Tree
Vigorous, hardy, and upright in growth (Downing; Budd & Hansen). Productive (Downing; Thomas). Young shoots a dull olive brown (Downing). Shoots diverging and ascending (Thomas).
Fruit
Size
Medium or below (Downing; Hedrick); medium or small (Thomas); small (Elliott); medium (Budd & Hansen). Downing and Hedrick note that, were it a little larger, it would be one of the most valuable pears.
Form
Pyriform, broad at calyx, tapering to the stem (Downing; Hedrick). Elliott describes it as acute pyriform. Thomas describes it as Bloodgood-shaped, or obovate, remotely pyriform. Budd & Hansen describe it as obovate, pyriform.
Stem
Meets the fruit by a fleshy junction (Downing; Hedrick). Thomas: stalk an inch or an inch and a fourth in length, variable in thickness, fleshy at insertion, not sunk. Budd & Hansen: stem one and one-quarter inches long, inclined, and fleshy at insertion with the flesh without cavity.
Cavity
None — the stem is fleshy at insertion with the flesh without cavity (Budd & Hansen); stalk not sunk (Thomas).
Calyx
Open, in a broad, shallow, uneven basin (Downing).
Basin
Broad, shallow, uneven (Downing; Budd & Hansen); shallow (Thomas).
Skin
Yellow, shaded with russet, bright cinnamon on the sunny side (Downing; Hedrick). Elliott: cinnamon russet, reddish in sun. Thomas: surface rich yellow russet. Budd & Hansen: yellow shaded with russet and bright crimson in the sun.
Flesh/Flavor
Coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, brisk and vinous (Downing; Hedrick). Elliott: juicy, buttery, sweet. Thomas: yellowish, melting, of fine flavor. Budd & Hansen: white, quite coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, with vinous flavor. Quality "very good" (Downing; Hedrick; Elliott); fair to good (Budd & Hansen).
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
October (Downing; Hedrick); November (Elliott); late autumn and early winter (Thomas); autumn (Budd & Hansen).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas references Fig. 733 in his work. Downing and Hedrick characterize it as one of the good pears.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1891–1901) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891 — listed as Jones Seedling
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898 — listed as Jones Seedling
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900 — listed as Jones Seedling
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Jones Seedling
View original book sources (5)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Jones.
Jones's Seedling.
Origin, Kingsessing, near Philadelphia. This is one of the good Pears, and, were it a little larger, would be one of the most valuable. The tree is vigorous and upright in growth, and productive. Young shoots of a dull olive brown.
Fruit medium or below, pyriform, broad at calyx, tapering to the stem, which meets it by a fleshy junction. Skin yellow, shaded with russet, bright cinnamon on the sunny side. Calyx open, in a broad, shallow, uneven basin. Flesh coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, brisk and vinous. Very good. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Jones.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 515. 1857. 2. Ibid. 793, fig. 1869.
Originated at Kingsessing, near Philadelphia. Fruit medium or below, pyriform, broad at calyx, tapering to the stem which meets it by a fleshy junction; yellow shaded with russet, bright cinnamon on the sunny side; flesh coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, brisk and vinous; very good; were it a little larger would be one of the most valuable; Oct.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Jones.
Small, acute pyriform, cinnamon russet, reddish in sun, juicy, buttery, sweet; "very good." November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Jones. (Jones' Seedling.) Size medium or small, Bloodgood-shaped, or obovate, remotely pyriform; surface rich yellow russet; stalk an inch or an inch and a fourth in length, variable in thickness, fleshy at insertion, not sunk; basin shallow; flesh yellowish, melting, of fine flavor. Ripens late autumn and early winter. Shoots diverging and ascending. Origin, Kingsessing, near Philadelphia. Productive and valuable. Fig. 733.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Jones (Jones Seedling). — Medium, obovate, pyriform; color yellow shaded with russet and bright crimson in the sun; stem one and one-quarter inches long, inclined, and fleshy at insertion with the flesh without cavity; basin broad, shallow, uneven. Flesh white, quite coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, with vinous flavor; quality fair to good. Season, autumn. A vigorous hardy tree. Pennsylvania.