Jones
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin/History
Originated at Kingsessing, near Philadelphia. Downing describes it as "one of the good Pears, and, were it a little larger, would be one of the most valuable." Thomas calls it "productive and valuable."
Tree
Vigorous and upright in growth, and productive (Downing). Young shoots of a dull olive brown (Downing). Shoots diverging and ascending (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Medium or below (Downing, Hedrick). Medium or small (Thomas). Small (Elliott).
Form: Pyriform, broad at calyx, tapering to the stem (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas describes it as "Bloodgood-shaped, or obovate, remotely pyriform." Elliott calls it acute pyriform.
Stem: Meets the fruit by a fleshy junction (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas gives more detail: "an inch or an inch and a fourth in length, variable in thickness, fleshy at insertion, not sunk."
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Open, in a broad, shallow, uneven basin (Downing).
Basin: Broad, shallow, uneven (Downing). Shallow (Thomas). Hedrick does not describe the basin separately.
Skin: Yellow, shaded with russet, bright cinnamon on the sunny side (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas describes it as rich yellow russet. Elliott describes it as cinnamon russet, reddish in sun.
Flesh/Flavor: Coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, brisk and vinous; very good (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes the flesh as juicy, buttery, sweet, rating it "very good." Thomas describes the flesh as yellowish, melting, of fine flavor — notably differing from Downing and Hedrick's "coarse, granular" characterization.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October (Downing, Hedrick). November (Elliott). Late autumn and early winter (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas references Fig. 733 as an illustration. Hedrick cites Downing (1857, p. 515; 1869, p. 793 with figure) as his source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1891–1901) from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
View original book sources (4)
— 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.