Kieffer
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Kieffer
Origin / History
Kieffer was raised by Peter Kieffer of Roxbury, near Philadelphia, from seed of the Chinese Sand pear. Downing (1900) states it was "accidentally crossed with Beurre d'Anjou, or some other kind grown near it." Thomas (1903) gives the parentage as "A cross between Bartlett and the Chinese Sand Pear." Hedrick (1922) provides the fuller account: Peter Kieffer grew Chinese Sand pears as ornamentals, and in his garden there were also trees of Bartlett; among chance seedlings, Kieffer observed one of peculiar growth which he saved — probably a hybrid between the two pears named. This tree bore fruit for the first time in 1863 and was the original Kieffer tree. Budd & Hansen (1914) simply call it "A Chinese hybrid."
Hedrick (1921) records its publication and recognition history with citations beginning at Gard. Mon. 22:49, fig. 1880; Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 38. 1883; Jour. Hort. 3rd Ser. 12:131. 1886; Garden 68:398. 1905; Ibid. 69:68. 1906; Cornell Sta. Bul. 332:483. 1913; Country Gent. 84:26, fig. 1919; with the synonym "Kieffer's Hybrid" appearing in W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 53. 1879, and the "Keiffer" spelling in Downing Fr. Trees Am. 3rd App. 179. 1881, Mathieu Nom. Pom. 240. 1889, and Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 178. 1909.
Hedrick (1921, 1922) calls Kieffer "the most pretentious cheat in the orchard," yet grown more commonly than any other pear in North America (1921), or excepting Bartlett (1922). He attributes its popularity to Barnum's dictum that "Americans love to be fooled," to heavy advertising, to nurserymen's preference for its easily grown trees, and to the fact that "pleased by a bright cheek and a fair form, regardless of the potato-like flavor, people buy and eat Kieffer pears and persist in doing so." Thomas (1903) reports it had become "the most popular market variety of the country," "Wonderfully popular with growers and canners, but consumers are finding that it generally lacks flavor. Beautiful to look at but insipid." At Agassiz BC (Central Experimental Farm, 1900) the tested tree was planted Spring 1890.
Tree
Remarkably vigorous (Downing, Thomas, Budd & Hansen); a strong grower and an early and regular bearer (Central Experimental Farm); an early and very prolific bearer (Downing); very productive (Thomas, Hedrick 1922); "a tremendous bearer" (Stark Bros.). Downing notes large, dark green, glossy leaves. Hedrick (1922) describes the trees as uniformly the most vigorous of all pears grown in America, fruitful, enduring heat best, least susceptible to blight, and best withstanding the ravages of San José scale; Stark Bros. similarly claims "Blight is pure absolute to it" and "never known to blight in the extreme north." On the other hand, Hedrick (1922) cautions the trees are tender to cold, in some soils refuse to set fruit, are often self-sterile, and sometimes with the best of care bear only pears of small size. Thomas notes that "In some sections it fruits sparingly in large blocks unless another variety is intermingled." Stark Bros. recommends it as "A good soil to plant among others, as improves them."
Hedrick (1922) gives detailed measurements: tree of medium size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, hardy, very productive; branches slender, nearly smooth, reddish-brown, marked with few small lenticels. Leaves 3¾ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin often finely serrate; petiole 1¾ inches long. Flowers open early, 1¾ inches across, fairly well distributed, varying from 7 to 11 buds in a cluster.
Fruit
Size
Downing (1900): "good size"; "fruit medium." Central Experimental Farm: "medium size." Budd & Hansen: "Large." Thomas: "large to very large." Stark Bros.: "A large, juicy pear." Hedrick (1922): "above medium to large, 2¾ inches long, 2¾ inches wide."
Form
Roundish oval, narrowing at both ends, with the largest diameter near the centre; some specimens roundish, inclining to oblong obtuse pyriform (Downing). Oval, tapering to both ends (Central Experimental Farm). Oval, narrowing toward both ends (Thomas). Oval, narrowing at both ends, but variable in shape; often roundish and nearly obtuse pyriform (Budd & Hansen). Oval, narrowing at both ends, symmetrical, uniform (Hedrick 1922).
Stem / Stalk
Short to medium, moderately stout (Downing). Rather short, stout, and inserted in medium cavity (Budd & Hansen). Stem ¾ inch long, thick (Hedrick 1922).
Cavity
Medium (Downing). Medium (Budd & Hansen, implied by "inserted in medium cavity"). Very small, smooth (Hedrick 1922).
Calyx
Open (Downing, Hedrick 1922). Hedrick (1922) adds: lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute.
Basin
Medium, a little uneven (Downing). Shallow, narrow, obtuse, nearly smooth (Hedrick 1922).
Skin
Deep yellow, orange yellow in the sun, a few patches and nettings of russet, and many brown russet dots (Downing). Yellow and with many brown dots (Central Experimental Farm). Rich yellow, with a handsome red cheek in the South (Thomas). Bright yellow when fully ripe, with a red cheek (Stark Bros.). Yellow with brighter shade in sun; patches and netting of russet, and brown russet dots, often nearly covering the yellow ground (Budd & Hansen). Skin thick, tough, smooth; color yellow, occasionally blushed with dull pinkish-red on the exposed cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous (Hedrick 1922).
Flesh / Flavor
Whitish, a little coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet; quality very good, partaking slightly of the Chinese Sand pears (Downing). White, coarse, juicy, not high flavoured, quality medium or below medium (Central Experimental Farm). Usually somewhat coarse, juicy, good to poor (Thomas); "Unless properly ripened the quality of the fresh fruit is low; but if ripened slowly in a dark place it develops a good flavor." Whitish, somewhat coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet, only good (Budd & Hansen). "A large, juicy pear of fair quality but rather coarse grained" (Stark Bros.). Yellowish-white, very granular and coarse, crisp, juicy; not sweet, often astringent; quality poor (Hedrick 1922). Hedrick (1921, 1922) characterizes the raw flavor as "potato-like" and calls the fresh fruit "Worthless for dessert" and "fit to eat only in culinary preparations, dire necessity alone compelling their consumption uncooked." Thomas calls it "Beautiful to look at but insipid."
Core / Seeds
Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, plump, acute (Hedrick 1922). Not described in other sources.
Season
Ripens all of October and a part of November (Downing). Season October (Central Experimental Farm). Late fall to late winter (Thomas). Fruit matures in late October and November (Hedrick 1922). Downing notes: "To have it in perfection, it should be gathered when fully grown, and ripened in the house." Thomas: "if ripened slowly in a dark place it develops a good flavor."
Uses
Promising variety for the table or market (Downing). Most popular market variety of the country; excellent for canning, and grown largely for that purpose (Thomas). "A splendid fruit for canning and shipping" (Stark Bros.). Double starred in many States as a market and kitchen variety (Budd & Hansen). Hedrick (1922): "Worthless for dessert, much can be said for the fruits of Kieffer for culinary preparation. Cooking removes the disagreeable natural taste of the raw pear, and leaves a good product. Canned, the pears retain their shape, color, and flavor well; therefore, and because of white and inviting flesh, Kieffers are preferred by commercial canners. Now that the first flush of popularity is past, it would seem a wise precaution on the part of pear-growers to grow this fruit chiefly for the cannery, supplying the demands for dessert pears with worthier varieties."
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Stark Bros. carries the regional notation "N.Y." Hedrick (1921) breaks off mid-sentence: "Thus, of all pears grown in America, the trees are uniformly the most vigor-" — the continuation appears in Hedrick (1922) as "uniformly the most vigorous, fruitful, endure heat best, are least susceptible to blight, and withstand best the ravages of San José scale."
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 74 catalogs (1881–1932) from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington
- Hutchison Nursery , James Hutchison, Oakland , California — 1881
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Fancher Creek Nursery , Fresno , California — 1886
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- W.R. Strong & Co. , Capital and Orange Hill Nurseries (Robert Williamson, prop.), Sacramento , California — 1886
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- 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
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Green's Nursery Co. (Charles A. Green) , Rochester , New York — 1894
- Knox Nurseries (H.M. Simpson Co. , Proprietors), Vincennes , Indiana — 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
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- The Salem Nursery (John A. Francis , Proprietor), Salem , Virginia — 1897
- J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1898
- Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Keiffer
- 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
- S.L. Watkins , Grizzly Flats, El Dorado County , California — 1901
- Yarbrough Bros. , Stephens , Arkansas — 1901
- Forestville Nurseries , T.J. True, Forestville , California — 1902
- Pacific Nursery Company (W. O. Hudson & A. D. Hudson) , Tangent , Oregon — 1903
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- 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
- Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Galbraith Nursery Co. (DeWitt Hansen , Pres.-Mgr.), Fairbury , Nebraska — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
- Ballygreen Nurseries , Hanford , Washington — 1912
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- Samuel Fraser , Geneseo , New York — 1913
- Van Holderbeke Nursery Co. , Incorporated, Spokane, Washington (nurseries at Otis Orchards WA, Pasadena WA, Kennewick WA) — 1913
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
- Holsinger Bros. Nurseries (Holsinger Brothers Nursery) , Rosedale , Kansas — 1916
- Manalapan Nurseries , Englishtown , New Jersey — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
- 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
- Stark Bro's Nurseries , Louisiana , Missouri — 1932
View original book sources (7)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Keiffer.
Keiffer's Hybrid.
This new and unique pear was raised by Peter Keiffer, Roxbury, near Philadelphia, from seed of the Chinese Sand pear, accidentally crossed with Beurre d'Anjou, or some other kind grown near it. Tree remarkably vigorous, having large, dark green, glossy leaves, and is an early and very prolific bearer; the fruit is of good size, good color, good quality, and is a promising variety for the table or market.
Fruit medium, roundish oval, narrowing at both ends, with the largest diameter near the centre, some specimens roundish, inclining to oblong obtuse pyriform; skin deep yellow, orange yellow in the sun, a few patches and nettings of russet, and many brown russet dots; stalk short to medium, moderately stout; cavity medium; calyx open; basin medium, a little uneven; flesh whitish, a little coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet; quality very good, partaking slightly of the Chinese Sand pears. Ripens all of October and a part of November. To have it in perfection, it should be gathered when fully grown, and ripened in the house.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)KIEFFER
- Gard. Mon. 22:49, fig. 1880. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 38. 1883. 3. Jour. Hort. 3rd Ser. 12:131. 1886. 4. Garden 68:398. 1905. 5. Ibid. 69:68. 1906. 6. Cornell Sta. Bul. 332:483. 1913. 7. Country Gent. 84:26, fig. 1919.
Kieffer's Hybrid. 8. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 53. 1879. Keiffer. 9. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 3rd App. 179. 1881. 10. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 240. 1889. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 178. 1909.
Although the most pretentious cheat in the orchard, Kieffer is grown more commonly than any other pear in North America. Its popularity can be accounted for only by accepting Barnum's dictum that "Americans love to be fooled." Pears are grown to eat, but those of Kieffer are fit to eat only in culinary preparations, dire necessity alone compelling their consumption uncooked. Yet, pleased by a bright cheek and a fair form, regardless of the potato-like flavor, people buy and eat Kieffer pears and persist in doing so. There are several reasons why Kieffer is popular. No pear has been advertised so widely and so unqualifiedly, growers of trees often supplying virtues to the variety which Nature denies it, because of all pears the trees of Kieffer are most easily grown. Besides this virtue in the trees there are several others that commend the variety more highly. Thus, of all pears grown in America, the trees are uniformly the most vigor-
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong grower and an early and regular bearer. Fruit of medium size, oval, tapering to both ends. Skin yellow and with many brown dots. Flesh white, coarse, juicy, not high flavoured, quality medium or below medium. Season October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Kieffer. Tree remarkably vigorous and very productive; fruit large to very large, oval, narrowing toward both ends; skin rich yellow, with a handsome red cheek in the South; flesh usually somewhat coarse, juicy, good to poor. Late fall to late winter. A cross between Bartlett and the Chinese Sand Pear. The beauty, vigor, and productiveness of this variety have established it as the most popular market variety of the country. It is excellent for canning, and is grown largely for that purpose. Unless properly ripened the quality of the fresh fruit is low; but if ripened slowly in a dark place it develops a good flavor. In some sections it fruits sparingly in large blocks unless another variety is intermingled. Wonderfully popular with growers and canners, but consumers are finding that it generally lacks flavor. Beautiful to look at but insipid. Fig. 731.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)A large, juicy pear of fair quality but rather coarse grained, yet a splendid fruit for canning and shipping. The tree is a tremendous bearer; the fruit is bright yellow when fully ripe, with a red cheek. A good soil to plant among others, as improves them. Blight is pure absolute to it. Enormous producer and never known to blight in the extreme north. N.Y.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Kieffer.—Large, oval, narrowing at both ends, but variable in shape; often roundish and nearly obtuse pyriform; color yellow with brighter shade in sun; patches and netting of russet, and brown russet dots, often nearly covering the yellow ground; stalk rather short, stout, and inserted in medium cavity. Flesh whitish, somewhat coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet, only good. Double starred in many States as a market and kitchen variety. A Chinese hybrid.
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)KIEFFER. Fig. 86. Although the most pretentious cheat in the orchard, Kieffer is grown more commonly than any other pear in North America excepting Bartlett. Its great popularity can be accounted for only by accepting Barnum's dictum that "Americans love to be fooled." There are several reasons why Kieffer is widely planted. No pear has been advertised so widely and so unqualifiedly, growers of trees often supplying virtues to the variety which Nature denies it. Nurserymen like it because of all pears the trees of Kieffer are most easily grown; and in the orchard they are uniformly the most vigorous, fruitful, endure heat best, are least susceptible to blight, and withstand best the ravages of San José scale. On the other hand, the trees are tender to cold, in some soils refuse to set fruit, are often self-sterile, and sometimes with the best of care bear only pears of small size. Worthless for dessert, much can be said for the fruits of Kieffer for culinary preparation. Cooking removes the disagreeable natural taste of the raw pear, and leaves a good product. Canned, the pears retain their shape, color, and flavor well; therefore, and because of white and inviting flesh, Kieffers are preferred by commercial canners. Now that the first flush of popularity is past, it would seem a wise precaution on the part of pear-growers to grow this fruit chiefly for the cannery, supplying the demands for dessert pears with worthier varieties. Peter Kieffer, who lived near Philadelphia, grew Chinese Sand pears as ornamentals. In his garden there were also trees of Bartlett. Among chance seedlings, Kieffer observed one of peculiar growth which he saved. Probably it was a hybrid between the pears named. This bore fruit for the first time in 1863 and was the original Kieffer tree.
Tree of medium size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, hardy, very productive; branches slender, nearly smooth, reddish-brown, marked with few small lenticels. Leaves 3¾ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin often finely serrate; petiole 1¾ inches long. Flowers open early, 1¾ inches across, fairly well distributed, varying from 7 to 11 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in late October and November; above medium to large, 2¾ inches long, 2¾ inches wide, oval, narrowing at both ends, symmetrical, uniform; stem ¾ inch long, thick; cavity very small, smooth; calyx open; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, nearly smooth; skin thick, tough, smooth; color yellow, occasionally blushed with dull pinkish-red on the exposed cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, very granular and coarse, crisp, juicy; not sweet, often astringent; quality poor; core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, plump, acute.