Kieffer
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Kieffer
Origin/History
A cross between Bartlett and the Chinese Sand Pear (Thomas). The variety became the most commonly grown pear in North America, a popularity Hedrick attributed in part to the ease with which its trees are grown and to relentless, unqualified advertising by nurserymen who "often supply virtues to the variety which Nature denies it." Hedrick characterizes it bluntly as "the most pretentious cheat in the orchard," noting that its pears are fit to eat uncooked only under "dire necessity," 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." By the time of the American Pomological Society's 1883 catalog it had already entered the national variety list. First recorded in horticultural literature in 1880 (Gard. Mon. 22:49).
Tree
Remarkably vigorous and very easily grown (Thomas; Hedrick). A tremendous and reliable bearer — described as an enormous producer, never known to blight even in the extreme north, and considered to have absolute immunity to fire blight (Stark Bros.). According to Thomas, in some sections the variety fruits sparingly when planted in large solid blocks of Kieffer alone; planting another variety among them improves fruit set. Stark Bros. similarly notes it is a good variety to plant among others, as it improves neighboring trees.
Fruit
Size: Large to very large (Thomas); large (Stark Bros.).
Form: Oval, narrowing toward both ends (Thomas).
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Rich yellow when ripe, with a handsome red cheek (Thomas). Bright yellow when fully ripe, with a red cheek (Stark Bros.). Thomas notes the red cheek is particularly well developed in southern-grown fruit.
Flesh/Flavor: Somewhat coarse, juicy; quality rated good to poor (Thomas). Rather coarse-grained, juicy, of fair quality (Stark Bros.). Hedrick describes the flavor as "potato-like." Thomas qualifies the poor rating: if the fruit is ripened slowly in a dark place it develops a good flavor; without proper ripening the quality of the fresh fruit is low. Consumers generally find it lacking in flavor (Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late fall to late winter (Thomas).
Uses
Excellent for canning, grown largely for that purpose; widely grown as a market variety prized for its beauty and productivity (Thomas). A splendid fruit for canning and shipping (Stark Bros.).
Other
The variety's commercial dominance rests on the vigor and productivity of the trees rather than the eating quality of the fruit. Hedrick notes that of all pears grown in America the trees are uniformly the most vigorous (text truncated at this point in the available excerpt).
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 72 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
- 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
- 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 (3)
— 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-
— 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.