LAWSON

1. Rural N. Y. 43:651, fig. 385. 1884. 2. Gard. Mon. 27:282. 1885. 3. Rural N. Y. 44:693. 1885. 4. Gard. & For. 5:414. 1892. 5. Van Lindley Cat. 22. 1892. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1899. 7. Ont. Dept. Agr. Fr. Ont. 168. 1914. 8. Cal. Com. Hort. Pear Grow. Cal. 7:266, fig. 67. 1918.

Comet. 9. Gard. Mon. 27:144. 1885. Cometbirne. 10. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 198. 1889.

Of all early pears, the fruit of Lawson best satisfies the eye for bright colors. It is as brightly colored as the brilliant Vermont Beauty or as Mount Vernon. Another outstanding character is the small core, which, though the pears ripen early and quickly, seldom softens unduly. The pears are sometimes nearly or quite seedless. Unfortunately, the fruits are often irregular in shape, and in quality are never more than mediocre. The tree is fairly healthy, vigorous, hardy, and free from blight, and is characterized by its tall, upright growth. Although grown for more than a hundred years in New York, the variety has never made headway in this State, but seems to be attracting much attention on the Pacific slope.

This pear originated on the farm of a Mr. Lawson in Ulster County, New York, about 1800, judging from the appearance of the original tree which was standing in 1900. The variety was introduced toward the end of the nineteenth century under the name Comet by reason of its color, so that it is sometimes known as Lawson Comet. The American Pomological Society added Lawson to its fruit-catalog in 1899.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, very productive; branches slender, zigzag, reddish-brown overlaid with grayish scarf-skin, marked with numerous raised, large lenticels; branchlets slender, very long, with characteristically long internodes, rough, zigzag, marked with numerous large, raised, conspicuous lenticels. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, serrate; petiole ¾ in. long. Flowers early, showy, 1¼ in. across, in dense clusters, 6 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, thick.

Fruit ripens in August; large, 2¾ in. long, 2½ in. wide, varies from obovate-obtuse-pyriform to globular-obtuse-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem ⅝ in. long, thick, curved, woody; cavity very small and narrow, often with a lip drawn up around one side of the stem; calyx partly open; lobes narrow, often reflexed; basin narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed; skin thin, tender, smooth; color pale yellow, overspread on the exposed cheek with a bright red blush; dots numerous, small, greenish or russet, obscure; flesh whitish or often salmon-color, firm, tough, medium juicy, lacking sweetness; quality poor. Core unusually small, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide; seeds short, wide, plump, obtuse, few in number.

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

Lawson. (Comet.) Medium to large, crimson or yellow; flesh crisp and juicy. Early summer. Comes in bearing at 8 or 10 years. Valuable South.

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

Lawson. — Medium to large, obovate, inclined to pyriform; color yellowish with red cheek and scattering brown specks; stalk three-quarters of an inch long, stout, fleshy, inclined, and inserted in slight cavity; basin broad, shallow, slightly corrugated. Flesh whitish, quite coarse, breaking, and sweet, quality fair to good. A culinary market variety grown in the South. New York.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

LAWSON. Comet.

Of all early pears, the fruits of Lawson best satisfy the eye for bright colors. They are as brightly colored as the brilliant Vermont Beauty or as Mount Vernon. Another outstanding character is the small core, which, though the pears ripen early and quickly, seldom soften unduly. The pears are often nearly or quite seedless. Unfortunately, the fruits are often irregular in shape, and in quality are mediocre. The tree is fairly healthy, vigorous, hardy, and free from blight, and is characterized by its tall, upright growth. Although grown for more than a hundred years in the East, the variety has never made headway here, but seems to be attracting much attention on the Pacific slope.

This pear originated on the farm of a Mr. Lawson, Ulster County, New York, about 1800.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, not always hardy, very productive; branches slender, zigzag, reddish-brown, marked with numerous raised large lenticels. Leaves 3¼ inches long, 1¾ inches wide; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, serrate; petiole ¾ inches long. Flowers early, showy, 1¾ inches across, in dense clusters, 6 or 8 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripens in August; large, 2¾ inches long, 3¼ inches wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem ¾ inch long, thick, curved, woody; cavity very small and narrow, often with a lip drawn up around one side of the stem; calyx partly open; lobes narrow, often reflexed; basin narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed; skin thin, tender, smooth; color pale yellow overspread on the exposed cheek with a bright, pinkish-red blush; dots numerous, small, greenish or russet, obscure; flesh whitish or often salmon-color, firm, tough, medium juicy, lacking sweetness; quality poor; core unusually small, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide; seeds short, wide, plump, obtuse, few in number.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)