Margaret.

Raised by Christopher Wiegel, Cleveland, O. Tree a vigorous, upright grower, productive, and an early bearer. Young wood dull reddish.

Fruit small to medium, oblong obovate, yellow, mostly overspread with deep dull red, small russet dots. Stalk medium, inserted without depression. Calyx large, open. Segments long, reflexed. Flesh white, juicy, vinous, sweet, good, early. August. (Hort.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

MARGARET

1. Horticulturist 21:172, 245, fig. 80. 1866. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 53. 1869. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 811. 1869. 4. Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 35, 36. 1890. 5. Guide Prat. 68, 279. 1895. Mary. 6. Horticulturist 21:78, figs. 43 and 44. 1866.

The fruits of Margaret are early and attractive in color and shape. This is about all that can be said for them, as they run small in size, and in neither flesh nor flavor can they compete with the product of several other varieties of the same season. The trees are hardly more desirable than the fruits, since they are tender to cold, blight badly, and are short-lived, seldom attaining full size. Despite these defects of fruit and tree, the variety is a one-time favorite still rather commonly planted. Better summer pears can be found for New York, and for almost every part of the country.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Christopher Wiegel, a German nurseryman of Cleveland, Ohio, planted some seeds which he believed to have been from a Seckel pear. Out of the trees grown from these he selected two for further trial "because of their early coming into bearing, their upright, vigorous habits of growth, profuse bearing, and good quality of fruit." In 1866, Mr. Wiegel named one of these Mary but later changed the name to Margaret.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, somewhat drooping, open-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches brown mingled with much red, overspread with thin gray scarf-skin, marked by numerous lenticels; branchlets slender, long, with long internodes, light reddish-brown, streaked with ash-gray scarf-skin, glossy, smooth, glabrous except on the newer growth, with numerous small, roundish, raised, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, very short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 3 in. long, 1½ in. wide, thin; margin tipped with few pinkish glands, finely serrate; petiole 1⅛ in. long, green; stipules of medium size. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, free, singly on short spurs; flowers showy, 1⅛ in. long, large, in dense clusters, 6 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1¼ in. long, thick, pubescent.

Fruit matures in late August and early September; medium in size, 3 in. long, 2½ in. wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, irregular; stem 1½ in. long, thick, curved; cavity acuminate, deep, narrow, russeted, furrowed and compressed, often with a pronounced lip; calyx open, large; lobes separated at the base, broad, acute, reflexed; basin deep, abrupt, furrowed, often compressed; skin thin, tender, smooth; color dull greenish-yellow, often with a deep but dull reddish-brown blush and occasional patches of russet; dots numerous, small, green or russet, obscure; flesh fine under the skin but granular and gritty near the center; tender, buttery, very juicy, faintly vinous, slightly aromatic; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, wide, funnel-shaped; seeds large, wide, plump, obtuse or acute.

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

MARGARET.

The fruits of Margaret are early and attractive in color and shape, but they run small in size, and in neither flesh nor flavor can they compete with the product of several other varieties of the same season. The trees are hardly more desirable than the fruits, since they are tender to cold, blight badly, and are short-lived, seldom attaining full size or large size. Despite these defects of fruit and tree, the variety is a one-time favorite still rather commonly planted. Better summer pears can be found for almost every part of the country. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Christopher Wiegel, Cleveland, Ohio, planted seeds from one of which came this variety.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, drooping, open-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches medium in thickness and smoothness, brown mingled with much red, marked by numerous lenticels. Leaves 2¼ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, thin; margin tipped with few pinkish glands, finely serrate; petiole 1¼ inches long, green; stipules of medium size. Flowers showy, 1¼ inches long, large, in dense clusters, 6 or 7 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in late August and early September; medium in size, 3¼ inches long, 2¼ inches wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, irregular; stem 1¼ inches long, thick, curved; cavity acuminate, deep, narrow, russeted, furrowed and compressed, often with a pronounced lip; calyx open, large; lobes separated at the base, broad, acute, reflexed; basin deep, abrupt, furrowed, often compressed; skin thin, tender, smooth; color dull greenish-yellow, often with a deep but dull reddish-brown blush and occasional patches of russet; dots numerous, small, green or russet, obscure; flesh fine under the skin but granular and gritty near the center; tender, buttery, very juicy, faintly vinous, slightly aromatic; quality good; core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, wide, funnel-shaped; seeds large, wide, plump, obtuse or acute.

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

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a fairly strong grower and productive. Fruit of medium size, obovate. Skin greenish yellow, with dull red on the sunny side. Flesh white, juicy, sweet, vinous, quality good. Season early August.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)