Mount Vernon
Pear
Mount Vernon
Origin/History
A chance seedling that originated in the garden of Samuel Walker, Roxbury, Massachusetts, at the end of the first half of the nineteenth century. Walker named it Mount Vernon. It is very distinct from any other variety. The variety holds a prominent place in the list of worthy American pears both as a distinct type and because it ripens at a season when few other varieties are available. Its top-shaped form and reddish-russet color give it a unique appearance, and together with the greenish-yellow, granular, spicy, piquant flesh, constitute very distinct characters. Lack of uniformity in shape and size are described (Hedrick) as the chief defects in appearance. The variety is recommended whether for home or market when a winter pear is wanted. It appears in the American Pomological Society Catalog (1871) and was noted in the American Journal of Horticulture as early as 1868.
Tree
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, hardy, productive, and long-lived. The head is small, with numerous short, stocky branches, many of which droop, giving the top a quite distinct aspect (Hedrick). An early bearer (Downing). Trunk stocky. Branches thick, shaggy, reddish-brown, overcast with gray scarf-skin, marked by few large lenticels. Branchlets thick, with short internodes, grayish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with a few large, raised lenticels. Young wood yellow reddish-brown (Downing).
Leaf-buds variable in shape, usually free. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, oval, medium to thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin crenate, tipped with rudimentary glands; petiole 1¼ in. long. Flower-buds large, long, conical or pointed, free; flowers 1⅛ in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels ⅞ in. long, slender, lightly pubescent, pale green, with a faint tinge of red (Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium, or medium and above (Downing, Thomas). By measurement: 2⅜ in. long, 2⅜ in. wide (Hedrick). Uniform in size (Hedrick).
Form: Variable in shape. Generally roundish obtuse pyriform (Downing, Hedrick); also described as obovate (Thomas). Irregular, with unequal sides (Hedrick, Thomas). The overall silhouette is top-shaped (Hedrick).
Stem: Short to very short (Downing, Thomas). By measurement approximately 1 in. long (Hedrick). Thick, usually curved (Hedrick). Inserted obliquely (Thomas).
Cavity: Obtuse, very shallow and narrow, russeted, furrowed; often very heavily lipped, so that the stem appears to be inserted under a fleshy enlargement (Hedrick). With little or no depression (Downing). Scarcely sunk (Thomas).
Calyx: Small, with short segments (Downing). Lobes short, narrow, acute to acuminate (Hedrick). Conflicting detail: Downing describes the calyx as closed; Hedrick describes it as open.
Basin: Narrow, obtuse, smooth, usually symmetrical (Hedrick). Shallow, smooth (Thomas).
Skin: Granular, roughened by russet, dull in finish (Hedrick). Ground color greenish-yellow (Hedrick) or yellow (Downing), overlaid with light russet. A brownish-red blush develops on the exposed cheek in sun (Downing, Hedrick, Thomas). Dotted and netted with russet; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure (Hedrick). Thomas describes the overall effect as dull brownish russet with a red cheek.
Flesh: White with a faint tinge of yellow, often with a green tinge under the skin (Hedrick); described as yellowish (Downing) and greenish-white (Thomas). Granular (Downing, Hedrick); described by Thomas as a little coarse. Tender and melting, juicy (Hedrick, Downing). Sweet, aromatic, with a vinous tendency (Hedrick); slightly vinous and slightly aromatic (Downing); rich, vinous, aromatic (Thomas). Quality very good (Downing); good to very good (Hedrick).
Core/Seeds: Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines. Calyx-tube short, wide, conical. Seeds variable in size, wide, long, plump, acute; many abortive (Hedrick).
Season
Ripens late October through November (Hedrick, Thomas); extends into December (Downing). Under good conditions may be kept until mid-winter, a season in which few good pears are available (Hedrick).
Uses
Suitable for home use or market (Hedrick). Particularly valued as a winter pear due to its late ripening and keeping qualities.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 17 catalogs (1894–1917) from Alabama, Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- 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
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1910
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1911
- Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
- Vineland Nurseries Company , Clarkston , Washington — 1912
- Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912
- 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
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Mount Vernon.
Walker's Seedling.
A chance seedling, originated in the grounds of Samuel Walker, Roxbury, Mass., and by him named Mount Vernon. The tree is a vigorous grower, and an early bearer. Young wood yellow reddish brown.
Fruit medium or above, varying in form, but generally roundish obtuse pyriform, light russet on a yellow ground, brownish red in the sun. Stalk short, inserted by a lip, with little or no depression. Calyx small, closed, with short segments. Flesh yellowish, granulated, juicy, melting, slightly vinous and slightly aromatic. Very good. November, December.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)MOUNT VERNON
- Am. Jour. Hort. 3:144, figs. 1868. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 818. 1869. 3. Horticulturist 24:307, fig. 1869. 4. Ibid. 26:361. 1871. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 20. 1871. 6. Horticulturist 27:204. 1872. 7. Budd-Hansen Am. Hort. Man. 2:256. 1903.
As a distinct type, and because the pears ripen at a season when there are few other varieties of this fruit, Mount Vernon has a prominent place in the list of worthy American pears. The top-shaped form and reddish-russet color give the pear a unique appearance, and with the greenish-yellow, granular, spicy, piquant flesh constitute very distinct characters in its quality. Unfortunately, the russet color is not well brought out in the accompanying color-plate. Lack of uniformity in shape and size are the chief defects in the appearance of the pears. The variety is valuable because it ripens its crop in early winter from which time, under good conditions, it may be kept until mid-winter, a season in which there are few good pears. The trees are unusually satisfactory in most of the characters of importance in a good pear-tree. The tree is vigorous but the head is small, with numerous, short, stocky branches, many of which droop. The aspect given the top by these peculiarities is quite distinct. The variety is worthy when a winter pear is wanted whether for home or market.
This pear, which is very distinct from any other variety, originated from a chance seedling in the garden of Samuel Walker, Roxbury, Massachusetts, at the end of the first half of the nineteenth century.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, with many drooping branches, dense-topped, hardy, productive, long-lived; trunk stocky; branches thick, shaggy, reddish-brown, overcast with gray scarf-skin, marked by few large lenticels; branchlets thick, with short internodes, grayish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with a few large, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds variable in shape, usually free. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, oval, medium to thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin crenate, tipped with rudimentary glands; petiole 1¼ in. long. Flower-buds large, long, conical or pointed, free; flowers 1⅛ in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels ⅞ in. long, slender, lightly pubescent, pale green, with a faint tinge of red.
Fruit ripe in late October and November; medium in size, 2⅜ in. long, 2⅜ in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-obtuse-pyriform, irregular, with unequal sides, variable in shape; stem 1 in. long, thick, usually curved; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, russeted, furrowed, often very heavily lipped, so that the stem appears to be inserted under a fleshy enlargement; calyx open; lobes short, narrow, acute to acuminate; basin narrow, obtuse, smooth, usually symmetrical; skin granular, roughened by russet, dull; color light russet overspreading a greenish-yellow ground, with a brownish-red blush on the exposed cheek, dotted and netted with russet; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; flesh white, with a faint tinge of yellow, often with a green tinge under the skin, granular, tender and melting, juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a vinous tendency; quality good to very good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds variable in size, wide, long, plump, acute, many abortive.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Mount Vernon.* (Walker's Seedling.) Medium, obovate, irregular; dull brownish russet, with a red cheek; stalk very short, oblique, scarcely sunk; basin shallow, smooth; flesh greenish-white, a little coarse, rich, vinous, aromatic. October, November. Roxbury, Mass.