Muscadine
PearOrigin & History
The Muscadine is an American variety, its original tree supposed to have grown on the farm of a Dr. Fowler near Newburgh, New York. The pear was introduced to notice by Downing, who noted its history as uncertain and believed it to be a native. Hedrick describes it as a valuable late summer variety.
Tree
Vigorous, upright in growth (Downing). Bears very heavy crops (Downing). Young shoots stout, dark gray brown; Thomas describes the shoots as "rather thick."
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Roundish obovate, regularly formed. Hedrick describes it as globular-obovate. Thomas describes it as short obovate, regular, sometimes slightly oblique.
Stem: About an inch long, set in a well-formed small cavity. Thomas gives the stem as an inch and a fourth long, rather stout.
Cavity: Well-formed, small (Downing). Very small, even (Thomas).
Calyx: With reflexed segments, set in a shallow basin.
Basin: Shallow. Thomas adds that it is rather wide.
Skin: Pale yellowish green, a little rough, thickly sprinkled with brown dots.
Flesh & Flavor: White, buttery, with an agreeable, rich, musky flavor. Downing and Hedrick describe the texture as half melting or semi-melting; Elliott and Thomas describe it as melting. Thomas adds that the flesh is a little coarse, the flavor rather rich, only slightly musky, and faintly astringent, rating the variety as moderately good. Downing and Hedrick rate it good to very good. The high musky aroma is the variety's most distinctive characteristic (Downing).
Core & Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Last of August and first of September. If the fruit is picked early and ripened in the house, it is a good pear of its season (Downing).
Uses
Not described in source beyond Downing's note that it is suitable for picking early and ripening indoors.
Subtypes & Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Muscadine.
The Muscadine is remarkable for its high musky aroma. Its history is uncertain, and it is believed to be a native. It bears very heavy crops, and if the fruit is picked early, and ripened in the house, it is a good Pear of its season. Tree vigorous, upright in growth. Young shoots stout, dark gray brown.
Fruit of medium size, roundish obovate, regularly formed, pale yellowish green, a little rough, thickly sprinkled with brown dots. Stalk about an inch long, set in a well-formed small cavity. Calyx with reflexed segments, set in a shallow basin. Flesh white, buttery, half melting, with an agreeable, rich, musky flavor. Good to very good. Last of August and first of September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Muscadine. 1. Mag. Hort. 1:364. 1835. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 818. 1869. The original tree is supposed to have grown on the farm of a Dr. Fowler near Newburgh, N. Y., and the pear was introduced to notice by Downing. Fruit medium, globular-obovate, regular in form, pale yellowish-green, thickly sprinkled with brown dots; flesh white, buttery, semi-melting, with an agreeable rich, musky flavor; good to very good, a valuable late summer variety; end of Aug. and beginning of Sept.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)MUSCADINE. American. From near Newburgh, N. Y. Fruit, medium, roundish, obovate, pale yellowish green, with brown dots; stem, an inch long; calyx, with reflexed segments; basin, shallow; flesh, white, buttery, melting, musky; shoots, stout, dark gray brown. Last August, first September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Muscadine. Size medium; short obovate, regular, sometimes slightly oblique; surface a little rough, yellowish-green, thickly dotted; stalk an inch and a fourth long, rather stout; cavity very small, even; basin rather wide, shallow; flesh buttery, melting, a little coarse, rather rich, slightly musky, faintly astringent, moderately good. Late summer, and early in autumn. Shoots rather thick.