Onondaga.

Swan's Orange, | Onondaga Seedling.

Probably a native of Farmington Ct. It takes its name from having been first brought to notice by cultivators in Onandaga Co. N. Y. Tree vigorous, with strong, upright, olive-colored shoots. In quality it is variable, not succeeding in all locations.

Fruit, large, ovate obovate ; color, pale greenish yellow, becoming golden yellow at maturity, many gray russet dots, and occasionally a dull blush in sun ; stem, one to one and a half inch long, inserted without depression, but with lip of fruit folded unevenly around it ; calyx, rather small, closed ; basin, shallow, abrupt and marked with patches of cinnamon russet, core, compact ; seeds, small ; flesh, white, juicy, buttery. October and November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Onondaga.

Swan's Orange. Kilmer.

Supposed to have originated in Farmington, Conn. Tree very vigorous and productive. Young wood olive brown. A profitable market variety.

Fruit large, ovate obovate obtusely pyriform. Skin somewhat coarse and uneven, thickly covered with russet dots, fine rich yellow at maturity, generally with some traces of russet, and sometimes with a sunny cheek. Stalk rather stout, of medium length, inserted in a small cavity, at an inclination. Calyx small, firmly closed, set in a narrow, somewhat uneven basin. Flesh buttery, melting, abounding in juice, slightly granular, and when in perfection with a fine, rich, vinous flavor. A variable fruit. Good to very good. September to November.

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

Onondaga.* (Swan's Orange.) Quite large, obtuse oval-pyriform, nearly in the form of a double cone, neck very short and obtuse, body large and tapering to obtuse apex; skin roughish, greenish-yellow, becoming rich yellow, dots numerous, often a slight brown cheek, crown often slightly russeted; stalk an inch to an inch and a half long, stout, slightly sunk; calyx small, closed, basin narrow, ribbed; flesh slightly coarse, buttery, melting, sometimes a little breaking, juicy, rich, fine, but not of the highest quality, sometimes astringent. Ripens mid-autumn. Growth vigorous, shoots yellow, ascending. Productive. Connecticut. Figs. 654 and 703.

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

Onondaga (Swan's Orange). — Large to very large, obovate and usually oblate pyriform; color rich yellow when ripe, with russet dots; stalk one inch long, stout, inclined, often curved, and inserted in slight cavity with lips at one side; basin narrow, plaited, shallow. Flesh whitish, juicy, buttery, melting, slightly granular, quality good to very good. Season, autumn. A valuable market and dessert variety in several States. Connecticut.

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

ONONDAGA

1. Horticulturist 1:322, fig. 77. 1846-47. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 231. 1858. 3. Mas Le Verger 3: Pt. 1, 179, fig. 88. 1866-73. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 823, fig. 1869. 5. Leroy Dict. Pom. 4:480, fig. 1869. 6. Guide Prat. 74, 292. 1876. 7. Hogg Fruit Man. 625. 1884.

Swan's Orange. 8. Mag. Hort. 13:243, fig. 19. 1847. 9. Hovey Fr. Am. 1:21, Pl. 1851.

Some seventy or eighty years ago this pear was widely introduced under the names Onondaga and Swan's Orange, and for a generation and more was much grown in eastern pear regions. It has now practically passed from cultivation in commercial orchards, but is still to be found in collections and home plantings. The fruits are large, handsome, and of very good quality, resembling those of Bartlett in flavor and with even better flesh-characters. The trees are vigorous, hardy, fruitful — almost ideal in every character but one. The tree is so susceptible to blight that the variety can never have commercial value in American orchards. Whether or not it is worth planting in home orchards depends upon the planter's willingness to suffer loss from blight.

It seems impossible to trace this variety to its ultimate source. We know, however, that Henry Case, Liverpool, New York, cut a graft during the winter of 1806 from a tree growing on land of a Mr. Curtiss at Farmington, Connecticut. In the spring of the same year, Mr. Case grafted this cion into a tree about three miles west of Onondaga Hill, New York, and in 1808 moved the tree to Liverpool where it grew and bore fruit. Many grafts were taken from this tree before it died in 1823. Up to this time, the variety appears to have received no name nor had it been generally disseminated. We hear nothing further of it until about 1840 when it was brought to notice by a Mr. Swan of Onondaga Hollow, who exhibited specimens of the variety in Rochester. Ellwanger and Barry were so impressed with the fruit that they secured cions and propagated it under the name Swan's Orange which they changed later to Onondaga. Onondaga was given a place in the American Pomological Society's fruit-catalog in 1858.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, very productive; branches zigzag, reddish-brown, overspread with thin gray scarf-skin, marked with many large lenticels; branchlets slender, short, light brown, tinged with green and lightly streaked with ash-gray scarf-skin, dull, smooth, the new growth slightly pubescent, with small, raised, pinkish lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3½ in. long, 1¼ in. wide, narrow, oval, stiff, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin coarsely but shallowly serrate, tipped with many reddish glands; petiole 1½ in. long, light green mingled with red; stipules often lacking but when present very small, pale green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs; blossoms 1½ in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels pubescent, greenish.

Fruit ripe in early October; above medium to large, 2¾ in. long, 2½ in. wide, ovate or obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, with unequal sides; stem ¾ in. long, thick, curved; cavity a slight depression, with a fleshy enlargement at one side of the stem; calyx closed; lobes narrow, acute; basin narrow, obtuse, furrowed, uneven; skin granular, tender, smooth, dull; color pale yellow, with few lines of russet and with many russet spots; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish, granular both near the skin and at the center, melting, buttery, very juicy, aromatic, with a sweet, rich, vinous flavor; quality very good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, conical; seeds narrow, long, acute.

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

ONONDAGA. Swan's Orange. Some seventy or eighty years ago this pear was widely introduced under the names Onondaga and Swan's Orange, and for a generation was much grown in eastern pear regions. It has now practically passed from cultivation in commercial orchards, but is still to be found in collections and home plantings. The fruits are large, handsome, and of very good quality, resembling those of Bartlett in flavor and with even better flesh-characters. The trees are vigorous, hardy, and fruitful, but so susceptible to blight that the variety can never have commercial value in American orchards. Whether or not it is worth planting in home orchards depends on the planter's willingness to suffer loss from blight. The variety originated with a Mr. Curtiss, Farmington, Connecticut, about 1790. Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, very productive; branches zigzag, reddish-brown, marked with many large lenticels. Leaves 3½ inches long, 1¼ inches wide, narrow, oval inclining to lanceolate, stiff, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin coarsely but shallowly serrate, tipped with many reddish glands; petiole 1⅝ inches long, light green mingled with red. Blossoms 1⅜ inches across, in dense clusters, 7 to 9 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripe in early October; above medium to large, 2⅞ inches long, 2⅝ inches wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, with unequal sides; stem ¾ inch long, thick, curved; cavity a slight depression, with fleshy enlargement at one side of the stem; calyx closed; lobes narrow, acute; basin narrow, obtuse, furrowed, uneven; skin granular, tender, smooth, dull; color rich, pale yellow, with a few lines of russet and with many russet spots; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish, granular both near the skin and at the center, melting, buttery, very juicy, aromatic, with a sweet, rich, vinous flavor; quality very good; core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, conical; seeds narrow, long, acute.

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