Onondaga
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Onondaga
Origin / History
The ultimate origin of this variety cannot be traced with certainty, though it is believed to be a native of Farmington, Connecticut. According to Hedrick (1921), Henry Case of Liverpool, New York, cut a graft during the winter of 1806 from a tree growing on land belonging to a Mr. Curtiss at Farmington, Connecticut. In the spring of that year, Case grafted this scion 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 that time the variety appears to have received no name, nor had it been generally disseminated. Nothing further is heard 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 scions and propagated it under the name Swan's Orange, which they later changed to Onondaga. The variety was given a place in the American Pomological Society's fruit-catalog in 1858. Elliott (1865) notes that it takes its name from having been first brought to notice by cultivators in Onondaga County, New York.
Some seventy or eighty years from Hedrick's writing (ca. 1840–1920), this pear was widely introduced and for a generation and more was much grown in eastern pear regions. By Hedrick's time it had practically passed from cultivation in commercial orchards, though still to be found in collections and home plantings. Its decline is attributed to extreme susceptibility to fire blight, which prevents the variety from having commercial value in American orchards. Elliott (1865) notes that in quality it is variable, not succeeding in all locations.
Tree
General habit: Hedrick describes the tree as medium in size, vigorous, spreading, and open-topped, with a very productive bearing habit. Elliott describes the growth as vigorous with strong, upright shoots; Thomas similarly notes vigorous growth with ascending shoots. (Hedrick gives a spreading habit; Elliott and Thomas indicate upright to ascending growth — a possible conflict reflecting different strains or observations.)
Branches: Zigzag, reddish-brown, overspread with thin gray scarf-skin, marked with many large lenticels (Hedrick).
Branchlets: Slender, short, light brown, tinged with green, lightly streaked with ash-gray scarf-skin, dull, smooth; the new growth slightly pubescent, with small, raised, pinkish lenticels (Hedrick). Elliott describes the shoots as olive-colored; Thomas describes them as yellow.
Leaf-buds: Small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free (Hedrick).
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 (Hedrick).
Flower-buds: Small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs. Blossoms 1½ in. across, borne in dense clusters of 7 to 8 buds; pedicels pubescent, greenish (Hedrick).
Disease: The tree is highly susceptible to fire blight (Hedrick). Whether it is worth planting in home orchards depends upon the planter's willingness to suffer loss from blight.
Fruit
Size and form: Above medium to large (Hedrick; Elliott and Thomas agree the fruit is large). Hedrick gives dimensions of 2¾ in. long by 2½ in. wide, and describes the form as ovate or obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, with unequal sides. Thomas describes the shape as obtuse oval-pyriform, nearly in the form of a double cone, with a very short and obtuse neck, a large body tapering to an obtuse apex. Elliott gives the form as large, ovate-obovate.
Stem: Hedrick gives the stem as ¾ in. long, thick, and curved. Elliott and Thomas both give the stem as 1 to 1½ in. long, with Thomas describing it as stout. (Hedrick's ¾ in. conflicts with the 1–1½ in. of Elliott and Thomas.) Regarding insertion: Hedrick describes a slight depression (cavity) with a fleshy enlargement at one side of the stem; Elliott states it is inserted without depression but with the lip of the fruit folded unevenly around it; Thomas describes it as slightly sunk. (These accounts conflict on the character of the stem cavity.)
Cavity: A slight depression, with a fleshy enlargement at one side of the stem (Hedrick). Elliott notes insertion without true depression but with the lip of the fruit folded unevenly around the stem.
Calyx: Closed (all three sources agree). Lobes narrow, acute (Hedrick). Elliott describes the calyx as rather small; Thomas similarly as small.
Basin: Narrow, obtuse, furrowed, and uneven (Hedrick). Elliott describes it as shallow and abrupt, marked with patches of cinnamon russet. Thomas gives it as narrow and ribbed. (Sources differ: Hedrick gives narrow and obtuse; Elliott gives shallow and abrupt; Thomas gives narrow and ribbed.)
Skin: Granular, tender, smooth, and dull (Hedrick). Thomas describes the skin as roughish.
Color: Pale yellow, with few lines of russet and with many russet spots (Hedrick). Elliott describes the color as pale greenish yellow, becoming golden yellow at maturity, with many gray russet dots and occasionally a dull blush in the sun. Thomas gives the color as greenish-yellow becoming rich yellow, with numerous dots, often a slight brown cheek, and the crown often slightly russeted.
Dots: Numerous, small, russet, conspicuous (Hedrick). Elliott notes many gray russet dots; Thomas notes numerous dots.
Flesh: Yellowish (Hedrick) — Elliott says white (conflict). Granular both near the skin and at the center, melting, buttery, very juicy, aromatic, with a sweet, rich, vinous flavor; quality very good (Hedrick). Thomas describes the flesh as slightly coarse, buttery, melting, sometimes a little breaking, juicy, rich, and fine, but not of the highest quality and sometimes astringent. (Hedrick rates quality very good; Thomas rates it fine but not of the highest quality and notes occasional astringency — a meaningful conflict.) Elliott gives the flesh as white, juicy, and buttery. Hedrick notes the fruits resemble Bartlett in flavor, with even better flesh characters.
Core: Large, closed, with clasping core-lines (Hedrick). Elliott describes the core as compact.
Calyx-tube: Long, conical (Hedrick).
Seeds: Narrow, long, acute (Hedrick). Elliott describes seeds as small.
Season
Early October (Hedrick). Elliott gives October and November. Thomas gives mid-autumn. (Hedrick places ripening somewhat earlier than Elliott's range.)
Uses
Suitable for dessert use on account of its very good quality and Bartlett-like flavor (Hedrick). Historically grown in home orchards and collections; no longer of commercial value due to blight susceptibility.
Other
The fruits are described by Hedrick as large, handsome, and of very good quality, resembling Bartlett in flavor and with even better flesh characters. The trees were considered vigorous, hardy, and fruitful — "almost ideal in every character but one" — the one disqualifying character being extreme susceptibility to fire blight.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 17 catalogs (1864–1904) from Alabama, California, Illinois, Oregon, Washington
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Huntsville Wholesale Nurseries (Jessie S. Moss , Proprietor; W.F. Heikes, Manager), Huntsville , Alabama — 1886
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Puyallup & Yakima Nurseries , Puyallup, Washington (Lock Box 191) and North Yakima , Washington — 1892
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- 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
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- The Dalles Nurseries , The Dalles , Oregon — 1901
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
View original book sources (3)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)ONONDAGA
- 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.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)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.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)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.