Ontario.

Origin, Geneva, Ontario County, N. Y. Tree vigorous and productive, said to be a valuable market variety.

Fruit, medium, elongated obtuse pyriform, somewhat irregular ; skin, pale yellow, thickly covered with gray or green dots ; stalk, long, curved, inserted by a fleshy ring in a rather large depression ; calyx, partially closed, or open in a shallow, irregular, corrugated basin ; flesh, white, granular, juicy, almost melting, with a sweet pleasant flavor. Ripens last of September. (Downing.)

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

Ontario.

Origin, Geneva, Ontario Co., N. Y. Tree vigorous and productive. Young wood light yellow, a shade of red next the buds.

Fruit medium, oblong ovate pyriform, pale yellow, thickly dotted with minute brown and green dots, and slightly netted with russet. Stalk long, inserted in a small cavity, with a ring or lip. Calyx open, with long recurved segments. Flesh whitish, slightly veined with yellow, melting, juicy, buttery, slightly granulous, sweet. Good to very good. Last September.

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

Ontario. Medium or rather large, oblong-pyriform (somewhat Bartlett-shaped, but more obovate), sometimes faintly ribbed, somewhat irregular; pale yellow, thickly dotted; stalk an inch long; cavity small, irregular; calyx open or partly closed; basin wrinkled; flesh buttery, melting, with a mild, pleasant, agreeable flavor. First of October. Shoots yellowish-red, rather erect. Geneva, N. Y. Fig. 705.

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

ONTARIO

1. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 200, fig. 1856. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 529. 1857. 3. Horticulturist N. S. 7:112, fig. 1857. 4. Mag. Hort. 23:110, fig. 3. 1857. 5. Mas Le Verger 3: Pt. 2, 85, fig. 139. 1866-73. 6. Horticulturist 23:331, fig. 102. 1868. 7. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 824. 1869. 8. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 463, fig. 672. 1897.

This variety was introduced nearly seventy years ago with the expectation that the crop would follow that of Bartlett and be in as great demand. While the variety did not come up to expectations, it seems to have been too good to discard, and is to be found in many collections in New York. The fruits are of the type of Bartlett, but are smaller and usually lack the blush found on the fruits of Bartlett. The trees are very satisfactory. The variety fails chiefly in the small size of the fruits, although these are not as small as the rather poor specimens illustrated in the accompanying plate, which were grown on the grounds of this Station where the pears run below the average.

This variety was raised from seed of Canandaigua in the nurseries of W. and T. Smith, Geneva, Ontario County, New York, and was first introduced at the meeting of the American Pomological Society, Rochester, New York, in 1856.

Tree large, vigorous, upright, open-topped, hardy, productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, roughish, dull reddish-brown, overspread with dark ash-gray scarf-skin, marked by small lenticels; branchlets thick, very short, with short internodes, light brown mingled with green, smooth, glabrous, with small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, free. Leaves 2 in. long, 1½ in. wide, oval, thin, leathery, slightly curled under along the margins; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular toward the apex, very finely serrate; petiole 1½ in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical or pointed, plump, free, singly or in small clusters on short branches or very short spurs; flowers 1⅛ in. across, in a scattering raceme, from 8 to 10 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1½ in. long, slender, pubescent, light green.

Fruit in season from the middle to the last of September; medium in size, 2¼ in. long, 1⅞ in. wide, uniform in size and shape, oblong-pyriform, with sides usually unequal; stem ¾ in. long, thick; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, often russeted and lipped; calyx open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin shallow to medium, obtuse, gently furrowed, sometimes compressed; skin smooth, dull; color pale yellow, with small patches and streaks of light-colored russet; dots numerous, very small, russet, obscure; flesh whitish, with a yellow tinge at the core, granular, firm but tender, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic; quality good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

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

ONTARIO. Ontario was introduced nearly seventy years ago with the expectation that the crop would follow that of Bartlett and be in as great demand. While the variety has not come up to expectations, it is too good to discard. The fruits are of the type of Bartlett, but are smaller and usually lack the blush. The trees are very satisfactory. The variety fails chiefly in the small size of the fruits. Ontario was raised from seed in the nurseries of W. & T. Smith, Geneva, New York.

Tree large, vigorous, upright, open-topped, hardy, productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, roughish, dull reddish-brown, marked by small lenticels. Leaves 2 inches long, 1¾ inches wide, oval, thin, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular toward the apex, very finely serrate; petiole 1¾ inches long. Flowers 1⅜ inches across, in a scattering raceme, from 8 to 10 buds in a cluster. Fruit in season from the middle to the last of September; medium in size, 2¼ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, uniform in size and shape, oblong-pyriform, with sides usually unequal; stem ¾ inch long, thick; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, often russeted and lipped; calyx open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin shallow to medium, obtuse, gently furrowed, sometimes compressed; skin smooth, dull; color pale yellow with small patches and streaks of light colored russet; dots numerous, very small, russet, obscure; flesh whitish, with a yellow tinge at the core, granular, firm but tender, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic; quality good; core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

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