Ott

Origin / History

Ott is a seedling of the Seckel, originated by Samuel Ott of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was introduced to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society by Dr. Brinckle of Philadelphia in the summer of 1848 (Hedrick), with the earliest published reference appearing in Magazine of Horticulture 14:424 (1848) and a later treatment in Downing's Fruit Trees of America (1869). Elliott notes the variety as American, native of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and observes that it is classed by many Eastern pomologists as "best," though specimens he examined "have not merited more than to be classed 'very good.'" Budd & Hansen record that it was "much grown in Delaware." Elliott further suggests "this pear will prove valuable as a standard orchard sort at the Southwest."

Tree

Moderately vigorous and very productive (Downing). Young wood reddish olive-brown (Downing). Shoots rather erect, brownish-green; leaves like Seckel (Thomas).

Fruit

Size

Small (all sources agree).

Form

Roundish obovate (Downing, Budd & Hansen); globular-obovate, regular, largest about the middle, rounding off to the calyx end and narrowing to the stem where it is obtuse (Hedrick); roundish (Elliott); roundish-obovate, or short Seckel-form (Thomas).

Stem / Stalk

Long and curved, inserted in a slight depression (Downing); medium, a little curved (Elliott); an inch and a fourth long, cavity small (Thomas); one to one and one-quarter inches long, inserted in very small cavity (Budd & Hansen).

Cavity

Slight depression (Downing); small (Thomas); very small (Budd & Hansen).

Calyx

Open (Downing); rather large, open, reflexed (Elliott); rather large (Thomas).

Basin

Round and open (Downing); shallow (Thomas).

Skin

Greenish yellow, partially netted with russet, reddish on the sunny side (Downing); slightly rough, dull green changing to yellow when mature, some russet, bronzy-red on the sunny side and dotted with russet specks intermixed with some greenish spots (Hedrick); greenish yellow, with little russet, and rarely faint red cheek in sun (Elliott); greenish-yellow, russeted in part, rarely a mottled red cheek (Thomas); greenish yellow with considerable russeting, and often a mottled red cheek (Budd & Hansen). Sources thus vary on the extent of russeting (from "little" in Elliott to "considerable" in Budd & Hansen) and on the frequency of the red cheek (from "rarely" in Elliott and Thomas to "often" in Budd & Hansen).

Flesh / Flavor

Melting, sugary, rich, perfumed, and aromatic (Downing); greenish-white, coarse, melting, very juicy, rich, sugary, with a spicy aroma resembling the Seckel (Hedrick); yellowish, melting, juicy, slightly aromatic (Elliott); melting, rich, perfumed, aromatic, closely resembling that of its parent the Seckel (Thomas); melting, rich, perfumed, with rich flavor like that of its parent the Seckel (Budd & Hansen). Quality rated "good to very good" and "somewhat variable" (Downing); "very good" (Hedrick, Budd & Hansen); classed by many Eastern pomologists as "best" though Elliott's specimens merited only "very good." Sources disagree on flesh color: greenish-white (Hedrick) vs. yellowish (Elliott).

Core / Seeds

Core below medium; seeds blackish (Elliott). Not otherwise described.

Season

Ripe middle of August (Downing); end of August (Hedrick); August (Elliott); ripens quite early, or by the first or middle of August (Thomas). Sources thus place ripening from early August through end of August.

Uses

Suggested by Elliott as potentially valuable as a standard orchard sort at the Southwest. Otherwise not described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Downing notes the variety is "somewhat variable." Thomas references Fig. 694 in his text.