Pennsylvania
PearOrigin/History
A seedling originated by J. B. Smith, Esq., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a well-known amateur. According to Hedrick, in 1845 the original tree was stated to be nearly forty feet high, of a pyramidal form and remarkably robust habit.
Tree
Vigorous, hardy, and moderately productive (Elliott). The original tree reached nearly forty feet high, of a pyramidal form and remarkably robust habit (Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Hedrick, Thomas). Elliott describes it as large.
Form: Roundish obovate (Downing). Obovate, tapering toward the stem, obtuse (Hedrick). Obovate pyriform, surface irregular (Elliott). Obovate (Thomas).
Stem: Stout (Elliott).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small, half closed (Elliott).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Brown russet, nearly covering a dull yellow ground, and becoming russet red on the sunny side (Downing). Brown-russet on dull yellow ground, ruddy on the sunny side (Hedrick). Yellowish green, brownish russet, marbled (Elliott). Brown russet on dull yellow (Thomas).
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish white, not very fine-grained, juicy, half melting, sweet, perfumed, musky flavor; hardly good (Downing). Yellowish-white, coarse, melting, juicy, rich, sugary, slightly perfumed and with a musky flavor; good but not strictly first rate; as an American fruit it may be ranked with Buffum, Cushing and Fulton (Hedrick). Yellowish, rather coarse, breaking, juicy; "good" (Elliott). Rather coarse, half melting, moderately good (Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Core small (Elliott).
Season
Middle and last of September (Downing). October (Hedrick, Elliott). Late September (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hedrick cites references in the Magazine of Horticulture (vol. 10, p. 213, 1844) and Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (p. 832, 1869 edition).
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Pennsylvania.
Smith's Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania is a seedling originated by J. B. Smith, Esq., of Philadelphia, a well-known amateur.
Fruit of medium size, roundish obovate, brown russet, nearly covering a dull yellow ground, and becoming russet red on the sunny side. Flesh yellowish white, not very fine-grained, juicy, half melting, sweet, perfumed, musky flavor. Hardly good. Middle and last of September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Pennsylvania.
- Mag. Hort. 10:213. 1844.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 832. 1869.
A seedling found on the ground of J. B. Smith of Pennsylvania. In 1845 the original tree was stated to be nearly forty feet high, of a pyramidal form and remarkably robust habit. Fruit medium, obovate, tapering toward the stem, obtuse, brown-russet on dull yellow ground, ruddy on the sunny side; flesh yellowish-white, coarse, melting, juicy, rich, sugary, slightly perfumed and with a musky flavor; good but not strictly first rate; as an American fruit it may be ranked with Buffum, Cushing and Fulton; Oct.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Pennsylvania.
American. From Pennsylvania. Tree, vigorous, hardy, and moderately productive. Fruit, large, obovate pyriform, surface irregular, yellowish green, brownish russet, marbled ; stem, stout ; calyx, small, half closed ; core, small ; flesh, yellowish, rather coarse, breaking, juicy ; "good." October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Pennsylvania. Medium, obovate, brown russet on dull yellow; rather coarse; half melting; moderately good. Late September. Phila.