Pennsylvania
PearPennsylvania
Origin / History
American, from Pennsylvania, associated with Philadelphia. A seedling of J. B. Smith, Esq., of Philadelphia, whom Downing calls "a well-known amateur". Hedrick describes it as a seedling found on the ground of J. B. Smith of Pennsylvania. Hedrick's references for the variety are the Magazine of Horticulture (10:213, 1844) and Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (832, 1869).
Tree
Vigorous, hardy, and moderately productive (Elliott). In 1845 the original tree was stated to be nearly forty feet high, of a pyramidal form and remarkably robust habit (Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium; Elliott alone calls it large.
Form: Obovate to roundish obovate, tapering toward the stem, obtuse (Hedrick). Elliott gives obovate pyriform, the surface irregular.
Stem: Stout (Elliott).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small, half closed (Elliott).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Dull yellow ground, nearly covered with brown russet, becoming russet red or ruddy on the sunny side. Elliott gives yellowish green with brownish russet, marbled.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white (yellowish, Elliott), coarse to rather coarse, not very fine-grained, juicy. Elliott calls it breaking, against half melting to melting in the other accounts (Downing, Thomas, Hedrick). Sweet, perfumed, with a musky flavor (Downing). Hedrick gives it as rich, sugary, slightly perfumed, and musky.
Quality from "Hardly good" (Downing) through "moderately good" (Thomas) to "good" (Elliott) and "good but not strictly first rate" (Hedrick). Hedrick adds that "as an American fruit it may be ranked with Buffum, Cushing and Fulton."
Core and seeds: Core small (Elliott).
Season
Middle of September into October. Downing gives the middle and last of September; Elliott and Hedrick give October.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1849) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
View original book sources (4)
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.