Pulsifer

Pear

Origin/History

Raised by Dr. John Pulsifer of Hennepin, Illinois. According to Hedrick, Dr. Pulsifer planted a pear seed in his garden in the spring of 1843, which produced a tree bearing fruit of great merit.

Tree

An upright and vigorous grower, and an early and prolific bearer. Hardy (Hedrick). Young wood is light yellow brown (Downing); dark olive (Elliott); greenish, rather erect (Thomas).

Fruit

Size: Small (Downing); hardly medium (Hedrick); below medium (Elliott); medium or rather small (Thomas).

Form: Obovate pyriform (Downing); pyriform (Hedrick, Elliott); pyriform obtuse (Elliott); pyriform, Madeleine or Rostiezer-shaped (Thomas).

Skin: Pale yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet brown dots, sometimes shaded with crimson in the sun (Downing). Dull golden-yellow, covered with an open network of slight russet (Hedrick). Dull yellow, with traces of russet (Elliott). Dull yellow, sometimes slightly russeted (Thomas).

Stem: Medium (Downing); short (Elliott); short, curved, slightly sunk (Thomas).

Cavity: Small (Downing).

Calyx: Partially open (Downing); small, open (Elliott).

Basin: Small, uneven (Downing); shallow (Thomas).

Flesh/Flavor: Whitish, a little coarse, juicy, melting, slightly vinous; rated "Good" (Downing). White, melting, juicy, sweet, and delicious, much like Louise Bonne de Jersey, but superior to it (Hedrick). White, melting, juicy, sweet; rated "very good" (Elliott). Juicy, melting, and when well ripened of a very good flavor (Thomas).

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

August (Downing, Hedrick). Early August (Elliott). Middle of August (Thomas).

Uses

Not described in source.

Other

Thomas notes the fruit is illustrated as Fig. 688 in his work. Hedrick cites the earliest reference as Horticulturist 8:460, fig., 1853.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Pulsifer.

Raised by Dr. John Pulsifer, of Hennepin, Ill. An upright and vigorous grower. Young wood light yellow brown.

Fruit small, obovate pyriform. Skin pale yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet brown dots, sometimes shaded with crimson in the sun. Stalk medium. Cavity small. Calyx partially open. Basin small, uneven. Flesh whitish, a little coarse, juicy, melting, slightly vinous. Good. August.

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

Pulsifer.

i. Horticulturist 8:460, fig. 1853.

Dr. John Pulsifer of Hennepin, Ill., in the spring of 1843 planted in his garden a pear seed which produced a tree bearing fruit of great merit. An early and prolific bearer, hardy, vigorous. Fruit hardly medium, pyriform, dull golden-yellow, covered with an open network of slight russet; flesh white, melting, juicy, sweet, and delicious, much like Louise Bonne de Jersey, but superior to it; Aug.

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

PULSIFER.

American. Native of Illinois. Tree, upright, vigorous ; shoots, dark olive ; early and productive bearer. Fruit, below medium, pyriform obtuse, dull yellow, with traces of russet ; stem, short ; calyx, small, open ; flesh, white, melting, juicy, sweet ; "very good." Early August.

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

Pulsifer. Medium or rather small, pyriform, Madeleine or Rostiezer-shaped; skin dull yellow, sometimes slightly russeted; stalk short, curved, slightly sunk; basin shallow; flesh juicy, melting, and when well ripened of a very good flavor. Middle of August. Shoots greenish, rather erect. Illinois. Fig. 688.

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