Salisbury Seedling

Pear

Salisbury Seedling

Origin/History

A native of Western New York. (All three sources agree.)

Tree

Vigorous. (Downing 1900; Elliott 1865.) No further tree characteristics described in sources.

Fruit

Size: Not described in source.

Form: The sources give slightly varying terms: obtuse pyriform (Downing 1900), depressed pyriform (Elliott 1865), and short pyriform (Thomas 1903). All agree on a pyriform shape; Downing emphasizes the obtuse (blunt) apex, while Elliott emphasizes depression, and Thomas emphasizes the short proportions.

Stem: Short and thick (Downing 1900; Elliott 1865). Elliott adds that it is inserted by a fleshy ring.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Partially closed (Downing 1900); closed (Elliott 1865); set in a deep, uneven basin. (Both Downing and Elliott agree on the deep, uneven basin.)

Basin: Deep and uneven. (Downing 1900; Elliott 1865.)

Skin: Rough, somewhat covered with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. (Downing 1900; Elliott 1865; Thomas 1903 gives "partly russeted.")

Flesh/Flavor: Coarse (all three sources). Downing (1900) further specifies: white, sweet, breaking, not juicy or melting. Elliott (1865) states it has "not much claim to excellence so far as proved." Thomas (1903) rates it "rather poor." Downing's overall quality assessment: "Scarcely good."

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Downing (1900) gives September; Elliott (1865) and Thomas (1903) give October.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

View original book sources (3)

Salisbury Seedling.

A native of Western New York. Tree vigorous.

Fruit obtuse pyriform. Skin rough, somewhat covered with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk short and thick. Calyx partially closed, in a deep, uneven basin. Flesh coarse, white, sweet, breaking, not juicy or melting. Scarcely good. September.

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

Salisbury Seedling.

A native of Western New York. Tree, vigorous. Fruit, depressed pyriform; skin, rough, somewhat covered with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots; stalk, short and thick, inserted by a fleshy ring; calyx, closed, in a deep, uneven basin: flesh, coarse, and of not much claim to excellence so far as proved. Ripe October.

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

Salisbury Seedling. Short pyriform, partly russeted; coarse; rather poor. October. N. Y.

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