Sarah
PearSarah
Origin/History
Sarah was raised by Thaddeus Clapp of Dorchester, Massachusetts. It was exhibited at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's rooms in 1867, the earliest published reference to the variety (Hedrick, citing Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 37, 1867).
Tree
Tree of an erect habit, hardy, healthy, and productive. Young wood rich olive yellow brown. Sarah is noted as popular when grown as a dwarf (Budd & Hansen).
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium size. Downing and Budd & Hansen describe the form as roundish obovate pyriform; Hedrick describes it as globular-obovate-pyriform.
Stem: Medium length, a little inclined (Downing) / somewhat inclined (Budd & Hansen), set in a slight depression formed by a ring or lip.
Cavity: Not described in sources beyond the ring or lip depression at the stem.
Calyx: Partially closed; segments short, erect (Downing).
Basin: Shallow, uneven.
Skin: Downing describes the ground color as pale greenish yellow; Hedrick and Budd & Hansen describe it as greenish yellow without "pale." All sources agree the surface is partially netted and patched with russet (Downing, Hedrick) — Budd & Hansen describe the russet as netted and clouded rather than patched. The surface is thickly sprinkled with brown dots (Downing, Hedrick) / sprinkled with brown dots (Budd & Hansen).
Flesh and Flavor: White, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, rich, aromatic. Rated very good. All three sources are in full agreement on this description.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
October.
Uses
Not described in sources beyond the quality rating of very good.
Subtypes/Variants
Sarah is noted as popular when grown as a dwarf (Budd & Hansen).
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Sarah.
Raised by Thaddeus Clapp, Dorchester, Mass. Tree of an erect habit, hardy, healthy, and productive. Young wood rich olive yellow brown.
Fruit medium size, roundish obovate pyriform. Skin pale greenish yellow, partially netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with brown dots. Stalk medium, a little inclined, set with a slight depression by a ring or lip. Calyx partially closed. Segments short, erect. Basin shallow, uneven. Flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, rich, aromatic. Very good. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Sarah. 1. Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 37. 1867. Raised by Thaddeus Clapp of Dorchester, Mass. It was exhibited at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's rooms in 1867. Fruit medium size, globular-obovate-pyriform, greenish-yellow, partially netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with brown dots; flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, rich, aromatic; very good; Oct.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Sarah.—Medium, roundish obovate pyriform; color greenish yellow, netted and clouded with russet and sprinkled with brown dots; stem medium, somewhat inclined, set in slight depression by ring or lip; basin shallow, uneven. Flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, rich, aromatic, very good. Popular as a dwarf. Massachusetts.