Thompson (N. H.)
PearThompson (N. H.)
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — the Elliott (1865), Downing (1900), Thomas (1903), and Bunyard (1920) entries all describe a different pear called "Thompson's," a foreign variety raised by Van Mons and named after Robert Thompson of the London Horticultural Society. That variety is distinct from Thompson (N. H.), which originated on Judge Thompson's farm in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as documented by Hedrick. Only the Hedrick source is used below; details from the other sources are not transferable.]
Origin/History
Originated on the farm of Judge Thompson, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Hedrick). Earliest references cited by Hedrick are Kenrick's American Orchardist (1833) and the Magazine of Horticulture 3:51 (1837).
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Medium to below medium (Hedrick). Form: Turbinate (Hedrick). Stem: Not described in source. Cavity: Not described in source. Calyx: Not described in source. Basin: Not described in source. Skin: Quite russeted (Hedrick). Flesh/Flavor: Not described in source. Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Noted as a long keeper by those in the vicinity of its origin (Hedrick).
Uses
"Esteemed for its extraordinary productiveness and long keeping" by those in the vicinity of its origin, but regarded by R. Manning of Salem, Massachusetts, as "unfit for cultivation" (Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Thompson
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as Thompson's
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Thompson's
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Thompson's
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897 — listed as Thompson's
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Thompson's
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Thompson
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Thompson's
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Thompson's
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Thompson's
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Thompson's
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Thompson's.
Foreign. Tree of vigorous, diverging habit; young wood, yellowish olive, with grayish specks; bears on the Pear about the sixth year.
Fruit, large, obovate obtuse pyriform, surface uneven; color, lemon yellow, with brownish red cheek in sun, some russet dots and marblings, and russet at the stem; stem, short, usually planted or set on angularly, with a fleshy rim one side; calyx, with connected half-closed segments, basin, round, narrow, abrupt; core, medium; capsules and seeds, formed like the fruit; flesh, white, buttery, melting, sugary, slightly aromatic. October to November.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Thompson's.
This Pear, received by us from the Horticultural Society of London, was named in honor of Mr. Robert Thompson, the head of the fruit department in the Society's garden, to whose pomological acumen the horticultural world is so largely indebted. Tree vigorous and productive. Fruit variable. Young wood reddish yellow brown.
Fruit of medium size, obovate pyriform, slightly irregular in surface. Skin pale lemon yellow, with a few small russety dots and patches and streaks. Stalk pretty stout, an inch or more long, inserted in a blunt, uneven cavity. Calyx open, stiff, often without divisions. Basin abrupt, uneven. Flesh white, buttery, melting, sugary, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. October and November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Thompson. Medium in size, obovate, slightly pyriform; yellow, slightly russeted; stalk an inch long, or less, stout; calyx stiff, scarcely cut; buttery, melting, and fine flavored. Late autumn.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)THOMPSON'S. Her. Pom., II., 34. G. Die Thompsons. (Van Mons, Vlesembeek.) Dessert, October to November, fairly large, 3½ by 4, oval pyriform, very uneven and bossed. Skin, rough. Colour, pale golden yellow with much russet marbling. Flesh, white, very melting and buttery, very delicious. Eye, open in a fairly deep basin. Stem, short, and stout, generally with a fleshy fold at insertion. Growth, upright spreading; fertility moderate. Leaf, narrow oval, little undulating, sharply serrate, turns pale claret red. Origin, raised by Van Mons and sent to England about 1820 without a name. Sabine, then secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, named it after Robert Thompson, then fruit foreman at Chiswick. This delicious fruit should be in all collections and worthily commemorates the name of our greatest pomologist. It does best on the pear stock.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Thompson (N. H.). 1. Kenrick Am. Orch. 198. 1833. 2. Mag. Hort. 3:51. 1837. Originated on the farm of Judge Thompson, Portsmouth, N. H. Fruit medium to below, turbinate, quite russeted; "esteemed for its extraordinary productiveness and long keeping" by those in the vicinity of its origin but regarded by R. Manning, Salem, Mass., as "unfit for cultivation."