Tillington
PearOrigin/History
Raised in the village of Tillington, near Hereford, England. A seedling pear raised from a seed of the Autumn Bergamot impregnated with the pollen of the Jargonelle (Hedrick, citing Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc. 4:521, 1822). First exhibited by Thomas Andrew Knight before the London Horticultural Society in 1820 (Downing, Hedrick).
Tree
Hardy and productive.
Fruit
Size: About medium (Herefordshire Pomona, Downing, Hedrick). Thomas describes it as small.
Form: Short pyriform, rather uneven in its outline (Herefordshire Pomona); short pyriform (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas describes it as obovate.
Stem: Short, fleshy, and wasted at its insertion (Herefordshire Pomona); short (Downing, Hedrick).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Eye open, scarcely at all depressed (Herefordshire Pomona); calyx open (Downing, Hedrick).
Basin: Scarcely at all depressed (Herefordshire Pomona).
Skin: Smooth, greenish yellow, covered with a number of light-brown russet dots (Herefordshire Pomona); greenish yellow, with light brown russet dots (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas describes the skin as dark green and rough.
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, not very juicy, but brisk and vinous, with a peculiar and fine aroma (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing and Hedrick describe it as yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, not juicy, vinous, aromatic. Thomas describes the flesh as coarse and of moderate quality.
Quality: Good (Downing, Hedrick). The Herefordshire Pomona calls it "an excellent Pear," noting that "the fine sprightly flavour of which contrasts favourably with the luscious sweetness of the Seckle, which comes in just before it." Thomas rates it as moderate quality.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October. The Herefordshire Pomona notes it ripens just after the Seckle.
Uses
Not described in source.
Other
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Thomas's description (small, obovate, dark green, rough, coarse, moderate quality) conflicts sharply with the three other sources, which consistently describe a medium, short-pyriform, greenish-yellow, smooth-skinned, buttery, melting, vinous, aromatic pear rated good to excellent. Thomas may be describing a different variety or working from a different specimen.]
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)Tillington Pear.
Fruit, about medium size; short pyriform, rather uneven in its outline. Skin, smooth, greenish yellow, covered with a number of light-brown russet dots. Eye open, scarcely at all depressed. Stalk, short, fleshy, and wasted at its insertion. Flesh yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, not very juicy, but brisk and vinous, with a peculiar and fine aroma.
Note.—This is an excellent Pear, ripe in October, the fine sprightly flavour of which contrasts favourably with the luscious sweetness of the Seckle, which comes in just before it.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)TILLINGTON.
Raised in the village of Tillington, near Hereford, England, and first exhibited by T. A. Knight, Esq., before the London Horticultural Society, in 1820. Tree hardy and productive.
Fruit medium size, short pyriform, greenish yellow, with light brown russet dots. Stalk short. Calyx open. Flesh yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, not juicy, vinous, aromatic. Good. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Tillington. 1. Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc. 4:521. 1822. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 868. 1869. Exhibited by Thomas Andrew Knight before the London Horticultural Society in 1820 as "a Seedling Pear raised from a seed of the Autumn Bergamot impregnated with the pollen of the Jargonelle." Tree hardy, productive. Fruit medium, short-pyriform, greenish-yellow, with light brown russet dots; stalk short; calyx open; flesh yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, not juicy, vinous, aromatic; good; Oct.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Tillington. Small, obovate, dark green, rough; coarse, of moderate quality. October. English.