Upper Crust

Pear

Origin/History

A seedling from South Carolina, introduced by Col. Wm. Sumner of Pomaria, S.C., in 1849 (Hedrick). First noticed in the Horticulturist (vol. 4, p. 276, 1849).

Tree

Pyramidal, with "switchey" limbs and gray bark (Hedrick). Healthy, moderate grower; branches slender, forming a pyriform head (Elliott).

Fruit

Size: Below medium (Downing, Hedrick). Rather small (Thomas). Elliott compares the size to Dearborn Seedling.

Form: Roundish (Downing, Hedrick). Obovate (Thomas). Elliott compares the shape to Dearborn Seedling.

Skin: Green to greenish, covered with distinct, irregular patches or blotches of russet. Downing also notes dots of russet in addition to the patches. Thomas describes it simply as partly russeted.

Stem: Rather short and stout.

Cavity: Broad, shallow.

Calyx: Large, open.

Basin: Not described in source.

Flesh/Flavor: Sources sharply disagree. Downing (1900) and Hedrick (1921) describe the flesh as granular, not juicy, rotting at the core, and rate the quality as "poor." Elliott (1865), however, describes the flesh as buttery and melting, rating it "very good" if not "best," crediting this assessment to Wm. Sumner writing in the Horticulturist. Thomas (1903) also describes it as buttery and melting, rating it "very good," but adds the important qualifier that it is "not good North."

Core/Seeds: Rots at core (Downing, Hedrick).

Season

July at the South (Elliott, Thomas). August (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas states explicitly that the fruit is "not good North," which may account for the conflicting quality assessments — the pear may perform well only in southern climates where it ripens in July, deteriorating when grown further north and ripening later in August.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Upper Crust.

A seedling of South Carolina, and introduced by Colonel Sumner. Fruit below medium, roundish. Skin greenish, covered with dots and patches of russet. Stalk rather short and stout. Cavity broad, shallow. Calyx large, open. Flesh granular, not juicy, rots at core. Poor. August.

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

Upper Crust,

Horticulturist 4:276. 1849.

Downing Fr. Trees Am. 870. 1869. A seedling introduced by Col. Wm. Sumner, Pomaria, S. C., in 1849. Tree pyramidal, with "switchey" limbs and gray bark. Fruit below medium, roundish, green, covered with distinct, irregular, russet patches; stalk rather short, stout; cavity broad, shallow; calyx large, open; flesh granular, not juicy, rots at core; poor; Aug.

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

Upper Crust. American. Native of South Carolina. Tree, healthy, moderate grower ; branches, slender, forming a pyriform head. Fruit, size and shape of Dearborn Seedling, green, with distinct irregular russet blotches ; flesh, buttery, melting : " very good," if not " best." July. (Wm. Sumner, in Hort.)

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

Upper Crust. Rather small, obovate, green, partly russeted; buttery, melting; very good. July at the South—not good North.

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