Vermont Beauty

VERMONT BEAUTY

1. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 65. 1889. 2. Ibid. 176. 1890. 3. Ibid. 134. 1891. 4. Can. Hort. 16:184. 1893. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 37. 1899. 6. Ellwanger & Barry Cat. 18. 1900. 7. Budd-Hansen Am. Hort. Man. 2:267. 1903.

The fruits of Vermont Beauty elicit praise from all who see or taste them. The bright-cheeked pears are as alluring to the eye as those of any other, and are almost as delectable as those of Seckel, which they resemble in shape, but are larger and handsomer. Of all pears, those of this variety (or of Forelle, with which it may be identical) best satisfy the eye for bright color. The crop ripens a little later and keeps longer than that of Seckel, and for these reasons, and because of the handsome appearance, should sell better. The pears will probably be most used to grace the table and for dessert, but the somewhat more sprightly flavor makes them better suited for all culinary purposes than those of Seckel. The trees are scarcely less satisfactory than the fruits. They are preëminent among their kind by virtue of large size, rapidity of growth, productivity, and hardiness, the region from which the variety came bespeaking greater hardihood to cold than that possessed by the average variety. The trees rejoice in vigor and health as do those of almost no other variety, and while hardly as productive as those of Seckel, yet because of greater size the pears fill the basket nearly as quickly. Vermont Beauty is one of the best of the pears of its season, and deserves a place in the orchards of the country for home and market.

Vermont Beauty is supposed to have originated in the nursery of Benjamin Macomber, Grand Isle, Vermont, more than forty years ago. Macomber maintained a small nursery, and this pear was one of several hundreds planted for stock. The tree was budded in the usual manner, but the bud failed to grow, and the original tree was allowed to stand without another budding. After the variety fruited, it attracted so much attention that Macomber propagated it. Later, it was introduced by W. P. Rupert and Son, Seneca, New York. The American Pomological Society, recognizing its worth, added the variety to its fruit-catalog in 1899. There has long been doubt in the minds of the writers as to whether Vermont Beauty is distinct from Forelle. Careful comparison has been made of the fruit- and tree-characters of the two sorts, and it is found that they are so closely allied as to be indistinguishable. It is possible that a tree of the old German pear may have found its way into Macomber's nursery and received the new name.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy, productive; trunk stocky, shaggy; branches zigzag, reddish-brown, thinly overspread with gray scarf-skin, with numerous large lenticels; branchlets very thick, long, reddish-brown mingled with green, thickly covered with ash-gray scarf-skin near the tips, smooth, glabrous except near the ends of the new growth, sprinkled with numerous small, roundish, conspicuous, raised lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1½ in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly- or taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous, slender, pinkish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on short spurs; flowers characteristically small, average 1 in. across, in dense clusters, about 6 buds in a cluster, the petals unusually small; pedicels ⅝ in. long, slender, pubescent.

Fruit ripe in late October and November; medium in size, 2½ in. long, 2 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform, symmetrical; stem ½ in. long, curved; cavity extremely small or lacking, the flesh folded up around the base of the stem, occasionally lipped; calyx small, open; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, smooth or with slight russet markings; color clear pale lemon-yellow, with a broad and brilliantly blushed cheek, fading at the sides into pinkish-red dots; dots numerous, very small, light russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, granular at the center but fine-grained near the skin, tender and melting, very juicy, with a rich, vinous flavor; quality very good. Core closed, axile, with meeting core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute.

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

Vermont Beauty.* Medium, obovate, yellow, bright carmine cheek, russeted; flesh rich and juicy, sweet, very good. Ripens after Seckel. Very hardy. Vermont.

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

A good, smooth grained pear of Highland quality and splendid keeping qualities. It develops fine color and has a rich, pear-like taste. A good shipper. Tree is very vigorous and comparatively free from blight. We have never failed in a good season, the fruit often hangs four or five years without growing weak or losing its character.

— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)