Washington

Origin/History

Washington is an American pear, native to Delaware. It was discovered in a thorn hedge at Naaman's Creek, Delaware, about 1801, on the estate of Colonel Robinson (also given as General Robertson or Robinson, the owner of the land), and is said to have been named by him in honor of his friend and commander, George Washington (Hedrick). Downing similarly records it as discovered in a thorn hedge near Naaman's Creek, on the estate of Colonel Robinson. Earliest publications cited by Hedrick include Kenrick's American Orchardist (1832), Magazine of Horticulture 10:296, fig. (1844), and New England Farmer 7:259 (1830). It is described as one of the most attractive and distinct of the native American dessert pears (Downing).

Tree

Tree of healthy, moderate growth (Elliott); vigorous, not large, an abundant bearer (Hedrick); growth vigorous (Thomas); an annual bearer (Elliott). Young shoots slender, diverging, reddish yellow brown (Downing); slender, diverging, reddish brown (Elliott); shoots brown speckled, straight, erect, and diverging (Thomas).

Fruit

Size: Medium.

Form: Sources give varying but related forms: roundish ovate, or ovate pyriform (Elliott); oval obovate, regularly formed (Downing); oblong-obovate, obtuse, sometimes slightly obtuse-pyriform (Thomas); oval or obovate, regular (Budd & Hansen); obovate, ending very obtusely at the stem, regular (Hedrick). Fruit always fair, but varies in size and form (Thomas).

Stem/Stalk: Elliott gives stem an inch long, inserted in a narrow cavity, sometimes almost obsolete, and then there is a fleshy lip on one side of the stem. Downing gives stalk about an inch and a half long, inserted even with the surface, or with a slight depression. Thomas gives stalk an inch and a fourth long, slightly sunk. Budd & Hansen give stalk one and one-half inches long, inserted in very slight depression. Hedrick gives stem an inch and a half long, inserted in a slight depression.

Cavity: Narrow, sometimes almost obsolete, with a fleshy lip on one side of the stem in such cases (Elliott); otherwise the stem is inserted even with the surface or in a slight/very slight depression (Downing, Thomas, Budd & Hansen, Hedrick).

Calyx: Small, with long pointed segments (Elliott); small, partly closed (Downing, Thomas, Hedrick).

Basin: Round, regular (Elliott); shallow (Downing, Thomas, Hedrick).

Skin: Smooth surface. Color lemon yellow / clear lemon yellow / clear yellow, tinged in the sun with red and reddish russet, with patches of clear russet near the stem (Elliott); clear lemon yellow with a sprinkling of reddish dots on the sunny side (Downing); clear yellow, handsomely marked with conspicuous red dots on the sunny side, slightly russeted round the stalk (Thomas); lemon yellow, with reddish dots where exposed (Budd & Hansen); clear yellow with a sprinkling of reddish dots on the sunny side (Hedrick).

Flesh/Flavor: Flesh white, juicy, sweet (Elliott); white, very juicy, melting, sweet, and agreeable — "very good" (Downing, Hedrick); very juicy, melting, slightly breaking, with a rich, unusually sweet, perfumed, excellent flavor (Thomas); white, juicy, melting, sweet, very good (Budd & Hansen). Esteemed most by those who like a very sweet flavor (Thomas).

Core/Seeds: Core rather small, lying near the apex; seeds obovate pyriform, blackish (Elliott). Other sources do not describe the core or seeds.

Season

September — middle of September (Downing); early in autumn (Thomas); September (Elliott, Budd & Hansen, Hedrick).

Uses

Dessert pear — described as one of the most attractive and distinct of the native American dessert pears (Downing). Much grown east of the lakes (Budd & Hansen).

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.