Washington
Pear
Stark Bros. Year Book (1910)
Washington Pear
Origin/History
Discovered in a thorn hedge at Naaman's Creek, Delaware, about 1801, by General Robertson (or Robinson), the owner of the land, who named it in honor of his friend and commander, George Washington. The variety is also known in early literature under the name Robertson. An American native of Delaware.
Tree
Sources differ slightly on vigor: Hedrick describes the tree as vigorous but not large, an abundant bearer; Elliott characterizes it as of healthy, moderate growth, an annual bearer; Thomas agrees it is vigorous. Elliott specifies slender, diverging, reddish brown shoots. Thomas describes the shoots as brown speckled, straight, erect, and diverging.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium in size. Sources vary somewhat in form description: Hedrick gives obovate, ending very obtusely at the stem, regular and smooth; Elliott gives roundish ovate, or ovate pyriform; Thomas gives oblong-obovate, obtuse, sometimes slightly obtuse-pyriform, surface smooth. Thomas notes the fruit varies in size and form.
Stem: Sources differ on stem length: Hedrick gives one and a half inches; Thomas gives one and a fourth inches; Elliott gives one inch. Hedrick describes the stem as inserted in a slight depression. Elliott describes the cavity as narrow, sometimes almost obsolete, in which case a fleshy lip forms on one side of the stem. Thomas describes the stem as slightly sunk.
Calyx: Small. Hedrick and Thomas both describe it as partly closed; Elliott describes the calyx segments as small and long-pointed.
Basin: Shallow (Hedrick, Thomas). Elliott describes the basin as round and regular.
Skin: Clear yellow (Hedrick, Thomas) or lemon yellow (Elliott). On the sunny side, Hedrick and Thomas describe a sprinkling or handsome marking of conspicuous reddish or red dots. Elliott adds that the sunny side is tinged with red and reddish russet, with patches of clear russet near the stem. Thomas notes the area around the stalk is slightly russeted.
Flesh and Flavor: White (Hedrick, Elliott), very juicy and melting (Hedrick, Thomas). Thomas adds that the flesh is slightly breaking. All sources agree the flavor is sweet. Hedrick describes it as sweet and agreeable, rating it very good. Thomas describes the flavor as rich, unusually sweet, perfumed, and excellent. Thomas notes the variety is esteemed most by those who prefer a very sweet flavor.
Core and Seeds: Elliott only: core rather small, lying near the apex; seeds obovate pyriform, blackish.
Season
September (Hedrick, Elliott). Thomas gives early in autumn.
Uses
Dessert. Thomas notes the fruit is always fair in appearance. Esteemed particularly by those who favor a very sweet flavor.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1893–1904) from Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington
- Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
- Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
- Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
- North-Western Nurseries , Walla Walla , Washington
View original book sources (3)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Washington. I. Kenrick Am. Orch. 187. 1832. 2. Mag. Hort. 10:296, fig. 1844. Robertson. 3. N. E. Farmer 7:259. 1830. Discovered in a thorn hedge at Naaman's Creek, Del., about 1801, by General Robertson or Robinson, the owner of the land, and said to have been named by him in honor of his friend and commander, George Washington. Tree vigorous, not large, an abundant bearer. Fruit medium, obovate, ending very obtusely at the stem, regular, smooth, clear yellow with a sprinkling of reddish dots on the sunny side; stem an inch and a half long, inserted in a slight depression; calyx small, partly closed, set in a shallow basin; flesh white, very juicy, melting, sweet, agreeable; very good; Sept.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Washington
Robertson.
American: native of Delaware. Tree of healthy, moderate growth, with slender, diverging, reddish brown shoots; an annual bearer.
Fruit, medium, roundish ovate, or ovate pyriform; color, lemon yellow, tinged in sun with red and reddish russet, and, near the stem, patches of clear russet; stem, an inch long, inserted in a narrow cavity, sometimes almost obsolete, and then there is a fleshy lip one side of stem; calyx, small, long pointed segments; basin, round, regular; core, rather small, lying near the apex; seeds, obovate pyriform, blackish; flesh, white, juicy, sweet. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Washington.* Medium in size, oblong-obovate, obtuse, sometimes slightly obtuse-pyriform; surface smooth, clear yellow, handsomely marked with conspicuous red dots on the sunny side, slightly russeted round the stalk, which is an inch and a fourth long, and slightly sunk; calyx small, partly closed, basin shallow; flesh very juicy, melting, slightly breaking, with a rich, unusually sweet, perfumed, excellent flavor. Early in autumn. Growth vigorous, shoots brown speckled, straight, erect, and diverging. Fruit always fair, but varies in size and form—esteemed most by those who like a very sweet flavor. Delaware.