Wilmington
PearWilmington
Origin / History
A seedling of Passe Colmar, raised by Dr. Brinckle of Philadelphia. Hedrick specifies that it was raised in 1847 and first fruited in 1855, with early references appearing in the American Pomological Society Report (1856) and the Horticulturist (1857). Thomas associates the variety with Philadelphia.
Tree
Tree a moderate grower; Hedrick adds that it is a late bearer. Young wood dull yellowish-brown (Downing, Hedrick).
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Obtuse pyriform, somewhat compressed at the sides, sometimes roundish obovate (Elliott); obovate obtuse pyriform (Downing); pyriform, approaching obovate (Thomas); obtuse-pyriform to roundish-ovate (Hedrick).
Stem: Elliott describes the stem as somewhat variable in length, obliquely inserted in a small cavity, sometimes without depression. Downing describes the stalk as long, set in a small cavity, often by a lip. Hedrick describes the stem as long, curved, inserted obliquely in a small cavity, often by a lip.
Cavity: Small (Elliott, Downing, Hedrick); slight, often none (Thomas); sometimes without depression (Elliott).
Calyx: Medium, with short, erect segments (Elliott); open, segments persistent (Downing); medium, open (Hedrick).
Basin: Rather large, sometimes slightly furrowed (Elliott); shallow, uneven (Downing); rather large (Thomas); wide, moderately deep (Hedrick).
Skin: Cinnamon russet, with patches of greenish yellow on the shaded side, and sometimes faint traces of carmine on the part exposed to the sun, with occasionally a number of black dots encircled by a carmine margin (Elliott); greenish yellow, netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots (Downing); cinnamon russet on yellow ground (Thomas); greenish-yellow, netted and patched with russet, thickly sprinkled with russet dots (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor: Fine, melting and buttery; flavor rich and saccharine, with the delicious aroma of the Passe Colmar; quality "best" (Elliott). Whitish green, juicy, buttery, melting, sweet, pleasant, slightly aromatic; quality good to very good (Downing, Hedrick). Fine, melting, buttery, rich, aromatic (Thomas).
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas references Fig. 658 in association with the variety.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Wilmington.
A seedling of Passe Colmar, raised by Dr. Brinckle, of Philadelphia. Fruit, medium, obtuse pyriform, somewhat compressed at the sides, sometimes roundish obovate ; skin, cinnamon russet, with patches of greenish yellow on the shaded side, and sometimes faint traces of carmine on the part exposed to the sun, with occasionally a number of black dots encircled by a carmine margin; stem, somewhat variable in length, obliquely inserted in a small cavity, sometimes without depression ; calyx, medium, with short, erect, segments, set in a rather large, sometimes slightly furrowed basin ; flesh, fine, melting and buttery ; flavor, rich and saccharine, with the delicious aroma of the Passe Colmar : "best." September. (W. D. B.)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Wilmington.
A seedling of Passe Colmar, raised by Dr. Brinckle, of Philadelphia. Tree a moderate grower. Young wood dull yellow brown.
Fruit medium, obovate obtuse pyriform. Skin greenish yellow, netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk long, set in a small cavity, often by a lip. Calyx open. Segments persistent. Basin shallow, uneven. Flesh whitish green, juicy, buttery, melting, sweet, pleasant, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Wilmington. Medium, pyriform, approaching obovate; cinnamon russet on yellow ground; cavity slight, often none; basin rather large; flesh fine, melting, buttery, rich, aromatic. September. Philadelphia. Fig. 658.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Wilmington.
- Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 90. 1856. 2. Horticulturist 12:111, fig. 1857. This is a seedling of Passe Colmar, raised in 1847 by Dr. Brinckle of Philadelphia, and first fruited in 1855. Tree a moderate grower, late bearer; young wood dull yellowish-brown. Fruit medium, obtuse-pyriform to roundish-ovate, greenish-yellow, netted and patched with russet, thickly sprinkled with russet dots; stem long, curved, inserted obliquely in a small cavity, often by a lip; calyx medium, open, set in a wide, moderately deep basin; flesh whitish green, juicy, buttery, melting, sweet, pleasant, slightly aromatic; good to very good; Sept.