Zoar Beauty
PearOrigin/History
Originated at Zoar, Ohio. An American native variety. First documented references include the Magazine of Horticulture (1847) and Elliott's Fruit Book (1854), where it was also known as Zoar Seedling and Belle de Zoar.
Tree
Vigorous grower. Shoots dark brown. An early and abundant bearer.
Fruit
Size: Medium or below (Downing, Hedrick, Thomas), or a little below medium (Elliott).
Form: Acute pyriform (Downing, Hedrick), though Elliott notes the form is variable: "varying in form, usually as seen in our engraving." Thomas describes it simply as pyriform.
Stem: Long, curved, slender, fleshy at insertion, often by a ring or lip, set in a small cavity (Hedrick) or simply a cavity (Downing). Elliott describes the stem as generally long, slender, curved, plaited, with a slight depression on one side.
Cavity: Small (Hedrick). Elliott describes a slight depression on one side of the stem rather than a distinct cavity.
Calyx: Large for the size of the fruit (Hedrick, Elliott), open (Downing, Hedrick). Segments erect, sometimes recurved (Downing); lobes erect or recurved (Hedrick).
Basin: Shallow (Elliott). Not described by other sources.
Skin: Light yellow (Hedrick, Elliott, Thomas) or yellow (Downing), with a beautiful crimson or carmine cheek in the sun (Downing, Hedrick) or red in the sun (Elliott, Thomas). Thickly dotted with minute green dots (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes greenish spots and deep red spots; Hedrick also notes deep red dots in addition to the green dots.
Flesh/Flavor: White (Downing, Hedrick) or yellowish white and a little coarse (Elliott). Granular, half breaking (Downing, Hedrick); Thomas describes it as partly melting. Moderately juicy (Downing, Hedrick) or juicy (Elliott). Sweet, aromatic, perfumed (Downing); sweet, aromatic (Hedrick); sweet (Elliott, Thomas). Thomas rates it moderately good; Downing and Hedrick rate it "good." Unless gathered early it rots at the core (Downing, Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Core medium; seeds obovate or broad ovate (Elliott). Not described by other sources.
Season
Early August.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)ZOAR BEAUTY.
Zoar Seedling.
A native of Ohio. Tree vigorous, dark brown shoots, an early and abundant bearer.
Fruit medium, acute pyriform. Skin yellow, with a beautiful crimson or carmine cheek in sun, thickly dotted with minute green dots. Stalk long, curved, fleshy at insertion, often by a ring or lip, in a cavity. Calyx open. Segments erect, sometimes recurved. Flesh white, granular, half breaking, moderately juicy, sweet, aromatic, perfumed. Unless gathered early it rots at core. Good. Early August.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Zoar Beauty.
- Mag. Hort. 13:110. 1847.
- Elliott Fr. Book 347, fig. 1854. Belle de Zoar.
- Guide Prat. 112, 234. 1876.
Originated at Zoar, Ohio. Tree vigorous, an early and abundant bearer; shoots dark brown. Fruit medium or below, acute-pyriform, light yellow, thickly dotted with minute green dots, beautiful crimson or carmine in the sun with deep red dots; stem long, curved, slender, fleshy at insertion, often by a ring or lip, in a small cavity; calyx large for size of fruit, open; lobes erect or recurved; flesh white, granular, half breaking, moderately juicy, sweet, aromatic; good; early Aug.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Zoar Beauty.
Zoar Seedling.
American : native of Ohio Tree, vigorous grower ; dark brown shoots ; early and abundant bearer.
Fruit, a little below medium, varying in form, usually as seen in our engraving ; color, light yellow, with greenish spots, red in the sun, with deep red spots ; stem, generally long, slender, curved, plaited, with slight depression one side ; calyx, large, for size of fruit ; basin, shallow ; core, medium ; seeds, obovate, or broad ovate ; flesh, yellowish white, a little coarse, juicy, sweet. Early August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Zoar Beauty. Medium, pyriform, light yellow, with a red cheek; partly melting, sweet; moderately good—rots at core. August. Ohio.