194 



THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 



Tree large, vigorous, upright, very tall, dense-topped, hardy, productive, long-lived; 

 trunk stocky; branches slightly zigzag, reddish-brown mingled with very dark grayish scarf- 

 skin, with numerous raised lenticels; branchlets slender, long, dark reddish-brown, nearly 

 smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised lenticels. 



Leaf -buds pointed, semi-free. Leaves ^ in. long, if in. wide, much curled under at 

 the margins, oval, leathery; apex slightly taper-pointed^ margin glandless, finely serrate; 

 petiole 15 in. long, slender. Flower-buds small, conical or pointed, free; flowers with a 

 disagreeable odor, i| in., across, white or tinged with pink along the edge of the petals, 

 averaging 6 buds in a cluster; pedicels ij in. long, slender, pubescent, light green. 



Fruit matures in October; medium to large, 25 in. long, 2\ in. wide, uniform in size 

 and shape, oblong-pyriform, somewhat irregular, with unequal sides; stem i in. long, slender, 

 usually curved; cavity obtuse, very shallow and very narrow, furrowed and wrinkled, 

 often lipped, the flesh folded up around the stem; calyx open, large; lobes broad, acute; 

 basin obtuse, furrowed and uneven; skin granular, smooth; color pale yellow t mark'ed on 

 the exposed cheek with a dull red blush and with streaks of russet; dots numerous, small, 

 grayish or russet, conspicuous; fruit yellowish-white, somewhat granular, tender and melt- 

 ing, very juicy, sweet and vinous, aromatic, rich; quality very good. Core closed, with 

 clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute. 



LUCY DUKE 



i. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 153. 1885. a. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 65. 1889. 3. Van Lindley Cat. 

 22, PI 1892. 4. N. Y. Sta. Bui. 364:182. 1913. 



Why Lucy Duke is neglected is hard to see. Tree and fruit are highly 

 praised. Charles Downing thought the pear " not quite so fine as a 

 first-class Seckel, but I must aver it is not far behind." The pear has a 

 rich, juicy, spicy, melting flesh that makes it one of the best. In form, 

 the fruits resemble those of Bartlett, which is probably one of the parents; 

 they are of but medium size, but are of a beautiful golden-russet color, 

 which makes them as handsome as the handsomest. The skin is thick and 

 the pears stand shipping well. The variety can be recommended for home 

 and local markets, but the trees are a little too unproductive and too 

 irregular in bearing for commercial orchards. The tree is hardy but only 

 moderately vigorous and resembles Winter Nelis, supposed to be the other 

 parent, in habit of growth. The variety is relatively free from blight. 



Lucy Duke was grown about 1880 by Mrs. Lucy Duke, Beaufort 

 County, North Carolina, from seed of a Bartlett pear which she had 

 received from California. Its tree-characters are so nearly like those of 

 Winter Nelis that the other parent is supposed to be that variety. Lucy 

 Duke was introduced about 1892 by J. Van Lindley, Pomona, North 

 Carolina. 



