'?02 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sometimes reflexed; eyje large, usually open; skin thick, tenacious; 

 core medium, oblate conical, open, clasping; seeds numerous, plump, 

 brown; flesh yellowish, moderately fine, breaking, juicy; flavor sub- 

 acid, pleasant; quality good to very good. Season, October to Janu- 

 ary in Ohio and Indiana, keeping well in cold storage. 



The tree is a stocky grower, making a rather upright head, and is a 

 regular bearer of good crops. 



The specimen illustrated was grown by Mr. D. C. Boring, of Thorn- 



ville, Ohio. 



ROSSNEY PEAR. 



[PLATE LIL] - 



It is a noticeable fact that a much larger proportion of pear than of 

 apple varieties that have attained important commercial rank in 

 America are of European origin. In fact, outside of American 

 varieties of the Oriental class, such as Le Con^e, Kieffer, and Garber, 

 very few American pears have become important in a commercial 

 way. One of the most promising recent candidates for favor in this 

 respect is the Rossney. According to the introducers, this variety 

 originated in Salt Lake City, Utah, from a mixed lot of Winter Nelis 

 and Bartlett seed planted for stocks by William Woodberry in 1881 

 or 1882. The peculiarly strong and vigorous growth of one of the 

 trees and the distinctness of its foliage and wood caused the owner to 

 save it when the rest of the seedlings were budded. It bore its first 

 fruit at the age of 5 years and was propagated from in a small way 

 by the owner shortly thereafter for his own planting under the name 

 " Woodberry Seedling." The original tree was sold by Mr. Wood- 

 berry in 1891 to the Pioneer Nurseries Company of Salt Lake City, 

 Utah, who named the variety "Rossney" in honor of Mr. William E. 

 Rossney, of Bloomington, 111., and introduced it in 1898. From 

 observation of its behavior in several States since that time it-is con- 

 sidered a promising variety for the commercial planter throughout the 

 Northern and Middle States where Bartlett and similar varieties succeed. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form oval py riform, somewhat angular and ribbed toward the apex; 

 size large, surface undulating and somewhat un ven; color golden yel- 

 low, blushed with scarlet and thinly overspread with a bluish white 

 bloom; dots numerous, minute, russet, indented; cavity regular, of 

 medium slope and depth; stem rather long, moderately stout; basin 

 regular, small, abrupt, shallow; eye small, closed; skin thin, tenacious; 

 core oval, medium in size, meeting the eye; seeds few, mall, brown; 

 flesh yellowish, buttery, juicy; flavor mild subacid; quality good to 

 very good. Season about ten days later than Bartlett. 



The original tree is a strong and vigorous grower, erect in habit, 

 and thus far free from blight, and the young trees now in orchards 



