THE COLUMBIA PEAR. 



Columbia. Kenrick's American Orchardist. 



Columbian Virgoulouse, Mag. of Hort. vol. ix. 



The Columbia pear has not, we believe, been fully 

 appreciated. It is now nearly twenty years since it 

 was first introduced to notice, and it is yet only culti- 

 vated to a limited extent. When all its qualities are 

 considered, it must rank among our most popular vari- 

 eties. The fruit is of tlie largest size, with a cleai^ 

 yellow skin when mature, handsome and prepossessing 

 in appearance, and keeps even as late as February. 

 Though not so high flavored as the Glout Morceau or 

 Winter Nelis, it is melting, juicy, and excellent. The 

 tree is a vigorous and healthy grower, bearing the most abundant 

 crops, and has that good characteristic of being a native fruit. 



The Columbia was introduced to notice by Messrs. Bloodgood & Co., 

 Flushing, L. I., who sent the fruit to the Mass. Hort. Society, in De- 

 cember, 1835, accompanied with a letter giving a brief history of the pear. 

 In this letter, which was published in the Mag. of Hort., (vol. ii. p. 37,) 

 it is stated that " the original tree was a seedling, about fifteen inches in 

 diameter. It was upon a farm belonging to Mr. Cusser, in Westchester 

 County, thirteen miles from the city of New York. Messrs. Bloodgood 

 & Co. saw the tree, and also a grafted one from the original, four inches 

 in diameter, which produced that year (1835) four bushels of pears." 



The exceMence of the specimens induced many amateurs to add the 

 Columbia to their collections, and the variety was much sought after. 

 But owing to its tardiness in coming into bearing, and probably its ordi- 

 nary cultivation, it has latterly been somewhat neglected. We think, 

 liowever, it will yet become a very popular pear. 



The Columbia is a strong though not a rapid grower. It has an up- 

 right habit, forming a pyramidal head. It is slow in coming into fruit, 

 and does not succeed well upon the quince. 



Tree. — Moderately vigorous, upright, making only a few lateral 

 branches, which diverge at first, but are erect at the ends ; annual 

 shoots stout, of moderate length. 



Wood. — Light brownish olive, dotted with small whitish specks, stout 

 and rather long-jointed; old wood, dull grayish olive; buds, large, long, 

 sharply pointed, diverging, with prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, 

 small, sharply pointed. 



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