THE SHELDON PEAR. 



Sheldon. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xvii. 1851. 



Among all the American pears that have been 

 introduced to notice, during the last twenty years, 

 few, if any, will take a higher rank than the Sheldon. 

 It possesses all the characteristics of a fine variety ; 

 the fruit is of large size, frequently weighing nearly a 

 pound each, and is prepossessing in its appearance, 

 having a handsome russety skin, with a ruddy cheek : 

 its flesh is exceedingly melting and juicy, and its fla- 

 vor rich, highly aromatized, and luscious : the tree is- 

 a vigorous gTower, with an erect and symmetrical 

 habit, and produces regular and abundant crops. Al- 

 together it, must be considered one of the very finest of our native pears. 

 The Sheldon was first brought to the notice of cultivators by Mr. E. 

 L. Leavenworth, of AVolcott, Wayne Co., N. Y., who first exhibited 

 specimens of the fruit at the Pomological Convention in Buffalo, in 

 1849 ; and to that gentleman the pubhc are indebted for a full history 

 of its origin, which appeared in the Magazine of Horticulture, the sub- 

 stance of which is as follows : — 



Major Sheldon's father brought pear seeds from Washington, Dutch- 

 ess Co., New York, between thirty and forty years since, and planted 

 them on the place where Maj. Sheldon now lives, in the town of Huron, 

 (then Wolcott), N. Y. ; from these seeds the trees were raised which 

 bear the pears known as the Sheldon. The seeds brought from Dutch- 

 ess County were from pears which grew on a grafted tree, (name not 

 known,) but were introduced there by an Englishman of the name of 

 Johnson, and Maj. Sheldon thinks he brought them with him from 

 England; but Norman Sheldon, an older brother, thinks they were 

 procured in Boston. The trees, of which there are several, were in 

 1850, when Mr. Leavenworth sent us this statement, of large size, and 

 bore several bushels of fruit. Through the kindness of Mr. Leaven- 

 worth, we obtained scions from the original tree, and our beautiful draw- 

 ing is made from specimens the produce of these scions, inserted in 1851. 

 The Sheldon is a moderately vigorous tree, with an erect habit, 

 branching rather symmetrically, somewhat resembling the White Doy- 

 enne. It bears freely on trees not more than four or fi.ve years old. 

 We beheve it does not succeed well upon the quince, though there has 

 not been sujQ&cient time to give it a trial. 



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