DEARBORN 



DEARBORN. Dearborn's Seedling. Once 

 a favorite, Dearborn is now nearly lost to culti- 

 vation. It is too good a variety to be lost, 

 however. The fruits ripen early and are of 

 good quality, though hardly as richly flavored 

 as those of Elizabeth which ripen at the same 

 time. Unfortunately the pears run small, but 

 they are attractive in shape and color. In 

 season, the crop succeeds that of Bloodgood, 

 and precedes that of Bartlett. The trees are 

 almost flawless, and are as well adapted to 

 home orchards where fruits cannot receive the 

 care of skilled hands, as any other pear. Be- 

 sides being almost free from blight, the trees 

 are hardy, vigorous, and very productive. The 

 variety has many valuable qualities for a sum- 

 mer pear in home orchards. This pear was 

 found in 1818 at Roxbury, Massachusetts, near 

 the home of General H. A. S. Dearborn. 



Tree large, vigorous, spreading, tall, rapid-growing, 

 very productive ; branches thick, zigzag, reddish-brown, 

 marked by many reddish-brown lenticels. Leaves 3 

 inches long, 1 % inches wide, thin ; apex obtusely 

 pointed ; margin with very fine dark tips, finely and 

 shallowly serrate; petiole tinged red, 1% inches long, 

 glabrous. Flowers showy, 1*4 inches across, in dense 

 clusters, 9 or 10 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripe in late 

 August ; small, 2 inches long, 2 % inches wide, uniform, 

 roundish-pyriform, with a slight neck, symmetrical, 

 uniform ; stem 1 inch long, slender ; cavity obtuse, shal- 

 low, narrow, thinly russeted, often lipped ; calyx open, 

 large ; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acuminate ; 

 basin very shallow, obtuse, gently furrowed and wrin- 

 kled, symmetrical ; skin thick, very tough, smooth, dull ; 

 color clear pale yellow, with russet specks ; dots numer- 

 ous, small, russet, conspicuous ; flesh white, slightly 

 granular at the center, tender and melting, very juicy, 

 sweet but spicy, aromatic ; quality good ; core large, 

 closed, with clasping core-lines ; calyx-tube short, wide, 

 conical ; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute. 



DIEL: See Beurre Diel. 



DORSET. Late Seckel. Dorset has been 

 on probation for twenty-five years, but its 

 status is not yet decided. The fruits resemble 

 those of Seckel in shape and color, but are 

 larger and come in season later. These ex- 

 ternal resemblances to Seckel have given it 

 the name "Late Seckel," which, however, is a 

 misnomer, as a taste of the two fruits at once 

 makes plain. Dorset is not nearly as richly 

 flavored as Seckel. The tree-characters are 

 very good. Since there are few good late pears 

 to follow Seckel, there may be a place for 

 Dorset. The variety was raised from seed by 

 Lemuel Clapp, Dorchester, Massachusetts, and 

 was introduced in 1895. 



Tree small, spreading, slow-growing, very productive, 

 a regular bearer ; trunk slender, shaggy ; branches 

 slender, smooth, reddish-brown, marked with many large 

 lenticels Leaves 3 inches long, 1% inches wide, oval, 

 leathery ; apex taper-pointed ; margin crenate ; petiole 



1 % inches long, slender. Blossoms open very early ; 

 flowers often 1% inches across, s ! owy, in dense clusters, 

 from 8 to 12 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in 

 December ; below medium in size, 2 % inches long, 



2 %(5 inches wide, uniform in size and shape, obovate- 

 obtuse-pyriform, with unequal sides ; stem % inch 

 long, curved ; cavity almost lacking, obtuse, shallow, 

 narrow, furrowed, compressed, often lipped ; calyx open ; 

 lobes separated at the base, long, acute ; basin narrow, 



DOYENNE D'ALENgON 



obtuse, gently furrowed ; skin thick, smooth, dull 

 greenish-yellow, marked with a dull bronze-red blush on 

 the exposed cheek ; dots many, small, grayish and 

 russet, conspicuous ; flesh yellowish-white, firm, granular 

 at the center, tender, very juicy, very sweet and 

 aromatic ; quality good ; core closed, with clasping core- 

 lines ; calyx-tube short, wide, conical ; seeds large, wide, 

 long, plump, acute, broad at the base. 



DOUGLAS. In regions where blight and 

 heat make pear-growing precarious, and pears 

 with oriental blood, as Kieffer, Garber and Le 

 Conte, must be grown, Douglas, which be- 

 longs with the pears just named, might well 

 be tried. It is better in flavor than any other 

 variety of its class. The trees come in bearing 

 remarkably early, and are as productive as 

 those of Kieffer, though hardly as large or 

 vigorous. The trees are inclined to overbear, 

 in which case the fruits run small. The va- 

 riety has little to recommend it, but those 

 who grow Kieffer might put it on probation 

 with the hope of growing a fruit passably fair 

 for dessert. Douglas is a seedling of Kieffer 

 crossed, it is believed, with Duchesse d'An- 

 gouleme by 0. H. Ayer, Lawrence, Kansas, 

 about 1897. 



Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, very produc- 

 tive ; trunk slender, smooth ; branches slender, dull 

 brownish-red. Leaves 3>4 inches long, 1% inches wide, 

 thick ; apex taper-pointed ; margin glandless, finely and 

 shallowly serrate; petiole 1% inches long. Flowers 1% 

 inches across, white or occasionally with a faint tinge 

 of pink, 11 or 12 buds in a cluster. Fruit matures in 

 October ; large, 3 % inches long, 2 % inches wide, 

 obovate-pyriform, tapering at both ends like the Kieffer ; 

 stem 1% inches long, slender; cavity deep, narrow, 

 compressed, often lipped ; calyx small, partly open ; 

 basin furrowed ; skin thick, tough ; color pale yellow, 

 heavily dotted and sometimes flecked with russet ; dots 

 numerous, small, light russet or greenish ; flesh tinged 

 with yellow, firm but tender, granular, very juicy, sweet 

 yet with an invigorating flavor ; quality good ; core 

 closed, axile ; calyx-tube short, wide ; seeds long, plump, 

 acute. 



DOYENNE D'ALEN^ON. This old 

 French pear is worth planting because of its 

 very late fruits and long season. The pears 

 come in season under ordinary conditions in 

 December and keep until March. The fruits 

 are not remarkable for either taste or appear- 

 ance, but are good for a winter product when 

 there is little competition with other varieties. 

 In some seasons the pears fail to ripen, and the 

 variety should be planted only on warm soils 

 and in situations where the season is warm 

 and long. This variety is much grown in 

 Europe on the quince. A pear of this name 

 and season was found at Orleans in 1628, in 

 the orchard of Le Lectier, the renowned French 

 pomologist. 



Tree upright, dense-topped, productive ; trunk thick, 

 shaggy; branches stocky, reddish-brown. Leaves 2% 

 inches long, 1 % inches wide, thin ; apex taper-pointed ; 

 margin with few glands, coarsely serrate; petiole 2% 

 inches long, glabrous, with tinge of red, slender. Flowers 

 early, 1% inches across, in dense clusters, average 9 buds 

 in a cluster. Fruit ripe December-February; 2% inches 

 long, 2% inches wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, sym- 

 metrical, uniform ; stem % inch long, thick, curved ; 

 cavity obtuse, shallow, symmetrical, often slightly lipped, 

 small ; calyx open, large ; lobes not separated at the 

 base, broad ; basin narrow, abrupt, smooth, symmetrical ; 

 skin very thick, tough, rough ; color dull greenish-yellow 

 with a faint orange blush on the exposed cheek, marked 

 with many brown and russet dots and netted with russet ; 



