THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 145 
Once a favorite in eastern United States, Columbia is planted now only 
in collections. The variety never was a leader as far north as the pear 
regions of New York and Massachusetts, but when pear-growing was being 
attempted in the southern states in the middle of the last century, before 
the advent of Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte, Columbia was the most depend- 
able sort for the South. The pears are not attractive in appearance, nor 
remarkably good in quality, but the trees are vigorous, healthy, and very 
fruitful, although they come in bearing late. The variety is above the 
average in both fruit and tree, and is too valuable to be discarded. This 
variety must not be confused with the Columbia now listed in many cata- 
logs, the proper name of which is Barseck. 
The original seedling grew on the farm of a Mr. Casser in Westchester 
County, thirteen miles from New York City. In 1835, Bloodgood and 
Company, nurserymen of Flushing, Long Island, secured fruit from the 
original tree, which was then fifteen inches in diameter, and sent it to the 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Later, the variety was propagated 
and distributed by the Bloodgood Nursery. Columbia was added to the 
fruit-catalog of the American Pomological Society in 1862. 
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk stocky, rough- 
ish; branches thick, rough, shaggy, dull brownish-red overspread with much gray scarf- 
skin, marked with roundish lenticels; branchlets short, light brown intermingled with green, 
dull, smooth, glabrous, with few very small, slightly raised, lenticels. 
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, usually appressed. Leaves 3} in. 
long, 13 in. wide, long-oval, thin; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely serrate, usually 
tipped with very small glands; petiole 24 in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, 
pointed, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs; blossoms late; flowers 12 in. across, very 
showy, in dense clusters, 9 to 12 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1} in. long, very thick, pubescent, 
light green. 
Fruit ripe from late November to January; large, 3 in. long, 23 in. wide, uniform in 
size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, broad at the middle, unequal sides, uniform in general 
shape; stem 1 in. long, curved, thick; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, smooth; 
calyx partly open, large; lobes narrow, acuminate; basin shallow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin 
thick; granular, tough, roughish, dull; color yellowish-green, frequently with a dotted, dull 
red blush on the exposed cheek; dots many, of various colors, conspicuous; flesh yellowish- 
white, firm, granular, rather tough, very juicy, sweet, aromatic and rich; quality good. 
Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube wide, conical; seeds narrow, very 
long, often flattened and abortive, acuminate. 
10 
