THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 207 
PITMASTON 
1. Can. Hort. 26:129, fig. 2564. 1903. 2. Ont. Dept. Agr. Fr. Ont. 173, fig. 1914. 
Pitmaston Duchesse d'Angouléme. 3. Gard. Chron, 1108, fig. 1864. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 55. 1871. 
Pitmaston Duchess. 5. Jour. Hort, N.S. 18:11, fig. 1870. 6, Tilton Jour. Hort. '7:239, fig. 1870. 
4. Jour. Hort. N. S. 38:201, fig. 30. 1880. 8. Hogg Fruit Man. 631. 1884. 9. Gard. Chron. 3rd Ser. 
4:608. 1888. 10. Rev. Hort. 196,651. 1900, 11. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 193. 1920. 
Although this fine old English pear has more than ordinary merit, 
it seems to be little grown in America. In appearance, the pears are 
unsurpassed. The accompanying color-plate shows the shape and color 
very well, but not the size, as, well grown, the pears are larger. From 
the illustration, all must agree that the pears are handsome, fruits of few 
other sorts being so alluring in shape and color. On warm soils or in 
warm seasons, the flavor is choicely good giving the pears a rating of 
“good to very good;” but in cold soils and seasons, the flavor is often 
austere, or even acid and astringent. The season prolongs that of Bartlett, 
and as the fruits are flavored very differently, being more piquant and 
refreshing, and are ordinarily larger and handsomer, Pitmaston ought 
to make a good market variety where it thrives. The subacid flavor 
makes this one of the very best pears for culinary purposes. Such reports 
as are at hand state that the fruits keep and ship well. The variety seems 
not to have been grown widely in America, so that one cannot speak with 
assurance of the tree-characters; but on the grounds of this Station, the 
trees have fewer faults than those of most of the standard varieties. 
They are hardy, vigorous, fairly immune to blight, and while but moder- 
ately productive, bear annually, and the large size of the fruits makes 
them high yielders. The variety should be put on probation by those 
who grow for the markets, and is well worthy a place in all home 
orchards. 
Pitmaston was raised by John Williams at Pitmaston, near Worcester, 
England, in 1841. It has been generally stated that it originated from a 
cross between Duchesse d’Angouléme and Glou Morceau, although an old 
gardener, who was employed by Mr. Williams, stated that there was no 
record whatever of its parentage, but that it was the best of a number of 
seedlings. For some time it was known as the Pitmaston Duchesse 
d’Angouléme on account of the theory of its derivation in part from the 
Duchesse d’Angouléme; but in 1870 its name was simplified in England to 
Pitmaston Duchess. In 1874 it obtained a first-class certificate from the 
Royal Horticultural Society, England. In this country it was first fruited 
