The Huntington is a cultivar of the
European Pear
''Pyrus communis'', the common pear, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe, and western Asia.
It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Eur ...
(Pyrus communis) and is a native of
New Rochelle, New York in northeastern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The original pear tree was found in the woods by James P. Huntington when still small and was transplanted to his yard on Main Street in the center of town. In 1856, when the tree was about 20 years of age, it was introduced by Stephen P. Carpenter of the Huguenot Nurseries of New Rochelle.
[Nichols, Herbert B. (1938). Historic New Rochelle. The Board of Education, New Rochelle. pp. 85.]
During its early years, New Rochelle was well known for the propagation of trees and shrubbery. The
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
settlers were especially skilled in the development of fruits and flowers. The '
Churchland' and '
Parsonage' pear varieties are also native to the community, as well as the
Lawton blackberry, the first widely cultivated blackberry in the country.
Characteristic features
The Huntington pear is of medium size with a stout and slightly inclined shape. The skin is greenish-yellow in color, with a very distinct russet crown, and russet markings interspersed across the entire exterior but more-so at the base. The pear maintains quite well, keeping long after turning over to a bright yellow or orange. Its flesh is white and juicy with a particularly refreshing flavor. The Huntington ripens to maturity around the end of September to first week of October.
Retrieved 2011-05-29. "The Horticulturist, And Journal Of Rural Art And Rural Taste".
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References
History of New York (state)
History of New Rochelle, New York
Pear cultivars
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