Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/52389
LAST BITE A series of articles on the origins of well-known fruit varieties. Small pear made T George Washington ate Seckel pears when he was the U.S. president. he Seckel pear, a remarkably small but flavorfu l variety, is thought to be a chance seedling that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the eighteenth century. As early as 1819, bite-sized Seckel pears were sent to England and pronounced by the London Horticultural Society to be superior in flavor to the richest of their varieties, according to The American Agriculturist, published in 1886. BIG impression Seckel is renown for its exceptionally sweet and spicy flavor. Original tree A history of the variety, published by the American Agriculturist, states that The first Seckel pear tree was located close to Girard Point, about four miles south of Philadelphia, where the Schuylkill empties into the Delaware River. Rousselet de Rheims, an ancient variety that probably dates back to the beginning of the Christian era, is thought to be a parent of Seckel. Rousselet is said to have been the favorite pear of King Louis XIV of France. every autumn during the 1760s, a well-known sports- man and cattle dealer in Philadelphia, known as Dutch Jacob, would go on shooting excursions. On his return, he would regale his neighbors with pears of an unusually delicious flavor, but he would never divulge where they came from. After a time, Dutch Jacob purchased the land where the pear tree stood from the Holland Land Com- pany. The tract, located close to Girard Point, where the Schuylkill emp- ties into the Delaware River, soon afterwards became a part of the farm of a Mr. Seckel, who introduced the pear to the public and gave it his name. "The Seckel is a small pear, but it stands at the head of the long list of pears, and it is not equated by any in point of quality—indeed it has long been regarded by pomologists as the standard of excellence," the authors enthused. According to Andrew Jackson Downing, author of The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, published in 1845, European pomol- ogists pronounced that Seckel was entirely distinct from any European variety, but its similarity to a variety called Rousselet de Rheims, or Petit Rousselet, which was widely grown in Europe, led to the supposition that seeds of Rousselet, brought to Philadelphia by Germans settling there, produced the supe- rior seedling. There's a strong resemblance in the color, form, and flavor of the two fruits, but the Seckel is reported to be "much the most delicious," according to information on the National Clonal Germplasm Repository's Web site. In his book, Downing described Seckel as a small pear with a brownish-green skin that turned dull yellowish-brown with a lively russet red cheek. The flesh was described as whitish, but- tery, very juicy and melting, with a particularly rich, spicy flavor and aroma. The tree is hardy and has resistance to fireblight. At the time the book was published, in 1886, the original tree was still bearing fruit, but in small quantities. "The trunk is much decayed, and can not last many years longer," the authors wrote. A different version of the story, recounted in the Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1832, states that the pear was grown around 1760 in a neighborhood of Philadelphia by Jacob Weiss, who had obtained the tree at a settlement of Swedes. The conjecture is that Weiss and the father or grand - father of Mr. Seckel were friends, as both families were German, and Mr. Seckel's family obtained grafts from Weiss's tree. According to an 1835 issue of the New York periodical Genesee Farmer, the original tree was known as far back as the time that the U.S. Congress first sat in Philadelphia, which was in 1790. The fruit was well known to George Washington during his presidency, as Mr. Seckel used to send him a regular supply. Today, Seckel is a specialty pear, often served fresh, poached, or pickled, or used as a garnish. Because of its sweetness, it is also known as sugar or candy pear. About 60,000 boxes of Seckel pears are produced annually in the Pacific Northwest, most of them in Oregon. —Geraldine Warner Girard Point 38 JANUARY 15, 2012 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com courtesy pear bureau northwest