Added another small row of dabney in 2023 we will see what happens.
"Very early bearer. Very good dessert quality. A heavily productive mid-sized russetted pear with tender juicy melting flesh. It ripens in August and is resistant to fireblight. Bred in Knoxville, Tennessee and released in 1954. It is naturally a smaller spreading tree.
This pear ripened for the first time in 2012. It was good picked fresh from the tree in mid-September. Everything is late this year by about 3 weeks, so in a normal year, this pear should probably be picked mid-August. The flavor and texture reminds me of Seckel.
Here is the entry in – Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties:
Dabney.- Originated in Knoxville, Tennessee, by Brooks D. Drain, Tennessee Agriculture Experiment Station. Introduced in 1954. Seckel x Garber; crossed in 1935; tested as Tennessee 35583. Fruit: size medium; oblong obovate, pyriform, sides unequal; skin thick, medium in toughness, smooth, waxen and dull, greenish; dots many, medium in size, russeted and conspicuous; core large; flesh yellowish-white, melting, tender, juicy, quality very good; flavor sprightly, sweet-subacid and very good dessert quality; picked late July and early August, ripening rapidly in summer temperatures; scored low for canning. Tree: small; spreading, becoming drooping with loads of fruit; comes into bearing at five years; productive; moderately resistant to fire blight.
Here are the Release Notes from 1954:
The sweet-subacid flavor and very good quality attracted attention as a dessert fruit. The appearance is medium to good, resembling Bartlett in coloring and shape, but the flesh is more melting. Trees of this variety in out-replicated plots came into bearing at five years and have produced good crops. Tree: small, medium in vigor, spreading, becoming drooping with loads of fruit. Top open; trunk medium thick, branches medium slender and gray brown in color; branches slender and reddish-gray, dull with medium sized, raised lenticels. Leaf buds small, short, pointed, brown-gray; leaf scars obscure. Leaves; petiole 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, thick, color pinkish green; Surface glabrous; blade 3 to 3 1/4 inches 2 to 2 1/4 inches wide slightly folded; mid-rib straight to slightly reflex; sides waved, outline oblong; base medium narrow, apex narrow, point long and acute; general color dark green, vein color green tinged pink; position spreading; serrations crenate, direction forward, size small somewhat irregular; Surface shiny, texture medium fine, pubescence short, fine and wooly. Flower- buds large, long, plump, pointed, and reddish-brown; flowers open medium late, 3/4 open March 18, 1953 at Knob Orchard, Blount County, Tennessee; large–1 1/4 inches across; color white with maroon stigmas; blossoms appear with leaves: Clusters 8-9 blossoms and umbel-like in form; pedicel slender, 1 inch long somewhat pubescent; pollen fertile: distribution good. Fruit: Picked in late July and early August at Knoxville, Tennessee: Size medium-2 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches wide, uniform, oblong obovate, pyriform, sides unequal: Stem 1 1/4 inches long and slender; cavity acute, shallow, medium wide and furrowed; calyx open and large; lobes separated at the base, long, narrow and acute; basin deep, wide, abrupt and deeply furrowed; skin thick, medium in toughness, smooth, waxen and dull; color greenish, dots many, medium in size, russeted and conspicuous; core large 1 by 1 1/2 inches, closed, abaxile; core-lines clasping; calyx tube long, wide and conical; carpels ovate; seeds 3/16 inches long, narrow and plump; flesh yellowish white, melting, tender an juicy; flavor sprightly, sweet-subacid and very good in dessert quality. The fruit ripens rapidly in summer temperature and has been scored low for canning"
http://edible.wikidot.com/edible-plant:48
