Japanese Golden Russet Pear

General Fruit Growing
1

I missed two fruits on a Japanese Golden Russet that I have in the nursery bed. I’ve had a difficult time finding information on this variety, but finally found the following in GRIN:

Listed by Ragan (1908) as Golden Russet. Also known as Japan golden, japan Russet, Canners Japan or Taihe. Fruit fairly large for the type, apple-like in form. Skin pale yellow in color, overspread with smooth russet and conspicuous sand spots. Flesh hard, gritty, moderately juicy. Aromatic but of poor dessert quality. midseason. Tree vigorous, hardy, very productive, moderately susceptible to fire blight. – H. Hartman 1957 –
Said to closely resemble Gold Dust and Japan Wonder. Tree very hardy and a young bearer, often blossoming the first year and setting the fruit the second. Fruit large to medium, apple-shapped, rather flat, regular, light lemon-yellow, with many fine dots, russeted, especially about the stem; flesh juicy, aromatic,slightly sweetish; poor; texture coarse; October. – U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York, 1921.

I haven’t harvested this yet. Photo’s are of my 2 fruit, taken 9/27/2021. Tree was grafted spring 2018 on OHxF333 :

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What was the flavor & texture like, Andy? How about the skin, as-well?

Thank you,
Dax

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A light pear flavor, mild sweetness, nicely crisp. I don’t recall the skin being offensive or tough. This was a first fruit from this tree. The GRIN description sure isn’t exciting, but I found it pleasant, but I like anything pear, even the starchy ones.

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‘Directory of Pear Cultivars’ Martin Crawford, 1961.

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Martin’s got a little different perspective on Japanese Golden Russet.

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I grafted this in 2018, scion came from Maple Valley. I think I have it on '97, '87 and '333. It’s an easy grafter, want’s to survive and grow. Has NOT been a disease magnet in my overcrowded nursery bed (transplanted to the orchard in 2021).

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My Japanese Golden Russet trees on '87 and '333 have fruit this year. They don’t seem ripe yet, but the ones I have checked have a distinct barnyard flavor on the first bite that dissipates as you eat the pear. Hoping that goes away as they ripen fully.

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