Cultivar 336: David

David is a pear introduced by the University of Saskatchewan in 1960 from a cross of Pyrus ussuriensis and Bartlett.[S1] [S3] It belongs to the prairie hardy pear work built around P. ussuriensis hybrids, but the record for David is more cautious than for the best prairie pears. Saskatchewan guidance treated it as a trial fruit, not one broadly recommended.[S1] [S2]

The University of Saskatchewan listed it as pear introduction PR No. 3 and described it under non irrigated field conditions at Saskatoon.[S3] This places it within the university's mid century cold climate breeding program, where hardy pear seedlings were selected for prairie testing and home garden use.[S1] [S3]

Sources describe David as a medium sized pear. One introduction record gives the fruit as about 2 3/4 by 2 1/4 inches, while the prairie index lists it at 5.0 by 5.0 and notes greenish yellow skin with creamy white flesh.[S1] [S3] Saskatchewan hortfacts describes it as a 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inch pear.[S2] The fruit is thin skinned. Sources rate its quality from medium, when ripened off the tree, to good under Saskatoon field evaluation.[S2] [S3]

Its season is late. The prairie index lists David as late maturing and suited for processing, while the University of Saskatchewan introduction note places it in late September and says it does not break down quickly after ripening.[S1] [S3] This suggests a later pear meant at least partly for kitchen use rather than an early dessert pear.[S1] [S3]

Hardiness is the main limitation in the surviving descriptions. Saskatchewan hortfacts says David showed severe injury in the north and should be grown only on a trial basis in home gardens in Zones 3B and 4.[S2] This is the clearest direct hardiness statement in the sources and fits its status as a University of Saskatchewan pear that did not make the province's recommended list.[S2]

David shows both the ambition and the limits of the prairie pear breeding effort: a Bartlett cross brought into a Pyrus ussuriensis hardiness background, producing a usable late pear with processing value, but not one reliable enough for general recommendation across colder parts of Saskatchewan.[S1] [S2] [S3]

Summary source basis

• S1: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S2: hortfacts_1976_3.pdf
• S3: University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960

This summary currently draws chiefly from An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies., with 2 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Maturity: Late.”
— ^[2]

“Has shown severe injury in the north and should be limited to a trial basis in home gardens in Zones 3B and 4.”
— ^[3]

“Of medium quality when ripened off the tree.”
— ^[3]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Origin listed as P. ussuriensis x 'Barlett'.
• Parentage is P. ussuriensis x Bartlett.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• PR. No. 3 David P. ussuriensis x Bartlett 1960 2 3/4" x 2 1/4" under field conditions without irrigation at Saskatoon, late Sept. thin skinned and of good quality does not break down quickly.University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p5
• PR. No. 3 David P. ussuriensis x Bartlett 1960 2 3/4" x 2 1/4" under field conditions without irrigation at Saskatoon, late Sept. thin skinned and of good quality does not break down quickly.University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p5
• PR. No. 3 David P. ussuriensis x Bartlett 1960 2 3/4" x 2 1/4" under field conditions without irrigation at Saskatoon, late Sept. thin skinned and of good quality does not break down quickly.University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p5
• PR. No. 3 David P. ussuriensis x Bartlett 1960 2 3/4" x 2 1/4" under field conditions without irrigation at Saskatoon, late Sept. thin skinned and of good quality does not break down quickly.University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p5

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context