Grown from a seed of Bartlett by Mrs. Lucy Duke, Beaufort County, North Carolina, about 1880. Second parent believed to be Winter Nelis. Fruit medium in size, acute-pyriform, sometines oblong-pyriform. Skin fairly tough, greenish-yellow in color, overspread with dark russet, not overly attractive. Flesh fine, melting, very juicy. Sweet spicy flavor, aromatic, rates fairly high in dessert quality. Early Midseason. tree medium in size, moderately vigorous, irregular in production. Quite susceptible to fire blight. -- H. Hartman 1957. We illustrate today a pear we believe well worthy of the space it occupies - the Lucy Duke, raised by Mrs. Lucy Duke, of Beaufort, North Carolina, from seed of a California pear. It Is a large brown pear, and reminds us very much of those excellent varieties raised by the late Bernard Fox, of San Jose, and which were figured by us at the time, one of which, the Barry, is working its way to high favor. The quality of this is fully equal to those excellent varieties. The fruit from which our drawing is made reached us in the middle of October. We would hardly like to say that the flavor is equal to a first-class Seckel, but one may safely aver that it is very little behind it. It has the same rich aroma that is so pleasing to all lovers of fine pears. The specimens came from Mr. J. Van Lindley, of Pomona, North Carolina. We would hardly like to say that that the flavor is equal to that of a first class Seckel, but one may safely aver that it is very little behind it. It has the same rich aroma that is so pleasing to all lovers of fine pears. -- Gardeners Monthly and Horticulturist, 1886.
Lucy Duke is supposed to have come from a seed of Bartlett fertilized by Winter Nelis. The fruit is of only medium size, made in the mold of Bartlett, of a beautiful golden russet color, all in all an extremely handsome pear. Its rich, juicy, spicy, melting flesh makes it of the very finest quality; for a choice dessert fruit Lucy Duke can hardly be surpassed. Though originating in the South, the tree is hardy, is also very productive but is only moderately vigorous, resembling Winter Nelis somewhat in habit of growth. The variety can be unqualifiedly recommended for local and fancy markets and we believe with its rather thick skin it would stand shipping well and that it might prove productive enough for general planting for the market. It is said - as of what new pear has it not been said - that Lucy Duke is blight proof. With Winter Nelis, as nearly immune to blight as any other pear, as a parent, and North Carolina, where none but pears that blight but little can grow, Lucy Duke ought to be relatively immune to blight. Thomas Meehan said of it twenty-five years ago, 'It is the finest large pear in cultivation;' while Charles Downing thought it 'Not quite so fine as a first class Seckel but I must aver it is not far behind.'
Lucy Duke was grown about 1880 by Mrs. Lucy Duke of Beaufort County, North Carolina, from seed of a California Bartlett. Its tree characters are so nearly like those of Winter Nelis that the other parent is supposed to be that variety. Tree medium in size, a little lacking in vigor, upright, slightly spreading; branches moderately stout, somewhat shaggy. Fruit medium in size, uniform, acute to oblong pyriform, symmetrical; stem short, thick, slightly curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, russetted, wrinkled and raised around the base of the stem; calyx large, open, with short, broad, acute lobes; basin medium in depth and width, obtuse, symmetrical; skin medium thick, tough, rough, entirely covered with a solid, deep dark russet coat, changing to golden russet and mingled with flecks of russet; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; core large, closed; seeds large; flesh whitish, tinged with yellow, firm, fine-grained, melting, juicy, rich, sweet, very good; season, October to early November. -- New York Ag. Exp. Station, 1913.