Large, round to slightly flattened, orangeish yellow fruit with red stripes. Thin skin. Crisp, juicy, fine grained, yellowish white flesh. Known for fine flavor. Unexcelled for cooking. Makes wonderful pies, desserts, sauces and cider. Keeps until early November. Large, vigorous tree. Pick frequently, because of uneven ripening and tendency to drop. Tendency to biennial bearing can be somewhat controlled by heavy pruning. Triploid. Ripens July to August. Zones 2-9. Originated in Italy in the early 1600s. Introduced into the US by Russian settlers moving into California in the 1820s.