LEADING VARIETIES OF PEARS
ANDRÉ DESPORTES
=1.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:127, fig. 1867. =2.= Mas _Pom. Gen._
=3=:51, fig. 122. 1878. =3.= _Cat. Cong. Pom. France_ 138, fig. 1906.
This old French sort is sparingly grown in New York, and is still
listed by a few American nurserymen. The pears are handsome and very
good in quality, but they quickly soften at the center and neither
keep nor ship well. While usually of medium size, or sometimes large,
the pears often run small. The variety is well worth planting in a
collection, but has no value in a commercial plantation, and there are
many better sorts for home orchards.
[Illustration: ANDRÉ DESPORTES]
The parent tree of this variety grew in the seed beds of M. André
Leroy, the well-known authority on pomology, at Angers, France. M.
Leroy obtained it in 1854 from pips of Williams' Bon Chrétien, or as
it is better known here, the Bartlett pear. He named it after the son
of M. Baptiste Desportes, manager of the business department of his
establishment. The vigor and high quality of the fruit were quickly
appreciated, and the variety was soon disseminated far and wide.
Tree characteristically upright and vigorous, rapid-growing, hardy,
productive; branches slender, smooth, light brown overlaid with thin,
grayish scarf-skin, marked with small lenticels; branchlets thick,
long, with short internodes, reddish-brown, slightly streaked toward
the tips with ash-gray scarf-skin, dull, smooth, glabrous, with
numerous small, but very conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, pointed, plump, appressed. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long,
1-5/8 in. wide, ovate, stiff, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin
glandular, slightly crenate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long. Flower-buds
large, long, conical, plump, free, arranged singly as lateral buds or
on short spurs; flowers showy, 1-1/4 in. across, occasionally tinged
pink, in dense clusters, averaging 9 flowers per cluster; pedicels 3/4
in. long, thick, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in August; medium in size, 2-7/8 in. long, 2-1/4 in. wide,
obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform; stem 1 in. long, thick,
curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, dotted with russet, often lipped;
calyx small, open; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute;
basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed, symmetrical; skin
thin, tender, smooth; color dull greenish-yellow, dotted and marbled
with reddish-brown, blushed on the sunny side; dots numerous, small,
light colored, obscure; flesh tinged with yellow, fine, tender and
melting, buttery, juicy, sweet, aromatic; quality very good. Core
large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide,
conical; seeds small, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: ANSAULT]
ANSAULT
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883. =2.= _Can. Hort._ =24=:454, fig.
2169. 1901.
_Bonne du Puits-Ansault._ =3.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:486, fig. 1867.
=4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 1st App. 123, fig. 1872. =5.= _Am. Pom.
Soc. Cat._ 34. 1877.
Well grown, the fruits of Ansault rival those of Seckel in quality.
In particular, the flesh is notable, and is described by the term
_buttery_, so common in pear parlance, rather better than that of any
other pear. The rich sweet flavor, and distinct but delicate perfume
contribute to make the fruits of highest quality. Unfortunately, the
pears are not very attractive in appearance. They are small, and the
green coat, nearly covered with russet dots and markings, is dull,
though enlivened somewhat at full maturity by a rich yellow. The tree
in good pear soils is vigorous, productive, bears annually, and is not
more subject to blight than that of the average variety. While not at
all suitable for commercial orchards, Ansault should find a place in
every collection of pears for home use.
The pear Bonne du Puits-Ansault was raised from seed in the nurseries
of M. André Leroy, Angers, France. The parent tree bore fruit in
1863, and M. Leroy states that the name which it bears is that of the
enclosure where it was first raised. It was propagated in 1865. The
American Pomological Society first listed this variety in its catalog
in 1877, and in 1883 shortened the name to its present form.
Tree large, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk stocky,
shaggy; branches thick, dull brownish-red, tinged with green and
heavily covered with greenish scarf-skin, with numerous raised
lenticels; branchlets long, reddish-brown, with traces of gray
scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with few inconspicuous, small, slightly
raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds plump, pointed, nearly free. Leaf-scars prominent. Leaves
numerous, 2-3/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, ovate or broadly oval,
leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely serrate, with small,
reddish, sharp-pointed glands; petiole 1-1/2 in. long, slender,
glabrous. Fruit-buds large, conical, plump, free; flowers 1-1/8 in.
across, in dense clusters, 7 to 9 flowers in a cluster; pedicels 5/8
in. long, thick, greenish, lightly pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late September and early October; medium in size, 2-3/8
in. long, 2-1/8 in. wide, uniform, obtuse-obovate-pyriform, irregular;
stem 5/8 in. long, short, thick; cavity obtuse, russeted, furrowed,
ribbed; calyx partly open, large; lobes acute; basin somewhat abrupt,
furrowed and wrinkled; skin roughened with russet markings and dots;
color pale yellow, considerably russeted about the basin and cavity
with russet dots, with scattered flecks and patches of russet; dots
numerous, small, russet; flesh tinged with yellow, granular at the
center, melting and tender, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic;
quality good to very good. Core closed, axile, the core-lines
clasping; calyx-tube long, narrow, funnel-shaped; seeds rather short,
plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: BARTLETT]
BARTLETT
=1.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 334, fig. 134. 1845. =2.=
_Horticulturist_ =2=:169. 1847-48. =3.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 29.
1848. =4.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:11, Pl. 1851. =5.= _Horticulturist_ N.
S. =3=:350, Pl. 1853. =6.= Field _Pear Cult._ 190, 276, fig. 66. 1858.
=7.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 666, fig. 1869. =8.= Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr.
Ont._ 148, fig. 1914.
_Williams' Bon Chrétien._ =9.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 350. 1831.
=10.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =1=:137. 1831. =11.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 664.
1884.
_Williams' Apothekerbirne_. =12.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:181.
1856.
_Bon Chrétien Williams'._ =13.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 16, Pl. 16.
1863. =14.= Mas _Le Verger_ 2:23, fig. 10. 1866-73.
_Williams._ =15.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:758, fig. 1869.
_Williams Christbirne._ =16.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 18, Pl.
18. 1882. =17.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 298. 1889.
Bartlett leads all other pears in number of trees in New York, and
vies with Kieffer for the greatest number in America. Its fruits are
more common and more popular in American markets than those of any
other pear. When the characters of the variety are passed in review,
although several poor ones of fruit and tree appear, the popularity
of Bartlett with growers and sellers, if not with consumers, seems
justified. As with the leading variety of any fruit, the preëminently
meritorious character of this one is its great adaptability to
different climates, soils, and situations. Thus, Bartlett is grown
with profit in every pear-growing region in America and in all is
grown in greater quantities than any other sort excepting, perhaps,
the notorious Kieffer. Another character which commends this variety
to pear-growers is fruitfulness--barring frosts or freezes, the trees
bear full crops year after year. Moreover, the trees are very vigorous,
attain large size, bear young, live long, are easily managed in the
orchard, and thrive on both standard and quince stocks. The pears are
large, handsome, of good but not of the best quality, and keep and ship
remarkably well.
Bartlett is not without serious faults, however. The trees blight
badly, and are not much above the average in resistance to blight, the
black plague of the pear. Neither are they as hardy to cold or to heat
as those of some other varieties. They are scarcely hardier to cold
than those of the peach, and cannot withstand the summer heat of the
southern, or of the Mississippi Valley states. Another serious defect
of the trees is that, more than those of any other standard variety,
their blossoms require cross-fertilization. The fruits are satisfactory
in all characters excepting quality. There are many better-flavored
pears. The fruits lack the rich, perfumed flavor of Seckel on one
hand, and the piquant, vinous taste of Winter Nelis on the other. But
the pears are much above the average in quality, and since no other
variety is so easily grown, nor so reliable in the markets, Bartlett
promises long to continue its supremacy for home and commercial
plantations. After Kieffer, it is the most desired of all pears by
the canning trade. Bartlett is the parent of several other well-known
varieties, and of many sorts of small importance.
This pear was found as a wilding by a Mr. Stair, a schoolmaster
at Aldermaston, Berkshire, England. From him it was acquired by a
Mr. Williams, a nurseryman at Turnham Green, Middlesex, and as it
was propagated and distributed by him it became known by his name,
although it is still known as Stair's pear at Aldermaston. It was
brought to this country in 1797 or 1799 by James Carter of Boston
for Thomas Brewer who planted the variety in his grounds at Roxbury,
Massachusetts, under the name of Williams' Bon Chrétien, by which name
it was then and still is known both in England and France. In 1817
Enoch Bartlett, Dorchester, Massachusetts, became possessed of the
Brewer estate, and not knowing its true name allowed the pear to go
out under his own. Henceforth it was known in America as Bartlett. The
American Pomological Society added this variety to its catalog-list of
fruits in 1848.
Tree medium in size, tall, pyriform, upright, hardy, very productive;
branches stocky, smooth, reddish-brown overlaid with ash-gray
scarf-skin, with few lenticels; branchlets short, with short
internodes, reddish-brown, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous
lenticles.
Leaf-buds short, obtuse, pointed, mostly free; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves 2-3/4 in. long, 1-2/5 in. wide, oval, leathery; apex
taper-pointed; margin tipped with small dark red glands, finely
serrate; petiole 1-3/4 in. long. Flower-buds large, conical, pointed,
free; flowers showy, 1-1/4 in. across, in dense clusters averaging
7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/8 in. long, slender, slightly
pubescent.
Fruit matures in September; large, 3-3/8 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide,
oblong-obtuse-pyriform, tapering toward the apex, symmetrical,
uniform; stem 1-1/8 in. long, often curved, thick; cavity small,
usually lipped, with thin, overspreading streaks of light russet,
acute, shallow; calyx partly open; lobes separated at the base,
narrow, acute; basin very shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed and
wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth, often dull, the surface somewhat
uneven; color clear yellow, with a faint blush on the exposed cheek,
more or less dotted with russet and often thinly russeted around
the basin; dots many, small, conspicuous, greenish-russet; flesh
fine-grained although slightly granular at the center, melting,
buttery, very juicy, vinous, aromatic; quality very good. Core
large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, wide,
funnel-shaped; seeds wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: BELLE LUCRATIVE]
BELLE LUCRATIVE
=1.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 364. 1831. =2.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._
135. 1841. =3.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:41, Pl. 1851. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 53. 1852. =5.= Field _Pear Cult._ 194, fig. 68. 1858.
_Fondante d'Automne._ =6.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 387, fig. 168.
1845. =7.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 578. 1884.
_Seigneur._ =8.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =7=:5, Pl. 1859. =9.= _Pom. France_
=1=: No. 28, Pl. 28. 1863. =10.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 21, fig.
9. 1866-73.
_Bergamote Lucrative._ =11.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:247, figs. 1867.
_Seigneur d'Espéren._ =12.= _Guide Prat._ 59, 303. 1876.
_Esperen's Herrenbirne._ =13.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 212. 1889. =14.=
Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 37, Pl. 85. 1894.
_Lucrative._ =15.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1889.
This good old pear has been a standard autumn sort for nearly a
century. The internal characters of both flesh and flavor are
nearly perfect, but externally much more might be desired as to
shape and size. In flesh and flavor, the fruits are of the Bergamot
type--fine-grained, buttery, juicy, and sugary, with a musky taste
and perfume. The fruits are not as large as is desirable, and are
variable in shape and color, external defects which a rather handsome
color offsets in part. The trees are more satisfactory than the
fruits. They bear enormously and almost annually on either standard
or dwarfing stocks; they are very vigorous, with a somewhat distinct
upright-spreading habit of growth; are hardier than the average variety
of this fruit; and are rather more resistant to blight than the average
variety. The fruits are too small for a good commercial product, but
their delectable flavor and luscious flesh make them as desirable as
any other pear for home use; besides which the trees grow so well, and
are so easily managed that the variety becomes one of the very best for
the home planter.
Belle Lucrative is of Flemish origin. In 1831 it was growing in the
London Horticultural Society's gardens at Chiswick, and was then
described by Lindley as "another of the new Flemish pears." It had
been taken to England by a Mr. Braddick who received the cions from M.
Stoffels of Mechlin. By some writers it is considered probable that
it originated with M. Stoffels, but the leading Belgian and French
writers say that it was raised by Major Espéren, also of Mechlin, about
1827. In this country it first fruited in the Pomological Garden of
Robert Manning, Salem, Massachusetts, in 1835 or 1836. The American
Pomological Society added the variety to its fruit catalog-list in 1852
under the name Belle Lucrative.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped,
rapid-growing, hardy, productive; branches smooth, grayish-brown
mingled with red, covered with scarf-skin, with numerous elongated
lenticels; branchlets slender, short, light brown, glossy, smooth,
glabrous, with few small, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, appressed. Leaves 3
in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely
serrate, tipped with very small, sharp glands; petiole 2 in. long.
Flower-buds conical, pointed, plump, free, singly on very short
spurs; flowers with an unpleasant odor, showy, 1-1/2 in. across,
average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/16 in. long, thick, thinly
pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late September and October; medium in size, 2-3/8 in.
long, 2-1/4 in. wide, obovate, conical, with sides unequal; stem 1-1/8
in. long; cavity very shallow and narrow, or lacking, the flesh drawn
up about the base of the stem; calyx open, large; lobes long, narrow,
acuminate; basin shallow, obtuse, smooth; skin thin, tender, smooth;
color dull greenish-yellow, thickly sprinkled with small, russet dots,
often overspread with russet around the basin; dots numerous, small,
russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, firm, fine-grained,
crisp, buttery, juicy, sweet; quality very good. Core closed, abaxile;
calyx-tube long, narrow, funnel-shaped; seeds narrow, plump, acute.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ D'ANJOU]
BEURRÉ D'ANJOU
=1.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 136. 1841. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 360.
1845. =3.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:61, Pl. 1851. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._
53. 1852. =5.= _Flor. & Pom._ =5=:1, Pl. 1866. =6.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 679, fig. 1869. =7.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 510. 1884.
_Anjou._ =8.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
_Winter Meuris._ =9.= Lucas _Tafelbirnen_ 171, fig. 1894.
_Nec plus Meuris._ =10.= Baltet _Cult. Fr._ 321, fig. 214. 1908. =11.=
_Guide Prat._ 49, 282. 1895.
Beurré d'Anjou is a standard market pear for late fall and early
winter, its season lasting until well into January even in common
storage. As an early winter pear, it has no superior and few equals in
appearance and quality of fruit. In appearance, the pear is of distinct
type--large, very uniform, the sides slightly unequal, smooth of skin,
yellow, marked and dotted with russet, faintly blushed, and borne on a
very short, thick stem. A fruit of this variety can never be mistaken
for that of another. The internal characters are scarcely less notable
than the external ones. The yellowish-white flesh is firm but tender,
slightly granular, very juicy, sweet, spicy, with a rich, vinous
flavor. Uniformity of shape and the smooth skin are marked and constant
characters. In common with all varieties, the fruits of this pear are
not always up to their best, but they are never poor in quality. The
trees are vigorous, hardy, fairly free from blight, grow rapidly and
come in bearing early, but have the serious fault of being uncertain
croppers. In Europe and America, the trees thrive on the quince, and
the variety is rated by all as a splendid one for dwarfing. Of all
winter pears, none is more valuable for commercial or home orchards
than Beurré d'Anjou. In particular, it is recommended for New York,
where, possibly, it is more at home than in any other part of America.
Beurré d'Anjou is an old French pear the origin of which is obscure,
although it is supposed to have originated in the vicinity of Angers.
Early in the nineteenth century it was introduced into England by
Thomas Rivers, noted author and pomologist. The variety was introduced
into this country by Colonel Wilder[25] of Boston about 1842, and first
fruited with him in 1845. The American Pomological Society added Beurré
d'Anjou to its list of fruits recommended for general cultivation in
1852.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, hardy, an uncertain bearer; trunk
smooth; branches slightly zigzag, covered with gray scarf-skin over
reddish-brown, with few small lenticels; branchlets long, with long
internodes, reddish-brown tinged with green, smooth, glabrous, with
many conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, obtuse, nearly free. Leaves 3-1/2 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, elongated-oval, thin, leathery; apex taper-pointed;
margin nearly entire or crenate; petiole 2 in. long. Flower-buds
large, long, conical, plump, free; flowers 1-3/8 in. across, showy, in
dense clusters, from 8 to 12 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long,
very thick, pubescent, green.
Fruit ripe November to early January; large, 3-1/2 in. long, 3
in. wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with surface
irregular in outline, sides slightly unequal, uniform in shape; stem
1/2 in. long, short, very thick and woody; cavity obtuse, shallow,
russeted and furrowed, usually lipped; calyx open; lobes separated
at the base, long, narrow, acuminate; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse,
smooth, symmetrical and regular; skin thin, tender, smooth, dull;
color yellow, clouded with russet around the basin and occasionally
with very fine russet lines and markings; dots many, small, russet,
conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm, but slightly granular,
tender, buttery, very juicy, sweet and spicy, with a rich, aromatic
flavor; quality very good. Core large, closed; core-lines clasping;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump,
acuminate, tufted at the tips.
BEURRÉ D'ARENBERG[26]
=1.= _Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =5=:406. 1824. =2.= Lindley _Guide
Orch. Gard._ 392. 1831. =3.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =1=:51. 1831. =4.=
Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 188. 1832. =5.= _Ibid._ 156. 1841. =6.= _Gard.
Chron._ 716, fig. 2. 1844. =7.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 423, fig. 195.
1845. =8.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51. 1848. =9.= Hovey _Fr. Am._
=1=:1, Pl. 1851. =10.= _Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 93, Pl. 1852. =11.= Mas
_Le Verger_ =1=:161, fig. 79. 1866-73. =12.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 510.
1884.
_Orpheline d'Enghien._ =13.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =3=:35, Pl. 1855. =14.=
_Guide Prat._ 108, 292. 1876.
In favorable locations this pear seems to possess all of the characters
which constitute a first-class fruit; but, notwithstanding, although
it has been in the country nearly a century, it is now scarcely to be
found in the nurseries, and orchard trees are becoming rare. The fruits
are distinguished by their refreshing, vinous taste and long-keeping
qualities. Very often, however, they do not ripen in eastern America,
and when not properly ripened the pears are highly acidulous and so
astringent as to be almost intolerable to the taste. The frequency
with which these poor fruits are borne, always on heavy, cold clays
and in cold climates, coupled with rather small, short-lived trees,
condemn the variety for most pear regions in the East. In the far West,
the crop ripens better, and the pears are splendid winter fruits. The
merits of the variety are so varying in New York that it is not now
worth while attempting to bring it into new life.
Beurré d'Arenberg, in the opinion of some European writers, holds first
place among the pears produced by French and Belgian pomologists.
Unfortunately, Beurré d'Arenberg and Glou Morceau are often mistaken
the one for the other. Beurré d'Arenberg was raised by Monseigneur
Deschamps, Abbé of the Orphan Hospital, Enghien, Belgium. At about the
same time, M. Noisette, a nurseryman of Paris, sent out Glou Morceau,
which he had procured from the gardens of the Duc d'Arenberg, under
the name Beurré d'Arenberg, so that there were two distinct varieties
in cultivation under the same name. The true Beurré d'Arenberg of the
Abbé Deschamps came to this country about 1827, having been sent over
by Thomas Andrew Knight, President of the London Horticultural Society,
to the Hon. John Lowell of Boston. The American Pomological Society
recommended this variety for cultivation in 1848, but in 1871 the name
disappeared from the Society's catalog.
Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, very hardy and very
productive; trunk and branches medium in thickness and smoothness;
branchlets slender, short, light brown mingled with green, smooth,
glabrous, with numerous, small, raised lenticels. Leaf-buds small,
short, plump, free; leaf-scars with prominent shoulders. Leaves 3 in.
long; 1-3/8 in. wide; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless, finely
serrate; petiole 1-7/8 in. long. Flower-buds small, short, sharply
pointed, free, singly on short spurs.
Fruit ripe December to January; large, obovate-pyriform, ribbed;
stem 1 in. long, thick, fleshy at the base, obliquely inserted;
cavity lacking, drawn up in an oblique lip about the stem; calyx
small, closed; lobes short, sometimes lacking; basin deep, smooth;
skin roughish, thick, uneven; color yellow, with patches and
tracings of russet especially around the calyx end; dots numerous,
cinnamon-russet; flesh white, very juicy, melting, vinous or
acidulous; quality very good. Core large; seeds large, roundish, plump.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ BOSC]
BEURRÉ BOSC
=1.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 161. 1832. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 358,
fig. 152. 1845. =3.= _Proc. Nat. Cong. Fr. Gr._ 29, 51. 1848. =4.=
Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:65, Pl. 1851. =5.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =5=:79, Pl.
1857. =6.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:320, fig. 1867. =7.= Hogg _Fruit
Man._ 514. 1884.
_Bosc's Butterbirne._ =8.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:100. 1856.
_Beurré d'Apremont._ =9.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 26, Pl. 26. 1863.
=10.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 2, 65, fig. 129. 1866-73. =11.= _Guide
Prat._ 48, 230. 1895.
_Bosc._ =12.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
_Bosc's Flaschenbirne._ =13.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 75,
Pl. 75. 1883. =14.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 188. 1889. =15.= _Deut.
Obstsorten_ =2=: Pt. 5, Pl. 1906.
The fruits of Beurré Bosc merit unqualified praise. They are nearly
flawless in every character. The pears at once receive approbation from
all who see them by virtue of their uniquely beautiful color and shape,
in which characters they are wholly unlike any other pear. The shape
is pyriform, with a very long, tapering neck, perfectly symmetrical
and unequalled in trimness of contour. The color is a dark rich yellow
overspread with cinnamon-russet, with here and there a spot of the
yellow ground color visible. The quality is rated by all as "very
good" or "best;" the Seckel alone surpasses it as a dessert fruit
in the estimation of most pear fanciers. The flesh, while slightly
granular, is tender and melting or almost buttery, very juicy, with
a rich piquant flavor and a pleasing aroma. The fruits seldom crack,
scab, or mildew. The characters of the tree fall far short of those
of the fruits. Nurserymen complain that it is difficult to propagate
the trees as they make a poor growth in the nursery and come to
transplanting age with a root system of two or three prongs almost
devoid of fibrous roots. The trees must be humored in soil and climate,
and under favorable conditions make but moderate growth as young
plants. Established trees in suitable soils, however, surpass most of
their neighbors in size and luxuriance of foliage. Very old trees
have a nobility of aspect possessed by few other pears. While slow in
coming in bearing, after fruiting begins the trees bear regularly and
abundantly. The variety does not succeed well on the quince unless
double-worked. Unfortunately, the trees are tender to cold and somewhat
too susceptible to blight. Beurré Bosc has long been a favorite in the
pear regions of Europe and America, and its culture in this country may
be recommended for the home, for local and general markets, and for
exportation.
This pear is a native of Belgium, having been raised from seed in
1807 by Dr. Van Mons, the renowned pomologist of Louvain, and was in
the first instance named by him Calebasse Bosc in honor of M. Bosc, a
distinguished French naturalist. In 1820, it was received at the garden
of the Horticultural Society of London under the name Beurré Bosc, and
Robert Thompson, at that time Director of the gardens, thought it best
to retain this name. The variety was early introduced into France.
About 1832 or 1833, Robert Manning and William Kenrick received cions
in the United States from Van Mons and from the London Horticultural
Society. The variety was cataloged by the American Pomological Society
at its first meeting in 1848.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, productive,
not an early bearer; trunk stocky; branches smooth, brownish, covered
with ash-gray scarf-skin, with large lenticels; branchlets brownish,
tinged with gray, glossy, smooth, nearly glabrous, with slightly
raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds obtuse, pointed, appressed; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 3
in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide, ovate, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed;
margin finely crenate; petiole 1-1/4 in. long. Flower-buds large,
conical, pointed, free; flowers open early, 1-1/2 in. across, showy,
in dense clusters, from 10 to 20 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in.
long, slightly pubescent, light green.
Fruit ripe in late October and November; large, 3-3/8 in. long, 2-3/4
in. wide, uniform in size, acute-obovate-pyriform, with a very long,
tapering neck, uniform in shape and very symmetrical; stem 1-1/2 in.
long, curved; cavity very obtuse or lacking, occasionally very shallow
and narrow, wrinkled, russeted, with a fleshy ring folded up around
the stem, slightly lipped; calyx open, small; lobes short, broad,
obtuse; basin very shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical;
skin slightly granular, tender, roughened by russet, dull; color
dark yellow, overspread with thick, dark russet, laid on in streaks
and patches, with a cheek of solid russet; dots small, light russet,
obscure; flesh yellowish-white, slightly granular, tender and melting,
buttery, very juicy, with a rich, delicious, aromatic flavor; quality
very good to best. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, short, plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ CLAIRGEAU]
BEURRÉ CLAIRGEAU
=1.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:73, Pl. 1851. =2.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =2=:103,
Pl. 1854. =3.= _Gard. Chron._ 805. 1854. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._
337. 1860. =5.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 11, Pl. 11. 1863. =6.= Mas _Le
Verger_ =1=:39, fig. 26. 1866-73. =7.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S. =12=:211.
1867. =8.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:335, fig. 1867. =9.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 678. 1869. =10.= _Gard. Chron._ 1271. 1873. =11.= Hogg
_Fruit Man._ 517. 1884.
_Clairgeau's Butterbirne._ =12.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:127.
1856. =13.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 7, Pl. 7. 1882. =14.= _Deut.
Obstsorten_ =3=: Pt. 9, Pl. 1907.
_Clairgeau._ =15.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
Beurré Clairgeau is one of the mainstays in American pear-growing, and
is an especially valuable variety in New York. It maintains its place
among standard varieties chiefly because of splendid tree-characters,
as the fruits, while handsome, are not of the best quality. The tree
is second only to that of Buffum in vigor, health, and productiveness,
and is nearly as handsome as an ornamental. It does equally well on
quince or pear stock, although the Europeans maintain that the product
is better on the dwarfing stock. On either stock, the trees bear young
and annually. The fruits are large, smooth, symmetrical, and uniform
in shape, with a handsome ground color of rich yellow at maturity
and a bright crimson cheek. But here praises end, for the "deceptive
cheek of the Clairgeau" is proverbial in pear-growing, the handsome
coat covering rather coarse, granular flesh which is sometimes very
good but more often commonplace. The core is very large, and the
flesh surrounding it often rots or softens prematurely. The fruit is
more suitable for cookery than dessert. The pears are heavy and often
drop before maturity, and the trees should not be set in wind-swept
situations. Despite these demerits of the fruits, the variety is well
worth planting in commercial orchards for late markets.
The original tree of Beurré Clairgeau appears to have grown by chance
about 1830 with Pierre Clairgeau, Nantes, France. M. Clairgeau's first
account of it was given in 1848 when he exhibited fruit. The reputation
of the variety seems to have been at once established, for J. de Jonghe
and others combined and purchased the stock of about 300 trees grafted
on quince. Together with the parent tree, these were the same year
removed to Brussels, and in 1852 the pear was placed on the market.
Thus it happened that a French pear was first distributed by Belgian
growers. The variety was introduced in America about 1854. The American
Pomological Society placed it upon its list of recommended fruits in
1860.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, unusually upright, dense, slow-growing,
hardy, productive, a regular bearer; trunk slender, shaggy; branches
smooth, slightly zigzag, ash-gray almost completely overspreading
reddish-brown, with many lenticels; branchlets thick, short, with
short internodes, greenish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with slightly
raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds conical, pointed, appressed; leaves very numerous, 3 in.
long, 2 in. wide, broadly oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed;
margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous;
stipules rudimentary or lacking. Flower-buds medium to long, conical,
pointed; flowers 1-1/2 in. across, showy, in dense clusters, averaging
7 buds to a cluster; pedicels 5/8 in. long, thick, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit in season, late October and November; large, 3-5/8 in. long,
2-5/8 in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-acute-pyriform, with a long,
tapering neck, symmetrical, uniform in shape; stem 1/2 in. long,
short, very thick and fleshy; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow,
fleshy around the base of the stem, russeted, lipped; calyx open,
large; lobes separated at the base, long, broad, acute or acuminate;
basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed, often compressed; skin thick
and granular, tough, smooth, glossy; color yellow, with bright red
blush; dots many, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh white, quite
granular, firm at first but becoming at maturity tender and melting,
buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a rich, vinous flavor;
quality variable, good to best. Core large, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long,
plump, acute.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ DIEL]
BEURRÉ DIEL
=1.= _Pom. Mag._ =1=:19, Pl. 1828. =2.= _Ibid._ =3=:131, Pl. 1830.
=3.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 392. 1831. =4.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._
189. 1832. =5.= _Ibid._ 156. 1841. =6.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 360,
fig. 153. 1845. =7.= _Gard. Chron._ 856. 1845. =8.= Hovey _Fr. Am._
=1=:77, Pl. 1851. =9.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 231. 1854. =10.= _Pom.
France_ =1=: No. 7, Pl. 7. 1863. =11.= Mas _Le Verger_ =1=:137, fig.
67. 1866-73. =12.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:349, fig. 1867. =13.=
Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 686, fig. 1869. =14.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 518.
1884. =15.= _Guide Prat._ 234. 1895.
_Diel's Butterbirne._ =16.= Liegel _Syst. Anleit._ 110. 1825. =17.=
Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =11=: No. 8, Pl. 8. 1882. =18.= Mathieu _Nom.
Pom._ 203. 1889.
_Diel._ =19.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
The catalogs and text-books supply Beurré Diel with several virtues
which Nature denies it as the variety grows in New York. As grown in
the eastern United States, the pears are dull and unattractive even
at maturity when the pale lemon color is brightest. When the tree is
happily situated as to soil and care, the quality of its product is
excellent, its fruits being delicious and ranking among the very best,
but when illy suited to soil, climate or care, the flesh is coarse, the
flavor insipid and astringent, bringing the quality down to second or
third rate. The pears keep and ship well. The tree is hardy, uncommonly
vigorous and fruitful, but very subject to blight; it is characterized
by its long twisting branches which need to be pruned back heavily. The
variety is still being planted, but there are better autumn pears.
This variety came from a chance seedling found near Brussels in 1805
by M. Meuris, head gardener for Dr. Van Mons. Being unnamed and of
fine quality, Van Mons dedicated it to his German friend, Diel, one of
the most distinguished German pomologists. Van Mons sent cions of the
variety to the London Horticultural Society in 1817. In 1823, Thomas
Andrew Knight sent cions to the Massachusetts Agricultural Society
whence it became disseminated generally throughout the United States.
The American Pomological Society placed this variety upon its fruit
catalog-list in 1854.
Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, open-topped, slow-growing,
hardy, productive; trunk slender, smooth; branches slender, twisting,
reddish-brown mingled with grayish scarf-skin, with few lenticels;
branchlets with short internodes, dark reddish-brown, smooth,
glabrous, with few small, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds obtuse, free; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long,
1-3/4 in. wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin
finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long. Flower-buds large, long,
conical, rather plump, free; flowers open early, nearly 1-3/8 in.
across, showy, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels
1-1/8 in. long, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in November; large, 3 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide, uniform in
size, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, often irregular and usually with sides
unequal; stem 1-1/4 in. long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow,
very narrow, russeted, furrowed and uneven, often lipped; calyx partly
open, large; lobes separated at the base, broad, acute; basin shallow,
obtuse, furrowed and uneven; skin very thick and granular, somewhat
roughened by russet markings and by dots; color lemon-yellow, with
a faint pinkish-red blush and markings and flecks of russet; dots
many, russet, very conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm, becoming
tender and melting, quite granular around the core, very juicy,
sweet, aromatic and rich; quality very good. Core large, closed, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large,
wide, long, plump, often abortive, acute.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ GIFFARD]
BEURRÉ GIFFARD
=1.= _Gard. Chron._ 69. 1848. =2.= _Mag. Hort._ =18=:433, fig. 30.
1852. =3.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =5=:69, Pl. 1857. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 231. 1858. =5.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 1, Pl. 1. 1863. =6.= Mas
_Le Verger_ =2=:39, fig. 18. 1866-73. =7.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:369,
fig. 1867. =8.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 689. 1869. =9.= Hogg _Fruit
Man._ 521. 1884. =10.= _Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom._ 374, fig. 1904.
_Giffard's Butterbirne._ =11.= Oberdieck _Obst-Sort._ 255. 1881. =12.=
Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 57, Pl. 57. 1883.
_Giffard._ =13.= _Gard. Chron._ 415. 1863. =14.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._
38. 1883.
This is one of the few summer pears with a distinctly vinous flavor,
which, with the crisp and tender flesh, makes it one of the most
refreshing of summer fruits. The pears are larger than those of most
other sorts of its season, somewhat like those of Beurré Clairgeau in
shape and color, and ripen at a time--just before Clapp Favorite--when
good pears should be in demand for home and market. The fruits keep
well for summer pears, and are remarkable for their small cores. The
trees, while in no way remarkable, are quite up to the average in all
characters, and surpass most of their orchard associates in hardiness
and fruitfulness. The variety is desirable for both home and commercial
orchards.
This early summer pear was found as a chance seedling in 1825 by
Nicolas Giffard, Foussières, France. In 1840, M. Millet, president
of the Society of Horticulture of Maine-et-Loire, wrote the first
description of it in the Bulletins of the Society. It was introduced in
America about 1850, and in 1858 was added to the fruit catalog-list of
the American Pomological Society.
Tree of medium size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, hardy,
productive; branches reddish-brown, nearly covered with gray
scarf-skin, with long and narrow, large lenticels; branchlets slender,
new growth willowy, long, reddish-brown, smooth, glabrous except near
the tips of the new growth, with conspicuous, raised, round lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, stiff; apex taper-pointed; margin entire, sometimes
slightly pubescent; petiole 2-1/2 in. long, slender, reddish-green;
stipules very long and slender. Flower-buds small, plump, free,
singly on very short spurs; flowers showy, 1-1/4 in. across, in
dense clusters, average 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long,
pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August; variable in size, averages 3 in. long,
2-3/8 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform; stem 3/4 in. long; cavity
lacking, the flesh closing up symmetrically around the stem
except when drawn up in a lip; calyx open, small; lobes separated
at the base, narrow, accuminate; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse,
almost smooth, symmetrical; skin thin, tender, smooth; color dull
greenish-yellow, with a dotted, dull red blush, often without blush;
dots numerous, small, greenish and russet, very conspicuous; flesh
tinged with yellow, granular at the center, melting, very juicy,
vinous, highly aromatic; quality very good. Core small, closed, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube narrow, funnel-shaped; seeds plump,
acute.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ HARDY]
BEURRÉ HARDY
=1.= Barry _Fr. Garden_ 314. 1851. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 466.
1857. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 66. 1862. =4.= _Pom. France_ =2=:
No. 46, Pl. 46. 1864. =5.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 11, fig. 4.
1866-73. =6.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:379, fig. 1867. =7.= Hogg _Fruit
Man._ 521. 1884. =8.= _Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom._ 378, fig. 1904.
_Hardy._ =9.= _Gard. Chron._ 463. 1863. =10.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 38.
1883.
_Gellert's Butterbirne._ =11.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 38, Pl.
78. 1894.
Beurré Hardy is one of the good autumn pears. Both fruit and tree
commend it. The fruits are usually large; are handsome in appearance;
and the flesh and flavor are exceptionally fine. Thus, the flesh,
while a little granular at the core, is melting, juicy, and richly
aromatic,--as truly luscious as in any other pear. Unfortunately the
fruits do not keep well, having a tendency to soften at the core as
maturity advances. When poorly grown or not properly ripened, the
pears are sometimes a little astringent, and there is always a smack
of astringency. The trees, while not large, are vigorous, hardy,
productive, and healthy except in being a little susceptible to blight.
This is a favorite pear with nurserymen to bud or graft on the quince,
Japanese pear stocks, or other stocks, since it makes a perfect union
with any of those in common use. The tree is one of the best dwarfs,
also, for its own crop. Wherever pears are grown, this is a good
dessert sort, and in many regions it is a valuable fruit for commerce.
Beurré Hardy does especially well in New York and in eastern United
States.
This is a French pear raised about 1820 by M. Bonnet, Boulogne-sur-Mer,
France. In 1830, it was acquired by M. Jean-Laurent Jamin, a nurseryman
near Paris, who named it in honor of M. Hardy, Director and Professor
of Arboriculture at the Garden of the Luxembourg. It was propagated,
made known, and distributed by M. Jamin between 1840 and 1845. The
American Pomological Society added Beurré Hardy to its list of
recommended fruits in 1862.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, hardy,
productive; trunk stocky; branches smooth, dull brown overspread with
gray, marked more or less with scarf-skin, with very numerous large,
elongated lenticels; branchlets thick, greenish-brown, glossy, smooth,
glabrous, with numerous small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds conical, pointed, plump, usually free; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves 2-1/2 in. long, 2 in. wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed;
margin tipped with small glands, finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in.
long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, free, singly
or in small clusters on short spurs; flowers 1-1/4 in. across, well
distributed, average 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long,
pubescent, reddish-green.
Fruit in season, late September and early October; large, 3 in. long,
2-1/4 in. wide, uniform, obtuse-pyriform, with a rather long neck,
symmetrical; stem 7/8 in. long, thick, slightly curved; cavity obtuse,
very shallow and narrow, russeted, often uneven and gently furrowed,
lipped; calyx large, open; lobes broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow,
obtuse, gently furrowed; skin granular, tender, russet; color dull
greenish-yellow, overspread with thin, brownish-russet, without blush;
dots numerous, russet, small, very conspicuous; flesh granular,
melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, richly aromatic and somewhat
vinous; quality very good to best. Core large, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long,
plump, acute.
BEURRÉ DE JONGHE
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =28=:258. 1857. =2.= _Gard. Chron._ 147, fig. 1866.
=3.= Mas _Le Verger_ =1=:73, fig. 43. 1866-73. =4.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 683. 1869. =5.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S. =32=:408. 1877. =6.=
Hogg _Fruit Man._ 522. 1884. =7.= _Guide Prat._ 64, 232. 1895. =8.=
_Garden_ =49=:225. 1896.
_De Jonghe's Butterbirne._ =9.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 201. 1889.
A prime requisite in any pear of best quality is that there be no
disagreeable after-taste in the flesh. The fruits of almost none of
the winter pears meet this requirement. Almost all have more or less
astringency in the after-taste. But the fruits of this variety are
wholly free from this astringency and are, moreover, so sweet and rich
that they are nearly as delectable as those of Seckel, the standard of
excellence in quality. The pears ripen at Geneva in January and may
be kept for a month or six weeks at a season when there are few other
sweet, rich pears, the fruits of nearly all other pears of this season
being vinous and piquant. The trees are hardy and productive, but are
slow in coming in bearing, rather small, and not at all self-assertive
and must be coddled somewhat. They are reported by many to do better
on quince than on pear stocks. The variety is desirable only for the
amateur.
According to Mas, the French pomologist, M. de Jonghe mentioned this
pear in a pamphlet on new varieties published in 1865. It was described
in the _Magazine of Horticulture_ in 1857 as a new variety. In
_Gardener's Chronicle_, 1866, M. de Jonghe said that he saw this pear
first in 1852 at Uccle, Belgium. The seedling had been planted there
two years before.
Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, slow-growing, hardy, very
productive; trunk slender, shaggy; branches reddish-brown overspread
with thick scarf-skin; branchlets thick, curved, short, with very
short internodes, smooth except for the raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short; leaf-scars with prominent shoulders. Leaves
2-3/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, thick; apex abruptly pointed; margin
glandular, finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long, reddish-green.
Flower-buds large, long, very plump, free; flowers 1-1/4 in. across, 7
or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long, thick.
Fruit ripe December to January; medium in size, 3 in. long, 2-1/4
in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, very regular; stem short, thick,
inserted obliquely; cavity very shallow or none, the flesh often
drawn up in a lip on one side of the stem; calyx small, open; basin
shallow; skin thin; color dull yellow, thickly overspread with a
pale, brownish-russet, often with traces of a russet-red blush; dots
numerous, small, dull russet; flesh nearly white, fine-grained,
melting, buttery, pleasant flavored, aromatic, sweet; quality very
good.
[Illustration: BEURRÉ SUPERFIN]
BEURRÉ SUPERFIN
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =20=:8, 135. 1854. =2.= _Horticulturist_ N. S. =5=:
88. 1855. =3.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 465. 1857. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 231. 1858. =5.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:432, fig. 1867. =6.= Hogg
_Fruit Man._ 529. 1884.
_Hochfeine Butterbirne._ =7.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 59, Pl.
59. 1883. =8.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 47, Pl. 60. 1894.
_Superfin._ =9.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 40. 1883.
Tender in skin and delicate in flesh, the product of this variety is
not for the markets, but that of few other sorts so admirably supplies
those who want choicely good fruits. The pears are not as attractive
in appearance as might be wished, but are hardly surpassed in flavor in
their season. The flesh is notable for juiciness, rich vinous flavor,
and pleasant perfume. The trees are large, healthy even as regards
blight, very productive, and are easily suited as to soils. The trees
do not bear early, but are regular in bearing after this life event
begins. In Europe, the variety is commonly and successfully grown as a
dwarf, and the pear-growers of a generation ago in America recommend
this variety as one of the good sorts to work on the quince. The
variety is a valuable one for home orchards, especially in New York
where it grows exceptionally well.
Beurré Superfin was raised from a bed of pear seeds made at Angers,
France, by M. Goubault, a well-known pomologist, in 1837. The
parent tree so produced bore fruit in 1844 and the Committee of the
Horticultural Society of Maine-et-Loire was requested to report on its
merits, which it did in that year, and M. Millet, president of the
society, named it Beurré Superfin. It was introduced in America about
1850. The variety was placed on the fruit catalog-list of the American
Pomological Society in 1858.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy, very
productive; trunk stocky, rough; branches thick, rough and shaggy,
zigzag, dull brownish-red, overspread with gray scarf-skin, sprinkled
with numerous elongated lenticels; branchlets slender, light brown,
glossy, smooth, glabrous, with small, raised, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, appressed or free;
leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide, stiff;
apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with small glands, coarsely
serrate; petiole 1-3/4 in. long. Flower-buds conical, pointed, plump,
free, singly on short branches and short spurs.
Fruit matures in October; large, 3-1/4 in. long, 2-3/4 in. wide,
roundish-oblate, with a short, thick, rounded neck, symmetrical; stem
1-1/8 in. long, very thick, curved; cavity very shallow and narrow or
lacking, the flesh tapering into the stem or wrinkled in a fleshy fold
about the base of the stem, often lipped; calyx open; lobes separated
at the base, broad, narrow; basin narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed,
symmetrical; skin very granular, tender, smooth; color yellow, netted
and streaked with light russet, often with a slight brownish-russet
cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with
yellow, granular, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet yet with a rich,
brisk, vinous flavor, aromatic; quality very good. Core large, closed,
with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds
large, wide, long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: BLOODGOOD]
BLOODGOOD
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =3=:14. 1837. =2.= Manning _Book of Fruits_ 65.
1838. =3.= _Mag. Hort._ =9=:366, fig. 31. 1843. =4.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 332, fig. 132. 1845. =5.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51.
1848. =6.= Mas _Le Verger_ =2=:181, fig. 89. 1866-73. =7.= Leroy
_Dict. Pom._ =1=:449, fig. 1867. =8.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 532. 1884.
_Bloodgood's Sommerbirne._ =9.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 186. 1889.
Bloodgood has long been a standard summer pear in America. It
surpasses any European associate of its season in both fruit- and
tree-characters. In particular, the fruits are meritorious for flesh
of fine texture, which, though a little granular, is melting and
juicy, and has a rich, sweet, perfumed flavor. Complaints appear in
the horticultural press that the quality is exceedingly variable.
The reports of poor flavor may arise from the fact that the quality
is always poor if the fruit is not picked as soon as full grown and
ripened indoors. The season in New York is August. The trees are
resistant to blight, healthy, bear young and regularly, are long-lived,
and attain large size, although in some situations they are but medium
in size. The variety has little or no value in commercial plantations,
but is prized in every collection for home use.
The origin of this pear is unknown, but it is supposed to be a native
of New York. It seems to have been brought to notice about 1835 by
James Bloodgood of the nursery firm of Bloodgood and Company, Flushing,
Long Island. According to Robert Manning, the variety was listed in
Prince's _Catalogue_ for 1837 as Early Beurré. After being introduced
by Bloodgood and Company, it was speedily recognized as one of the
most valuable native sorts. The variety was placed upon the fruit
catalog-list of the American Pomological Society in 1848.
Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, dense, slow-growing,
productive; trunk medium in thickness and smoothness; branches
zigzag, reddish-brown partly overspread with grayish scarf-skin,
marked with few small lenticels; branchlets thick, very long, with
long internodes, reddish-brown, the new growth greenish, with a brown
tinge, glossy, smooth, with small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds broad at the base, small, short, sharply pointed, free;
leaf-scars with prominent shoulders. Leaves 2-1/4 in. long, 1-3/8
in. wide, oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate;
petiole 1-1/4 in. long, slender, tinged red; stipules few, variable
in size and shape, tinged red. Flower-buds medium in size and length,
conical, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs; flowers early,
1-1/4 in. across, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster;
pedicels often 7/8 in. long, pubescent.
Fruit matures in late August; medium in size, 2-1/8 in. long, 2 in.
wide, roundish-pyriform to acute-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform,
with equal sides; stem 3/4 in. long, thick; cavity russeted, lipped,
drawn up in fleshy folds about the stem; calyx open, small; lobes
separated at the base, short, broad, obtuse; basin narrow, obtuse,
smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, roughish; color bright yellow,
with patches and nettings of russet, producing a mottled russet
effect; dots many, small, russet, inconspicuous; flesh tinged yellow,
granular, melting, buttery, rich, very juicy, sweet, highly flavored,
aromatic; quality very good. Core small, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, narrow, conical; seeds small, short,
plump, acute.
[Illustration: BRANDYWINE]
BRANDYWINE
=1.= _Horticulturist_ =3=:166, figs. 25 and 26. 1848-49. =2.= _Mag.
Hort._ =15=:106. 1849. =3.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:51, Pl. 1851. =4.=
_Mag. Hort._ =19=:450, fig. 30, 1853. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 231.
1858. =6.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:496, fig. 1867. =7.= _Pom. France_
=4=: No. 160, Pl. 160. 1867.
Were it not that Tyson is better in both tree and fruit, Brandywine,
which ripens its crop with that of Tyson, could be put down as about
the best pear of its season. Tyson is the better variety, however,
in almost every soil and situation, and Brandywine has a place in
American pear flora only because the pears have a distinct flavor which
gives them the charm of individuality. The flesh is neither sweet nor
perfumed, as is that of most pears at this season, but has the piquant
smack of some of the winter pears which makes the fruits particularly
refreshing. The tree is vigorous, with a handsome pyramidal top, but is
not remarkable otherwise. Sometimes it is unproductive. The variety is
worth planting for the sake of diversity in home orchards.
The original tree, a chance seedling, was found on the farm of Eli
Harvey, Chaddsford, on the banks of the Brandywine River, Pennsylvania.
This parent tree began to bear about 1820, but in 1835 wind broke it
down near the surface of the ground. The present tree is a sucker
from the original, and first fruited in 1844. This fact accounts for
its not sooner having become known to cultivation. Dr. Brincklé of
Philadelphia showed the fruits first at a meeting of the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society in 1848 when it received high commendations. In
1858 the American Pomological Society added Brandywine to its list of
recommended fruits.
Tree large, vigorous, very upright, dense-topped, productive; branches
long, olive-gray, sprinkled with roundish lenticels; branchlets
slender, curved, with short internodes, brownish-red overspread with
scarf-skin, glabrous, with few small, obscure lenticels.
Leaf-buds medium in size and length, pointed, free. Leaves small,
long-ovate; apex taper-pointed; margin serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in.
long. Flower-buds large, plump, conical, free, singly on spurs and as
terminal buds; flowers 7/8 in. across, in dense clusters, average 9
buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long, slender, pubescent.
Fruit ripens in late August and early September; medium in size,
2-3/4 in. long, 2-1/2 in. wide, variable in shape but generally
obovate-pyriform; stem 1-1/2 in. long, fleshy, curved, obliquely
attached; cavity lacking, the flesh drawn up in a wrinkled fold about
the base of the stem; calyx large, open; lobes short, entire; basin
small, shallow, usually smooth; skin roughish; color greenish-yellow,
blushed with red on the sunny side, marked with tracings of russet
especially near the cavity; dots numerous, large, conspicuous, russet;
flesh whitish, or faintly tinged with yellow, granular, melting,
juicy, aromatic, vinous; quality good to very good. Core small; seeds
few, small, dark brown.
[Illustration: BUFFUM]
BUFFUM
=1.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 166. 1832. =2.= _Mag. Hort._ =10=:300, fig.
15. 1844. =3.= _Ibid._ =16=:297. 1850. =4.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:19,
Pl. 1851. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 53. 1852. =6.= _Horticulturist_ N.
S. =6=:300, Pl. 1856. =7.= _Ibid._ =25=:104, fig. 1870. =8.= Mas _Le
Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 81, fig. 39. 1866-73.
_Buffam._ =9.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 356, fig. 150. 1845.
Without deserving a high place among pears, Buffum has several
meritorious characters which should keep it in the list of standard
varieties. The variety must depend chiefly on its tree-characters
for approbation, and in these it excels nearly all of its orchard
associates. The trees are remarkably vigorous, nearly free from blight,
very productive, although they have a tendency to bear biennially;
and by virtue of great size, symmetrical, pyramidal form, dark green,
glossy foliage, and sturdy, ruddy wood in winter, they are among the
most ornamental of all fruit trees. In full leaf, a Buffum tree might
easily be taken for a Lombardy poplar. The quality of the fruits is
very variable. At times the flesh is rich, aromatic, melting, and very
good; again, the pears may be insipid or even illy flavored, devoid of
perfume, coarse in texture, and poor. The fruits are never large and
often run small. To attain good quality, the pears must be picked early
and ripened in a moderately cool fruit-room. The culture of Buffum is
on the wane, chiefly for the reason that its fruits ripen with those of
Seckel and fail in competition, as the Seckels are nearly as large and
much better in quality. But because of its admirable tree-characters
the variety should not be lost.
Some confusion exists as to the origin of Buffum. Some writers state
that the original tree stood on the grounds of Prescott Hall, Newport,
Rhode Island. Hovey, however, in his _Fruits of America_, 1851, says
that the variety originated in the garden of David Buffum, Warren,
Rhode Island, shortly after the advent of the nineteenth century. In
the opinion of Downing the variety came from seed of White Doyenné.
Soon after the founding of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
in 1828, Robert Manning exhibited specimens of the Buffum pear, and
through him the variety became known in the vicinity of Boston from
which place it was disseminated throughout the country. Buffum was
added to the fruit-list of the American Pomological Society in 1852.
Tree vigorous, very upright, dense, hardy, almost immune to blight,
very productive; branches shaggy, zigzag, reddish-brown, overspread
with grayish scarf-skin, with numerous small lenticels; branchlets
short, reddish-brown, tinged with green and streaked with grayish
scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous, small, raised
lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, appressed; leaf-scars
prominent. Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 2 in. wide, oval, thin, leathery;
apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 2-1/4
in. long. Flower-buds large, conical, pointed, plump, free, arranged
singly on short spurs and branchlets; flowers 1-1/2 in. across, showy,
in dense clusters, 6 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in. long,
slender, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in late September and October; medium in size, 2-1/4 in.
long, 2 in. wide, uniform in size and shape, oblong-obovate-pyriform,
with unequal sides; stem 3/4 in. long, very thick; cavity obtuse, very
shallow, narrow, russeted, gently furrowed, often lipped; calyx open;
lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, obtuse; basin shallow,
obtuse, gently furrowed; skin thick, very tough and granular, smooth
except for the russet markings, dull; color deep brownish-yellow, with
a bright reddish blush on the exposed cheek toward the basin; dots
many, small, brownish or russet, conspicuous; flesh white, tinged
with yellow, firm, granular, stringy toward the center, juicy, sweet,
aromatic; quality good. Core large, closed; core-lines clasping;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: CLAPP FAVORITE]
CLAPP FAVORITE
=1.= _Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 50. 1860. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 20.
1867. =3.= _Pom. France_ =4=: No. 170, Pl. 170. 1867. =4.= Downing
_Fr. Trees Am._ 720, fig. 1869. =5.= Thomas _Am. Fruit Cult._ 452.
1897.
_Favorite de Clapp._ =6.= Mas _Le Verger_ =2=:207, fig. 102. 1866-73.
_Clapp's Favourite._ =7.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 548. 1884. =8.=
Bunyard-Thomas _Fr. Gard._ 134, 462, fig. 1904.
_Clapp's Liebling._ =9.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 31, Pl. 46.
1894.
Clapp Favorite is by universal consent the standard late summer pear to
precede Bartlett, which it much resembles in size, shape, color, and
flavor. In most regions in the United States and Canada where pears
are largely grown for the market, Clapp Favorite is the first pear
to be put on the market. The season is usually a week or sometimes
ten days before that of Bartlett. The chief fault of the fruits is
that they soon soften at the center after ripening, to obviate which
they should be picked at least ten days before they would ripen on
the tree. This softening at the core debars the fruit from distant
markets, and makes it suitable only for local trade. The illustration
of the whole fruit in the accompanying plate is so foreshortened by the
camera that size and shape are not shown correctly, but the half-fruit
illustrates the size and shape very well. The fruits are usually a
little larger than those of Bartlett. Except in one particular, the
trees of Clapp Favorite are as nearly perfect as those of any variety
in American orchards. The weak character, unfortunately, is a most
important one, and all but debars the variety from some regions in
which pear-growing is a large industry. The weakness is susceptibility
to blight. No standard pear goes down so quickly as this one when
blight is epidemic. Two good characters of the trees redeem the variety
from failure because of blight. After those of Flemish Beauty and
Tyson, the trees of this variety show greater hardihood to cold than
those of any other standard sort; and of all pears grown in America,
Kieffer not excepted, the trees of Clapp Favorite are most fruitful.
Other merits of the tree are large size, great vigor, longevity, and
earliness and regularity in bearing. The variety shows a predilection
for heavy soils, and the trees may be set on the heaviest clays. Clapp
Favorite is grown satisfactorily on dwarf as well as standard stocks.
The variety is a desirable one wherever pears are grown, and is one of
the half-dozen leading sorts in New York.
Clapp Favorite was raised by Thaddeus Clapp, Dorchester, Massachusetts,
but the date of its origin is uncertain. It was favorably mentioned as
a promising new fruit at the meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society in 1860. By some writers this pear is supposed to be a cross
between Flemish Beauty and Bartlett, but this supposition cannot be
proved. The variety was early introduced into England and France where
it almost immediately received favorable commendation. The American
Pomological Society first listed Clapp Favorite in its fruit-catalog in
1867.
Tree large, upright-spreading, round-topped, very productive;
trunk stocky, rough; branches characteristically shaggy, zigzag,
reddish-brown overspread with gray scarf-skin, marked by few small,
roundish, raised lenticels; branchlets short, dull reddish-brown,
tinged with green, smooth, glabrous, with few small, inconspicuous
lenticels.
Leaf-buds medium in size, short, conical, pointed; leaf-scars
prominent. Leaves 2-1/2 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, oval, leathery; apex
taper-pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long.
Flower-buds large, conical, pointed, plump, free, arranged singly on
short spurs and branches; flowers very showy, 1-5/8 in. across, large,
well distributed, averaging 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-3/16 in.
long, lightly pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August and early September; large, 4 in. long,
3-1/4 in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, tapering slightly toward the
apex, symmetrical; stem 1-1/4 in. long, very thick, curved, fleshy;
cavity very shallow, narrow, lipped, with a fleshy ring around
the stem; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, narrow,
acuminate, usually erect and very stiff; basin shallow, wide, obtuse,
corrugated and wrinkled; skin thick, tough, smooth, glossy; color pale
lemon-yellow, mottled and dotted with bright red, deepening in highly
colored specimens to a crimson blush, with occasional faint traces of
russet; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with
yellow, very granular and gritty at the center, tender and melting,
buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, vinous, aromatic; quality very good. Core
large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, narrow,
funnel-shaped; seeds medium in size and width, plump.
[Illustration: COLONEL WILDER]
COLONEL WILDER
=1.= _Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ Pt. 2. 119. 1875. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 2nd App. 146, fig. 1876. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 23. 1881. =4.=
_Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 114. 1891.
Colonel Wilder originated in California and was once a favorite
there, but is now reported as being little planted. At one time it
was prominent in eastern orchards because of its late season and
large, handsome, well-flavored fruits. The variety came in competition
with Beurré d'Anjou, however, the season and fruits of the two being
similar, but the trees of Colonel Wilder were so greatly outmatched by
those of Beurré d'Anjou that this variety is less and less planted in
the East. Perhaps it is worth preserving in pear collections for the
sake of variety.
This pear originated from seed sown by Bernard S. Fox, San Jose,
California, about 1870. It was named after Marshall P. Wilder, Boston,
Massachusetts. Just prior to his death Mr. Fox, in a letter to the
editor of the _Rural Press_, wrote of three pears, P. Barry, Fox, and
Colonel Wilder, as follows: "The list of pears is already large, and,
unless something extremely good is offered, there is no use adding to
it. But, after many years of trial here and elsewhere, I claim now,
that, at their respective times of ripening, there are no large pears
superior to them in size, flavor, and good shipping qualities."
Tree medium in size, spreading and drooping, open-topped, hardy,
an uncertain bearer; trunk shaggy; branches stocky, roughish,
reddish-brown nearly covered with gray scarf-skin, marked with many
lenticels; branchlets slender, willowy, light brown, with a slight
reddish tinge, smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised,
obscure lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, free or slightly appressed.
Leaves 2-1/4 in. long, 1-1/4 in. wide, narrow, short, oval, leathery;
apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2-1/4
in. long, slender, pale green or yellowish, sometimes with a tinge of
pink; stipules light greenish-yellow, with a pink tinge. Flower-buds
small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on very short
spurs; blossoms open very late; flowers 1-1/4 in. across, in dense
clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long, pubescent,
greenish.
Fruit in season, late December to February; large, 3 in. long, 2-1/4
in. wide, uniform in size, ribbed, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with
unequal sides; stem 3/4 in. long, thick, curved; cavity small, obtuse,
shallow, narrow, furrowed, occasionally lipped; calyx large, open;
lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow,
abrupt, usually smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, rough, dull;
color light yellow, often with a faint orange-red blush on the exposed
cheek, with nettings and markings of russet; dots numerous, small,
grayish and russet-colored, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white,
granular around the core, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet,
aromatic, with a musky flavor; quality good. Core large, closed, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide,
plump, acute.
[Illustration: COLUMBIA]
COLUMBIA
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =2=:37. 1836. =2.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 159. 1841.
=3.= _Mag. Hort._ =9=: 252, fig. 15. 1843. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 430, fig. 198. 1845. =5.= _Horticulturist_ =1=:20, 480, fig. 9.
1846-47. =6.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:17, Pl. 1851. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 66. 1862. =8.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:589, fig. 1867. =9.= _Pom.
France_ =4=: No. 140, Pl. 140. 1867. =10.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._
725. 1869.
Once a favorite in eastern United States, Columbia is planted now only
in collections. The variety never was a leader as far north as the pear
regions of New York and Massachusetts, but when pear-growing was being
attempted in the southern states in the middle of the last century,
before the advent of Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte, Columbia was the
most dependable sort for the South. The pears are not attractive
in appearance, nor remarkably good in quality, but the trees are
vigorous, healthy, and very fruitful, although they come in bearing
late. The variety is above the average in both fruit and tree, and is
too valuable to be discarded. This variety must not be confused with
the Columbia now listed in many catalogs, the proper name of which is
Barseck.
The original seedling grew on the farm of a Mr. Casser in Westchester
County, thirteen miles from New York City. In 1835, Bloodgood and
Company, nurserymen of Flushing, Long Island, secured fruit from the
original tree, which was then fifteen inches in diameter, and sent it
to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Later, the variety was
propagated and distributed by the Bloodgood Nursery. Columbia was added
to the fruit-catalog of the American Pomological Society in 1862.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, very productive; trunk
stocky, roughish; branches thick, rough, shaggy, dull brownish-red
overspread with much gray scarf-skin, marked with roundish lenticels;
branchlets short, light brown intermingled with green, dull, smooth,
glabrous, with few very small, slightly raised, lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, usually appressed.
Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, long-oval, thin; apex abruptly
pointed; margin finely serrate, usually tipped with very small glands;
petiole 2-1/4 in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed,
plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs; blossoms late; flowers
1-3/4 in. across, very showy, in dense clusters, 9 to 12 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 1-1/8 in. long, very thick, pubescent, light green.
Fruit ripe from late November to January; large, 3 in. long, 2-3/8 in.
wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, broad at the middle,
unequal sides, uniform in general shape; stem 1 in. long, curved,
thick; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, smooth; calyx partly
open, large; lobes narrow, acuminate; basin shallow, obtuse, wrinkled;
skin thick, granular, tough, roughish, dull; color yellowish-green,
frequently with a dotted, dull red blush on the exposed cheek; dots
many, of various colors, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, firm,
granular, rather tough, very juicy, sweet, aromatic and rich; quality
good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube wide,
conical; seeds narrow, very long, often flattened and abortive,
acuminate.
[Illustration: DANA HOVEY]
DANA HOVEY
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ =48.= 1891.
_Dana's No. 16._ =2.= _Mag. Hort._ =19=:541. 1853. =3.= _Ibid._
=20=:136. 1854.
_Dana's Hovey._ =4.= _Mag. Hort._ =25=:202, fig. 10. 1859. =5.= _Am.
Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 68. 1862. =6.= _Gard. Chron._ 1191, fig. 1866. =7.=
Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 730. 1869. =8=. Hogg _Fruit Man._ 556. 1884.
=9.= _Garden_ =49=:226. 1896.
_Danas Hovey._ =10.= _Gard. Chron._ 3rd Ser. =47=:67, fig. 39. 1910.
Dana Hovey is a delicious little dessert pear, so juicy, sweet, and
rich that it is a veritable sweetmeat. The fruits are so similar to
those of Seckel that the variety is sometimes called "Winter Seckel."
Dana Hovey is one of the best pears to succeed Seckel. The fruits come
in season about the middle of November and keep six weeks in ordinary
storage. The flavor is that of Winter Nelis with a smack of Seckel. If
the fruits are picked early and kept in a dry, cool place they ripen
early in December with a rich, golden color strewn with russet. It is
in the same class with Seckel as to size of fruit, although the pears
average larger and are more uniform in size from different trees and
in different seasons. The pears are also more brightly colored than
those of Seckel. Superiority in size and color makes the fruits of this
variety much more attractive than those of the better-known Seckel.
The trees are hardy, vigorous, and thrive on various soils but are
only moderately productive and are somewhat susceptible to blight,
falling far short of those of Seckel in these characters, for which
reason the last-named variety is the better for commercial plantations.
Dana Hovey is one of few winter pears with fruits of high quality, and
thus is very desirable for home plantations and ought to have value in
commercial plantations.
Francis Dana, Roxbury, Massachusetts, was an indefatigable raiser of
new fruits, there being no fewer than sixteen varieties of pears with
the prefix "Dana's," of which the one under notice is the best of all.
It was introduced to the public about 1854 under the name of Dana's
Hovey in honor of C. M. Hovey, the well-known nurseryman of Boston and
author of _The Fruits of America_. Dana Hovey is so similar to Seckel
that the latter is supposed to be one of its parents. The variety was
added to the American Pomological Society's fruit-list in 1862.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, rapid-growing, productive;
trunk stocky; branches reddish-brown mingled with green which is
almost completely overspread with gray scarf-skin, marked by few
small lenticels; branchlets thick, short, light brown mingled with
green, marked with ash-gray at the tips, smooth, glabrous, with small,
scattering, slightly raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, usually appressed. Leaves
3-1/4 in. long, 2-1/8 in. wide, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin
glandless or with few reddish glands, finely serrate; petiole short,
stocky, 1-1/2 in. long, glabrous. Flower-buds short, conical but
obtuse at the apex, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs;
flowers 1-1/2 in. across, in dense clusters, average 8 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long, slender, thinly pubescent.
Fruit matures in late October and November; medium in size, 2-1/2
in. long, 2-1/8 in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical,
uniform; stem 1/2 in. long, slender; cavity abrupt, shallow, very
small, narrow, slightly lipped; calyx partly open, small; lobes short,
narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical;
skin thin, tender, smooth; color golden-yellow at maturity, covered
with thin russet; dots numerous, small, greenish-russet; flesh tinged
with yellow, granular at the center, tender and melting, juicy, sweet,
highly perfumed; quality of the best. Core large, closed, abaxile;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, short, plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: DEARBORN]
DEARBORN
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883. =2.= _Ont. Dept. Agr. Fr. Ont._
155. 1914.
_Dearborn's Seedling._ =3.= _Kenrick Am. Orch._ 154. 1832. =4.=
_Downing Fr. Trees Am._ 336, fig. 135. 1845. =5.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr.
Gr._ 51. 1848. =6.= _Hovey Fr. Am._ =1=:63, Pl. 1851. =7.= Elliott
_Fr. Book_ 336. 1859. =8.= _Mas Le Verger_ =2=:17, fig. 7. 1866-73.
=9.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:7, fig. 1869.
Once a favorite, Dearborn is now nearly lost to cultivation, and few
or no nurserymen grow the trees. It is too good a variety to be lost,
however, because of splendid fruit- and tree-characters. The fruits
ripen early and are of good quality, though hardly as richly flavored
as those of Elizabeth which ripen at the same time. Unfortunately the
pears run small, but they are attractive in shape and color. In season,
the crop succeeds that of Bloodgood and precedes that of Bartlett.
The trees are almost flawless, and therefore are well adapted to home
orchards where fruits cannot receive the care of skilled hands. Besides
being almost free from blight, the trees are hardy, vigorous, and very
productive. The variety has many valuable qualities for a summer pear
in home orchards.
This pear was found growing in a border of shrubs in 1818 at
Brinley Place, Roxbury, Massachusetts, the home of General H. A. S.
Dearborn,[27] first president of the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society. In 1831, General Dearborn first exhibited fruit of the
variety at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society where it was named
Dearborn's Seedling in honor of the originator. This variety should
not be confused with a pear raised by Van Mons of Belgium and named by
him Dearborn. The Dearborn of Van Mons is larger and ripens later than
the American Dearborn, and was long since taken from lists of pears
recommended for cultivation in America. Dearborn was included in the
American Pomological Society's first fruit-catalog in 1848, where it
was called Dearborn's Seedling. In 1883, the Society shortened the name
to Dearborn. Since 1891, the name has failed to appear in the catalogs
of this Society.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, tall, very productive; trunk stocky;
branches thick, zigzag, reddish-brown partly covered with a heavy,
gray scarf-skin, marked by many reddish-brown lenticels; branchlets
slender, very long, with long internodes, older wood brown, new growth
greenish, nearly covered with reddish-brown, mottled with ash-gray
scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous becoming pubescent near the tips of the
new growth, with numerous small, brownish, round, raised, conspicuous
lenticels.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, thin; apex obtusely-pointed; margin with very fine
dark tips, finely and shallowly serrate; petiole tinged red, 1-3/4
in. long, glabrous. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free,
arranged singly on short spurs; flowers showy, 1-1/4 in. across, in
dense clusters, 9 or 10 buds in a cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long,
pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August; small, 2 in. long, 2-1/4 in. wide, uniform,
roundish-pyriform, with a slight neck, symmetrical, uniform; stem 1
in. long, slender; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, thinly russeted,
often slightly lipped; calyx open, large; lobes separated at the
base, narrow, acuminate; basin very shallow, obtuse, gently furrowed
and wrinkled, symmetrical; skin thick, very tough, smooth, dull;
color pale yellow, with russet specks; dots numerous, small, russet,
conspicuous; flesh white, slightly granular at the center, tender and
melting, very juicy, sweet but spicy, aromatic; quality good. Core
large for the size of the fruit, closed, with clasping core-lines;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: DORSET]
DORSET
=1.= Ellwanger & Barry _Cat._ 6, fig. 1895. =2.= _Ibid._ 17, fig.
1900. =3.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 118. 1900. =4.= _Ill. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._ 220. 1902.
Dorset has been on probation in New York for twenty-five years, and
its status is not yet decided. The fruits resemble those of Seckel
in shape and color, but are larger and come in season later. These
external resemblances to Seckel have given it the name "Late Seckel,"
which, however, is a misnomer, as a taste of the two fruits at once
makes plain. Dorset is not nearly as richly flavored as Seckel. The
tree-characters are all very good. Since there are few good late pears
to follow Seckel, there may be a place for Dorset.
Dorset was raised from seed by Lemuel Clapp, Dorchester, Massachusetts,
but the exact date of origin is unknown. The variety was introduced
by Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester, New York, in 1895. During the next
ten years it was placed on trial by several state experiment stations,
and soon gained a reputation for the characters noted in the preceding
paragraph.
Tree small, spreading, very productive, a regular bearer; trunk
slender, shaggy; branches slender, smooth, reddish-brown mingled with
dull ash-gray, marked with many large lenticels; branchlets slender,
dark brown, smooth, glabrous, with large, raised, lenticels.
Leaf-buds medium to small, conical, pointed, free. Leaves 3 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin crenate;
petiole 1-3/4 in. long, slender. Flower-buds large, long, conical,
pointed, free; blossoms open very early; flowers often 1-3/8 in.
across, showy, in dense clusters, from 8 to 12 buds in a cluster;
pedicels 1 in. or less in length, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit matures in December; medium in size, 2-3/4 in. long, 2-1/2
in. wide, uniform in size and shape, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, with
unequal sides; stem 3/4 in. long, curved, cavity almost lacking,
obtuse, shallow, narrow, furrowed, compressed, often lipped; calyx
open; lobes separated at the base, long, acute; basin narrow, obtuse
or often quite abrupt, gently furrowed; skin thick, smooth; color dull
greenish-yellow, marked with a dull bronze-red blush on the exposed
cheek; dots many, small, grayish and russet, conspicuous; flesh
yellowish-white, firm, granular at the center, tender, very juicy,
very sweet and aromatic; quality good. Core closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long,
plump, acute, broad at the base.
DOUGLAS
=1.= _Kan. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 63. 1908-09. =2.= _Rural N. Y._ =70=:59,
fig. 24. 1911. =3.= _U. S. D. A. Yearbook_ 267, Pl. 4. 1912. =4.=
_Rural N. Y._ =72=:458, fig. 146. 1913. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 41,
42. 1915.
In regions where blight and heat make pear-growing precarious, and
only pears with oriental blood, as Kieffer, Garber, and Le Conte, can
be grown, Douglas, which belongs with the pears just named, might well
be tried. Certainly it is better in flavor than any other variety of
its class. The trees come in bearing remarkably early, and are as
productive as those of Kieffer, though hardly as large or as vigorous.
The trees are inclined to overbear, in which case the fruits run small.
The variety has little to recommend it for New York, but those who grow
Kieffer might put it on probation with the hope of growing a fruit
passably fair for dessert.
Douglas is a seedling of Kieffer crossed, it is believed, with Duchesse
d'Angoulême by O. H. Ayer, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, about the
year 1897. It fruited first in 1902 and attracted the attention of A.
H. Griesa, also of Lawrence, who propagated it in 1907, and sent out
specimens of it for appraisement in October, 1910, when it was very
favorably reported on by many prominent horticulturists. In accordance
with Mr. Griesa's suggestion, it was named Douglas after the county of
its origin.
Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, very productive; trunk
slender, smooth; branches slender, dull brownish-red, mottled with
gray scarf-skin; branchlets medium in thickness and length, smooth,
glabrous, sprinkled with numerous raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, long, pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, thick; apex taper-pointed;
margin glandless, finely and shallowly serrate; petiole 1-5/8 in.
long. Flower-buds large, long, conical, plump, free; flowers 1-1/4 in.
across, white or occasionally with a faint tinge of pink, 11 or 12
buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-5/8 in. long.
Fruit matures in October; large, 3-1/4 in. long, 2-3/4 in. wide,
obovate-pyriform, tapering at both ends like the Kieffer; stem 1-5/8
in. long, slender; cavity deep, narrow, compressed, often lipped;
calyx small, partly open; basin furrowed; skin thick, tough; color
pale yellow, heavily dotted and sometimes flecked with russet; dots
numerous, small, light russet or greenish; flesh tinged with yellow,
firm but tender, granular, very juicy, sweet yet with an invigorating
flavor; quality good. Core closed, axile; calyx-tube short, wide;
seeds long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: DOYENNÉ D'ALENÇON]
DOYENNÉ D'ALENÇON
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 213. 1856. =2.= _Ibid._ 231. 1858. =3.=
_Ann. Pom. Belge_ =8=:15, Pl. 1860. =4.= _Pom. France_ =2=: No. 47,
Pl. 47. 1864. =5.= _Mas Le Verger_ =1=:23, fig. 10. 1866-73. =6.=
Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 742. 1869. =7.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:55,
fig. 1869. =8.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S. =20=:135. 1871. =9.= _Guide Prat._
61, 264. 1876. =10.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 564. 1884.
_Marmorirte Schmalzbirne._ =11.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:65.
1856.
_Dechantsbirne von Alençon._ =12.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 201. 1889.
This old French pear is worth planting, if the trees can be obtained,
because of its very late fruits and long season. The pears come in
season under ordinary conditions in December and keep until March.
The fruits are not remarkable for either taste or appearance, but are
good for a winter product when there is little competition with other
varieties. The pears are admirably adapted for culinary purposes. In
some seasons the pears fail to ripen, and the variety should be planted
only on warm soils and in situations where the season is warm and long.
Tree and fruit have a family resemblance to Easter Beurré; the latter,
however, is generally a better pear than this one. This variety is
much grown in Europe on the quince, and in the various fanciful forms
Europeans make use of in training fruit trees.
Doyenné d'Alençon is reported to be a wilding discovered by the Abbé
Malassis near Alençon, Orne, France, and propagated by M. Thuillier,
a nurseryman at Alençon. There was, however, a pear of the same name
and season found at Orléans in 1628, in the orchard of Le Lectier, the
renowned pomologist. It is probable that the pear which M. Thuillier
propagated was the one found many years previously by Le Lectier. The
variety must have been introduced into America between 1840 and 1850,
as it was mentioned by the American Pomological Society in 1856 as one
of the promising new pears. In 1858, the Society added the variety to
its fruit-catalog, but discontinued recommending it in 1897.
Tree medium in size and vigor, upright, dense-topped, productive;
trunk thick, shaggy; branches stocky, reddish-brown lightly covered
with gray scarf-skin; branchlets slender, curved, short, with short
internodes, light brown, with a faint reddish tinge, smooth, pubescent
near the tips of the new growth, with numerous small, raised,
conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long, 1-1/8 in. wide, thin;
apex taper-pointed; margin with few glands, coarsely serrate; petiole
2-5/8 in. long, glabrous, with tinge of red, slender. Flower-buds
small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs;
flowers early, 1-1/4 in. across, in dense clusters, average 9 buds in
a cluster; pedicels 5/8 in. long, lightly pubescent.
Fruit ripe December to February; 2-7/8 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide,
medium in size, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform; stem
3/4 in. long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, symmetrical,
often slightly lipped, small; calyx open, large; lobes not separated
at the base, broad, narrow; basin narrow, abrupt, smooth, symmetrical;
skin very thick, tough, roughish; color dull greenish-yellow, with
a faint orange blush on the exposed cheek, marked with many brown
and russet dots and netted with russet; dots numerous, small,
brownish-russet, inconspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, granular
at the center, tender and melting, juicy, aromatic, with a lively
vinous flavor; quality good. Core large, closed, axile, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long,
plump, acute.
[Illustration: DOYENNÉ BOUSSOCK]
DOYENNÉ BOUSSOCK
=1.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:31, Pl. 1851. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 210.
1856. =3.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 742, fig. 1869.
_Doyenne Boussock Nouvelle._ =4.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 143. 1841.
_Beurré de Mérode._ =5.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =5=:81, Pl. 1857.
_Doyenné de Mérode._ =6.= _Pom. France_ =2=: No. 86, Pl. 86. 1864.
=8.= _Guide Prat._ 64, 266. 1876. =7.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1,
171, fig. 84. 1866-73.
_Doyenné Boussock._ =9.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:58, fig. 1869. =10.=
Hogg _Fruit Man._ 564. 1884.
_Boussock._ =11.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
_Doppelte Philippsbirne._ =12.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 204. 1889. =13.=
Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 33, Pl. 61. 1894.
This old Belgian pear is a leader in the second rank of commercial
pears in this country. If the fruits were better in quality and kept a
little longer, the variety would take rank among the best commercial
pears, for the fruits are handsome and the trees are nearly flawless.
As the color-plate shows, there are few pears more attractive than
this one, but the briskly acid flavor is not pleasing to many, and the
fruits become soft at the center soon after ripening. The pears are
above medium in size and are sometimes large or very large. The seeds
are often abortive. The trees are very large and vigorous, as hardy as
those of any other pear to cold, less susceptible to blight than most
of their orchard associates, and are remarkable for their prominent
buds and large, thick, glossy-green leaves, which turn deep red in the
autumn. On some soils the trees do not hold their crop well, and it
is always best to plant them where there is some protection against
heavy winds. The trees are prodigious bearers, and fruit regularly,
characters which make the variety desirable for local markets.
This pear is supposed to have been raised by Van Mons at the beginning
of the nineteenth century. It was placed on sale at Brussels about
1819. The variety was first given the name Doyenné de Mérode in honor
of the Comté de Mérode of Waterloo, Belgium. In 1836, however, the
name was changed to Doyenné Boussock. The catalog of the Horticultural
Society of London shows that it was received in England in 1842.
William Kenrick, on his return from Europe in the spring of 1841,
brought the variety to America. In 1856 the American Pomological
Society added this pear to its fruit-list.
Tree very large, vigorous, upright-spreading, tall, hardy, productive;
trunk thick, shaggy; branches stocky, shaggy, grayish-brown;
branchlets long, with long internodes, light brown tinged with red,
overspread with ash-gray, smooth, glabrous, with few elongated,
raised, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 3-1/2 in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide,
leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin very finely serrate; petiole
1-1/2 in. long, slender. Flower-buds small, long and narrow, conical,
free, singly on very short spurs; flowers early, showy, 1-5/8 in.
across, in dense clusters, average 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/8
in. long, thick, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in September; large, 3 in. long, 2-3/4 in. wide, uniform,
obtuse-obovate-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1 in. long, very thick;
cavity obtuse, rather shallow, broad, often russeted, furrowed,
lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, broad,
acute; basin shallow, wide, obtuse, gently furrowed and wrinkled;
skin thin, tender, smooth except for the russet nettings; color pale
yellow, occasionally with a mottled pinkish-red blush on the exposed
cheek, more or less netted with russet; dots numerous, small, russet,
conspicuous; flesh white, tender and melting, buttery, very juicy,
briskly acid; quality good. Core large, closed, axile, with meeting
core-lines; calyx-tube very short, wide, broadly conical; seeds black,
narrow, long, flattened, often abortive.
[Illustration: DOYENNÉ DU COMICE]
DOYENNÉ DU COMICE
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =18=:168, fig. 16. 1852. =2.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_
=8=:47, Pl. 1860. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 68. 1862. =4.= _Pom.
France_ =2=: No. 58, Pl. 58. 1864. =5.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1,
7, fig. 2. 1866-73. =6.= _Downing Fr. Trees Am._ 744, fig. 1869. =7.=
_Jour. Hort._ N. S. =17=:440, fig. 1869. =8.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._
=2=:60, fig. 1869. =9.= _Hogg Fruit Man._ 565. 1884. =10.= Rev. Hort.
447, Pl. 1908.
_Beurré Robert._ =11.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:418, fig. 1867. =12.=
_Ibid._ =2=:775. 1869.
_Comice._ =13.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
_Vereins Dechantsbirne._ =14.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 293. 1889. =15.=
Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 68, Pl. 36. 1894. =16.= _Deut.
Obstsorten_ =5=: Pt. 14, Pl. 1909.
This pear has been esteemed long and justly for the beauty and high
quality of its fruits. If its tree-characters were better the variety
would take high place in commercial orcharding as well as for the
home orchard, to which it is now almost wholly confined. The fruits
are very large, smooth except for russet markings, clear handsome
yellow at maturity, sometimes brightened by a delicate blush, with
yellow, fine-grained flesh which is tender, melting, very juicy, sweet,
piquant, perfumed. The quality is so good that the fruits of this
variety are called by many the best of all pears. The list of faults
for the trees is as long as the list of merits for the fruits. The
young trees make a poor growth in the nursery; young or old, the trees
must be humored in soil, climate, and care; they are subject to blight;
while usually productive, they are not always so even where vigorous,
healthy, and hardy; lastly, they are a little below the average in
hardihood to cold. The variety is seldom at home in New York, but where
it thrives, as on the Pacific slope, it is a valuable commercial pear,
and is always worthy a place in the home orchard or in the collection
of the pear-fancier. In Europe, it is reported as doing especially well
on the quince.
The parent tree of Doyenné du Comice was taken from the first seed bed
made in the fruit-garden of the Comice Horticole, Angers, Department
of Maine-et-Loire, France. In November, 1849, it produced its first
fruit, which was at once so highly esteemed that it was named Doyenné
du Comice. It was placed on the market with unusual promptitude and
rapidly distributed in foreign lands, reaching America about 1850.
The variety was recommended for general cultivation by the American
Pomological Society in 1862.
Tree vigorous, characteristically upright, dense, usually productive;
branches smooth, dull gray mingled with greenish-brown, marked with
large lenticels; branchlets long, brown tinged with red, glabrous,
with many small, slightly raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, medium to long, conical, pointed, nearly free;
leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, oval,
leathery; margin finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long. Flower-buds
short, conical, free; blossoms open late; flowers 1-1/4 in. across,
in dense clusters, about 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in. long,
slender, pubescent, light green.
Fruit ripe in late October and November; large, 3 in. long, 2-3/4 in.
wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform or roundish, with unequal sides; stem
1-1/4 in. long, very thick, usually curved; cavity obtuse, shallow,
narrow, russeted and wrinkled, often with a fleshy ring around the
base of the stem; calyx open; lobes separated at the base, long,
narrow, acuminate; basin medium to wide, obtuse, often furrowed; skin
tough and granular, smooth except for the russet markings, dull; color
clear yellow, often with a very faint russet-red blush on the exposed
cheek, the surface heavily covered with large patches and nettings
of attractive russet; dots many, very small, dark brown, obscure;
flesh tinged strongly with yellow, fine-grained near the outside but
granular toward the core, melting, tender, buttery, very juicy, sweet
and vinous, aromatic; quality very good to best. Core closed, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large,
wide, long, rather plump, acute, often abortive.
[Illustration: DUCHESSE D'ANGOULÊME]
DUCHESSE D'ANGOULÊME
=1.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 171. 1832. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 381.
1845. =3.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =1=:21, Pl. 1853. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 68. 1862. =5.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 17, Pl. 17. 1863. =6.=
Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 2, 79, fig. 136. 1866-73. =7.= Leroy _Dict.
Pom._ =2=:98, figs. 1869. =8.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S. =24=:26. 1873. =9.=
_Guide Prat._ 59, 267. 1876. =10.= _Hist. Mass. Hort. Soc._ 1829-78.
224. 1880. =11.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 569. 1884.
_Duchess of Angoulême._ =12.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 371. 1831.
_Angouleme._ =13.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 36. 1883.
_Herzogin von Angoulême._ =14.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 46, Pl.
43. 1894.
The fruits of Duchesse d'Angoulême excite admiration and wonder by
their enormous size. They may always be known by their great size,
squat pyriform shape, and uneven knobby surfaces. Well grown, the
pears have other virtues than size, as the flesh is buttery and
melting with a rich and delicious flavor; but poorly grown, and
on unfavorable soils, the flesh is granular, coarse-grained, but
half-melting and nearly devoid of the richness that characterizes
the fruits in happier situations. Size shrinks also when poorly grown,
so that one may say that a small pear of this variety is seldom fit
for dessert and too insipid for a good product in cookery. The trees
are vigorous, hardy, and healthy, bear abundantly under favorable
conditions, and succeed either as a standard or a dwarf. Possibly it
is best grown as a dwarf, and in America at least is more often worked
on the dwarfing quince than on the pear. In fact, this variety is
the favorite dwarf-pear for garden and home orchard, and commercial
orchards of dwarfed trees of it are not uncommon. On either stock, the
tree makes a beautiful, symmetrical pyramid, comes in bearing early,
and bears regularly. This variety is more popular in New York than in
any other part of America, and while less planted than formerly, is
still regarded as a standard late autumn variety. It is a particularly
desirable sort for the pear-fancier.
The original tree of Duchesse d'Angoulême was a wilding growing in a
garden near Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. About 1808, M. Audusson, a
nurseryman at Angers, appreciating the beauty and excellent quality of
the pear, obtained the right to propagate it. In 1812 he began selling
trees of the variety under the name of "Poire des Eparonnais." In 1820,
M. Audusson sent a basket of the fruit to the Duchesse d'Angoulême
with a request for permission to name the pear in her honor, a request
which was granted. At the exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society held in 1830, Samuel G. Perkins showed a specimen which
measured eleven and three-tenths inches. It was the only one that grew
on the tree, and was considered to be the first fruit of this variety
produced in America. The American Pomological Society added Duchesse
d'Angoulême to its catalog-list of fruits in 1862.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped,
slow-growing, usually hardy, productive; trunk thick; branches stocky,
shaggy, zigzag, dull reddish-brown overspread with scarf-skin, marked
with small lenticels; branchlets thick, short, dull light brown,
streaked with gray scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with many small,
raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, nearly free; leaf-scars
prominent. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long, 1-5/8 in. wide, oval, thick,
leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin marked with minute dark brown
glands, crenate or nearly entire; petiole 1-3/4 in. long. Flower-buds
large, long, conical, plump, free, arranged singly or in small
clusters on short branches and spurs; flowers 1-3/8 in. across, 7 or 8
buds in each cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, slender, lightly pubescent,
greenish.
Fruit ripe October to November; large, often very large, 4 in. long, 3
in. wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with irregular and
uneven surface and with sides often unequal; stem frequently 1-1/2 in.
long, very thick, curved; cavity acute, deep, furrowed, irregular,
often lipped; calyx partly open, small; lobes short, narrow, acute;
basin medium to deep, abrupt, furrowed and uneven, often corrugated;
skin thick, granular, roughened with russet; color dull yellow,
streaked, spotted and netted with dull russet; dots numerous, russet,
conspicuous; flesh white, firm becoming somewhat melting and quite
tender when fully mature, granular, juicy, sweet, rich and delicious
when fully mature; quality good to very good. Core closed, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds small,
narrow, flat, acute, very often abortive.
[Illustration: DUCHESSE D'ORLÉANS]
DUCHESSE D'ORLÉANS
=1.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 143. 1841. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 68.
1862. =3.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 749. 1869. =4.= Hogg _Fruit Man._
570. 1884.
_Duchess of Orleans._ =5.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:91, Pl. 1851.
_Saint-Nicolas._ =6.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 33, Pl. 33. 1863. =7.=
_Cat. Cong. Pom. France_ 343, fig. 1906.
_Beurré de Saint-Nicolas._ =8.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 137, fig.
67. 1866-73. =9.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =1=:426, fig. 1867.
_Butterbirne von Saint-Nicolas._ =10.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 191. 1889.
In the middle of the last century this pear was heralded as one of the
best of the French varieties which were then coming to this country in
great numbers, but it is now almost lost to cultivation. While in no
way remarkable, the variety is too valuable to be discarded. As the
color-plate shows, the fruits are prepossessing in appearance. The
pears are bright yellow, with a brilliant cheek, the whole fruit being
more or less mottled with golden russet. Few pears are smoother of skin
or more symmetrical in shape, and the fruits are more uniform in size
than those of most varieties. The quality, as well as the appearance,
is pleasing. While the flesh is a little dry and not as rich in flavor
as that of most other varieties of its season, it is so crisp and
refreshingly piquant in contrast to the sweeter, buttery pears with
which it ripens, its season being just after that of Bartlett, that the
variety finds favor with all who like pears. The variety fails in its
tree-characters. Thus, the trees are late in coming in bearing; are not
very vigorous; are somewhat tender to cold; and do not resist blight
well. The variety has little value for commercial places, but if the
trees can be obtained, is well worth planting in the home orchard.
This pear is a chance seedling found by M. Maurier near Angers,
Maine-et-Loire, France, nearly a century ago. It was propagated by M.
Flon, a nurseryman of Angers and fruited first in 1839. In England
and America the variety has been chiefly known as Duchesse d'Orléans,
but many French horticulturists have used the name Saint-Nicolas. The
variety was added to the fruit-catalog list of the American Pomological
Society in 1862, but was dropped from the list in 1871.
Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, moderately productive;
trunk slender, shaggy; branches medium in thickness and smoothness,
reddish-brown partly overspread with thin gray scarf-skin, with few
indistinct lenticels; branchlets short, with short internodes, light
brownish-red mingled with green and partly covered with thin, gray
scarf-skin, dull, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds long, narrow, sharply pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3 in.
long, 1-1/2 in. wide; apex taper-pointed; margin tipped with small,
brownish glands, coarsely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous,
reddish-green. Flower-buds long, conical, sharply pointed, free,
singly on numerous short spurs; flowers showy, 1-3/8 in. across,
in dense clusters, average 7 buds in a cluster, the petals widely
separated at the base; pedicels 7/16 in. long, slender, lightly
pubescent.
Fruit matures in late September and October; medium in size, 2-7/8
in. long, 2-1/4 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1
in. long, thick; cavity lacking, the flesh drawn up in a symmetrical
fold about the stem; calyx small, open; lobes separated at the base,
narrow, acute; basin very shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth or slightly
wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth; color yellow overlaid with a red
blush, faintly mottled with golden russet; dots numerous, whitish or
russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, firm, granular, crisp,
juicy, subacid; quality good. Core small, closed, axile, with meeting
core-lines; calyx-tube short, conical; seeds long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: DUHAMEL DU MONCEAU]
DUHAMEL DU MONCEAU
=1.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:114, fig. 1869. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 2nd App. 146, fig. 1876. =3.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 118.
1881.
_Duhamel's Butterbirne._ =4.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 207. 1889.
_Duhamel._ =5.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:241. 1903.
The unattractive little fruits of this pear would have small value were
it not for the fact that they are delicious in quality and come into
edible condition late. The fruits are of the type of those of Winter
Nelis, differing in shape somewhat, but are even better in quality and
keep longer. The fruits are further distinguished by a musky taste and
perfume, which make them especially agreeable to those who like rich,
sweet, perfumed pears. The trees, while in no characters remarkable,
are better than most of their orchard associates, and far superior to
the unmanageable trees of Winter Nelis with which this variety must
compete. After a probationary period of a half century in America,
Duhamel du Monceau has not found favor with commercial orchardists,
but pear fanciers value it for its delectable late-keeping fruits.
Nurserymen find the trees rather difficult to grow.
Duhamel du Monceau was obtained from seed by André Leroy, the eminent
author and pomologist at Angers, France. In naming the variety, M.
Leroy said that his purpose was to do honor to the memory of the
illustrious professor who filled an important place in pomology, and
who, in giving us the _Traité des arbres fruitiers_ published in
1768, rendered and still renders valuable services to horticulturists.
The original tree began to fruit in 1862 and was cataloged by Leroy
in 1865. The variety seems to have been described first in America by
Downing in 1876.
Tree vigorous, upright, dense, hardy; trunk stocky; branches thick,
zigzag, dull brownish-red, covered with ash-gray scarf-skin, marked
with numerous large lenticels; branchlets very thick, short, with
short internodes, brownish-red, tinged with green, dull, smooth,
glabrous, with many conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds long, obtuse, appressed; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 3
in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide, long, folded lengthwise with the margins
curled under, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin entire or coarsely
crenate; petiole 2 in. long, slender. Flower-buds large, long,
conical, plump, free, singly on short spurs; blossoms open late;
flowers 1 in. across, well distributed, averaging 7 buds in a cluster;
pedicels 1-3/16 in. long, slender, pubescent, pale green.
Fruit ripe October to November; above medium in size, 3-1/8 in.
long, 2-1/2 in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-pyriform or at times
oblong-pyriform, symmetrical, with equal sides; stem 1 in. long,
slightly curved, thick; cavity lacking, the stem being attached to
the smooth, flat surface; calyx open; lobes separated at the base,
short, obtuse or acute; basin shallow, obtuse, gently furrowed,
small; skin thin, tender, roughened by the russet skin, dull; color
greenish-yellow overspread with solid russet, or splashed, spotted
and sprinkled with russet, the cheek often solid russet; dots many,
small, russet, obscure because of the russet color, slightly raised;
flesh yellowish-white, granular especially around the core, melting,
buttery, very juicy, vinous; quality very good. Core variable in size,
closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical;
seeds elongated-oval, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: EARLY HARVEST]
EARLY HARVEST
=1.= _Neb. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 129. 1890. _2._ Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort.
Man._ =2=:243. 1903. _Chambers_. =3.= _Horticulturist_ =25=:263, fig.
1870. =4.= Tilton _Jour. Hort._ =8=:293. 1870. =5.= _Mass. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._ 157. 1874. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 32. 1875. =7.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 3rd App. 174. 1881. =8.= _Can. Hort._ =26=:130. 1903. =9.=
Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr. Ont._ 151, fig. 1914.
The fruits of Early Harvest are so poor in quality and rot at the
core so soon after ripening, that the variety is hardly worth growing
in New York, where there are many better pears of its season. To
offset these defects, the pears are large and handsome for early
fruits, and the trees are healthy and regular and heavy bearers. The
pear is characterized by a thick, fleshy stem and a large closed
core. Nurserymen report that the tree is difficult to propagate, and
fruit-growers find that it is slow in coming in bearing; the growth is
usually straggling and difficult to manage in nursery or orchard. The
variety is more popular in the Middle West than in any other part of
the country.
This variety appears to have been brought to Middletown, Kentucky,
from Maryland by Captain William Chambers about 1800, with several
other varieties. According to the rules of pomological nomenclature,
this pear should be called Chambers as it was first known. The name
Early Harvest was given the variety by Kentucky growers because of its
extreme earliness, and became so closely associated with the variety
that today it is the only one with which the public is familiar. In
1875 this variety was added to the fruit catalog-list of the American
Pomological Society under the name Chambers.
Tree large, very vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, very
hardy, productive with age, long-lived; trunk very stocky, shaggy;
branches thick, shaggy, zigzag, dull reddish-brown mingled with green
and heavily covered with grayish scarf-skin, marked with numerous,
large, elongated lenticels; branchlets very thick, straight, long,
with long internodes, dull olive-green mingled with light brown,
smooth, glabrous, with numerous very conspicuous, raised lenticels,
variable in size.
Leaf-buds small, short, obtuse, appressed; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves 3-1/8 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide; apex very abruptly pointed;
margin glandless, varying from finely serrate to entire; petiole 1-5/8
in. long, slender. Flowers open early, showy, 1-1/8 in. across, well
distributed, average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, thinly
pubescent.