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, 1⅞ in. wide, ovate, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely crenate; petiole 1¼ in. long. Flower-buds large, conical, pointed, free; flowers open early, 1½ 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, 3⅜ in. long, 2¾ in. wide, uniform in size, acute-obovate-pyriform, with a very long, tapering neck, uniform in shape and very symmetrical; stem 1½ 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.
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, ashgray 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 1½ in. across, showy, in dense clusters, averaging 7 buds to a cluster; pedicels ⅝ in. long, thick, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit in season, late October and November; large, 3⅝ in. long, 2⅝ in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-acute-pyriform, with a long, tapering neck, symmetrical, uniform in shape; stem ½ 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.
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 2¾ in. long, 1¾ in. wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 1½ in. long. Flower-buds large, long, conical, rather plump, free; flowers open early, nearly 1⅜ in. across, showy, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1⅛ in. long, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in November; large, 3 in. long, 2⅜ in. wide, uniform in size, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, often irregular and usually with sides unequal; stem 1¼ 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.
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 2¾ in. long, 1½ in. wide, stiff; apex taper-pointed; margin entire, sometimes slightly pubescent; petiole 2½ in. long, slender, reddish-green; stipules very long and slender. Flower-buds small, plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers showy, 1¼ in. across, in dense clusters, average 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ¾ in. long, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August; variable in size, averages 3 in. long, 2⅜ in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform; stem ¾ 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.
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 2½ in. long, 2 in. wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with small glands, finely serrate; petiole 1½ in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, free, singly or in small clusters on short spurs; flowers 1¼ 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, 2¼ in. wide, uniform, obtuse-pyriform, with a rather long neck, symmetrical; stem ⅞ 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.
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 2¾ in. long, 1½ in. wide, thick; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 1½ in. long, reddish-green. Flower-buds large, long, very plump, free; flowers 1¼ in. across, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ½ in. long, thick.
Fruit ripe December to January; medium in size, 3 in. long, 2¼ 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.
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 3¼ in. long, 1⅞ in. wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with small glands, coarsely serrate; petiole 1¾ in. long. Flower-buds conical, pointed, plump, free, singly on short branches and short spurs.
Fruit matures in October; large, 3¼ in. long, 2¾ in. wide, roundish-oblate, with a short, thick, rounded neck, symmetrical; stem 1⅛ 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.
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 2¼ in. long, 1⅜ in. wide, oval, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 1¼ 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, 1¼ in. across, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels often ⅞ in. long, pubescent.
Fruit matures in late August; medium in size, 2⅛ in. long, 2 in. wide, roundish-pyriform to acute-pyriform, symmetrical, uniform, with equal sides; stem ¾ 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.
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 1½ in. long. Flower-buds large, plump, conical, free, singly on spurs and as terminal buds; flowers ⅞ in. across, in dense clusters, average 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels ½ in. long, slender, pubescent.
Fruit ripens in late August and early September; medium in size, 2¾ in. long, 2½ in. wide, variable in shape but generally obovate-pyriform; stem 1½ 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.
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 3¼ in. long, 2 in. wide, oval, thin, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 2¼ in. long. Flower-buds large, conical, pointed, plump, free, arranged singly on short spurs and branchlets; flowers 1½ in. across, showy, in dense clusters, 6 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ⅞ in. long, slender, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in late September and October; medium in size, 2¼ in. long, 2 in. wide, uniform in size and shape, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem ¾ 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.
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 2½ in. long, 1½ 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, 1⅝ in. across, large, well distributed, averaging 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 13⁄16 in. long, lightly pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August and early September; large, 4 in. long, 3¼ in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, tapering slightly toward the apex, symmetrical; stem 1¼ 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.
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.”