Fruit

Pyrus communis ‘Uvedale’s St. Germain’

‘Fruit very large, of an oblong figure, tapering to the crown, but compressed between the middle and the stalk; its usual size is about four inches long, and three inches broad, but sometimes much larger. Eye wide, in a deep hollow. Stalk an inch long, bent, and rather deeply inserted in an oblique angular cavity. Skin smooth, dark green, and of a dull brown on the sunny side; but as it becomes matured it is of a red colour on a yellowish ground. Flesh white, hard, and a little gritty next the core, with an austere astringent juice, which renders it unfit for eating raw, but it is excellent for baking and stewing. In use from Christmas till April.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.413/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Van Mons Léon Leclerc’

‘Fruit very large, oblong-pyramidal. Skin dull yellow, covered with dots and tracings of russet. Eye open, set in a shallow basin, stalk an inch and a half long, curved, and inserted in a shallow cavity. Flesh yellowish-white, buttery and melting, very juicy, rich, sugary, and delicious. A remarkably fine pear. Ripe in November.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.215/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘White Doyenné’

‘Fruit pretty large, roundish oblong, narrowest at the stalk, about three inches and a half long, and two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye very small, with small, acute, closed segments of the calyx, placed in a shallow depression. Stalk three quarters of an inch long, rather thick, inserted in a small cavity; in some specimens it is diagonally inserted under a small elongated lip. Skin pale citron yellow, speckled throughout, more or less, with cinnamon russet, and tinged with orange brown on the sunny side. Flesh white, juicy, very buttery, and delicious. Ripe the end of September, and good for three or four weeks.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.386/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Williams’ Bonchrétien’

‘Fruit pretty large, of an irregular, pyramidal, and somewhat truncated form, from three to four inches long, and from two to three inches in diameter. Eye seated on the summit, and never in a hollow or cavity, as in other varieties called Bonchrétien. Stalk an inch long, very gross and fleshy. Skin pale green, mottled all over with a mixture of darker green and russet brown, becoming yellowish and tinged with red on the sunny side when fully ripe. Flesh whitish, very tender and delicate, abounding with a sweet and agreeably perfumed juice. Ripe the end of August to the middle of September.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.350/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Windsor’

‘Fruit middle-sized, oblong, obovate, not either pyramidal or turbinate, being widest above its middle, tapering to the crown, and suddenly contracted towards the stalk, where it is slender; about three inches and a half long, and two inches and a quarter in diameter. Eye small, with a connivent calyx, prominently placed on the summit. Stalk an inch long, slender, convexly inserted without any cavity. Skin yellowish green, full of small green specks, becoming yellow when fully ripe, and tinged with orange on the sunny side. Flesh white, soft, with a little grit at the core, and a sugary astringent juice. Ripe the end of August and beginning of September.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.351/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Winter Crasanne’

Fruit; large, irregular turbinate in shape. Skin; greenish yellow with some patches of brown russet. Flesh; yellowish white, melting, buttery, very little grittiness, rich, sugary. The tree is a good bearer. Considered an excellent pear. Ripening in January. [HP].  

Pyrus communis ‘Winter Nélis’

‘Fruit above the middle size, somewhat oval, broadest in the middle, narrowed towards the crown, and a little more so towards the stalk, about three inches and a quarter long, and two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye open, slightly sunk in a rather narrow basin. Stalk one inch and a half long, inserted in a narrow and rather deep cavity. Skin dull greyish green, full of grey dots, covered partly, especially on the sunny side, with a brownish-grey russet. Flesh yellowish white, melting, buttery. Juice plentiful, sugary, rich, high flavoured, with a musky perfume. In perfection in December and January’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.409/1831].

Pyrus communis L.

Tree, usually with a conical crown, often thorny, the leaves oval-elliptic with scalloped margins, the flowers white in corymbs, followed by rounded to pyriform fruits, green ripening to green, brown or yellow. To 15m in the wild, but depending on variety in the cultivated pear. [RHSD, Hortus].

Pyrus communis ‘Zépherin Grégoire’

‘Fruit about medium size, roundish. Skin pale greenish-yellow, sometimes becoming of a uniform pale waxen yellow, covered with russet dots and markings. Eye very small, slightly depressed. Stalk an inch long, inserted without depression. Flesh yellow, buttery, melting, and very juicy, very rich, sugary, and vinous, with a powerful and peculiar aroma. A most delicious pear. Ripe in December and January.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.206/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Cape Pear’

I have found no reference to ‘Cape Pear’ in the literature. It was probably grown at the Cape of Good Hope and brought to New South Wales by ships calling in at the Cape for supplies. William Macarthur’s comments on its popularity in New South Wales suggests that it was an early introduction to the Colony.

Ribes aureum Pursh

Fully hardy shrub with 3-lobed leaves and spicily aromatic, yellow flowers, often flushed red, followed by black berries.  To 2m.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Ribes grossularia ‘Green Walnut’

A cultivar of Ribes grossularia L. ‘Green Walnut’ is probably very similar to Macarthur’s ‘large, smooth, green’ gooseberry. ‘Fruit medium sized, obovate. Skin very thin, dark green, and smooth. An early variety, of excellent flavour. Bush with long-spreading shoots; leaves close to the branches; and a great bearer.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.83/1860]. Hogg includes it among his smooth, oblong, oval or obovate, green dessert gooseberries.

Ribes grossularia ‘Ironmonger’

A cultivar of Ribes grossularia L. A red gooseberry, cultivated by 1831, although not new at this time [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.178/1831]. ‘Ironmonger’ was only included among Additional Gooseberries Cultivated in this Country.

‘Ironmonger’ is considered a superior variety by Hogg and included among the hairy, round or roundish, red dessert gooseberries. 

Ribes grossularia ‘Yellow Champagne’

A cultivar of Ribes grossularia L. ‘Small and roundish. Skin yellow, and hairy. Of first-rate excellence. Bush erect.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.90/1860].  Hogg included ‘Yellow Champagne’ among his yellow, round, hairy-skinned dessert gooseberries.

Ribes grossularia L.

Deciduous spiny shrub with bristly shoots and lobed leaves, the greenish flowers born singly or in twos and threes, followed by round to ovate edible green fruits, sometimes bristly. To 1m or so. [RHSD, Hortus].