Trees and Shrubs

Pyrus communis ‘Beurré Superfin’

‘Fruit above medium size, roundish-obovate or turbinate. Skin of a beautiful lemon colour, very much covered with thin cinnamon-coloured russet. Eye small and open. Stalk inserted on the apex of the fruit without depression. Flesh very fine grained, buttery, melting, and very juicy, with a brisk piquant flavour, and fine aroma. A first-rate dessert pear, ripe in the end of September and beginning of October.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.185/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Beurré Thuerlinckx’

‘This is a large, coarse pear, of a roundish-obovate shape, five to six inches long and four or five broad. The flesh is somewhat tender and juicy, but without any aroma, and very soon becomes mealy. Not worth growing. Ripe in November and December.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.168/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Beurré Van Mons’

‘Tree - of tolerably rapid growth. Shoots - vigorous, upright. Young wood - dusky yellow. Leaves - four or five from one bud, like  White Doyenne or Flemish Beauty. Primary leaves - large, oblong, slightly crenulate; footstalks about an inch and a half long. Secondary leaves - narrow, recurved, folded, with short footstalks. Fruit - medium to large, varying much in form. Skin - rough, greenish-yellow, and nearly covered with yellow russet. Surface - irregular, somewhat knobby. Stalk - an inch and a quarter long, with a fleshy base or lip. Calyx - erect, sometimes open, often placed on a singular fleshy ring. Basin - shallow irregular. Flesh rather coarse, juicy, melting, rich, slightly acid, mingled with sweet, and a peculiarly fine aroma. Season - October to middle of December. It grows very finely on Quince, is a good and regular bearer, and the fruit is equalled by few autumn Pears.’ 

This description, the only one I have seen of a pear called ‘Beurré Van Mons’, (or ‘Mont’ in this publication), appeared in volume 10 of The Horticulturist and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste, edited by P. Barry and published in the USA between 1853 and 1874. 

Pyrus communis ‘Bishop’s Thumb’

‘Fruit long, rather slender, slightly tapering from the crown to the stalk, having an irregular and slightly knobby outline, in the manner of the Calebasse, about three inches and three quarters long, and two inches in diameter. Eye small, open, with slender segments of the calyx, slightly sunk in an uneven hollow. Stalk one inch and a half long, slender, recurved, and obliquely inserted in a two-lipped cavity. Skin dark green, almost wholly covered with an iron-coloured russet, on the sunny side of a dark rufous brown, thickly sprinkled with grey russetty dots. Flesh greenish yellow, melting, with an abundance of rich, saccharine, high-flavoured juice. Ripe the middle to the end of October.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.412/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Black Worcester’

‘Fruit very large, of a roundish turbinate figure usually about four inches long, and three inches and a half in diameter. Eye small, placed in a wide and deep hollow. Stalk half an inch long, stout, inserted in a slight cavity. Skin rough, of an obscure red or brown colour on the sunny side, but more pale on the shaded part. Flesh very hard, course, of an austere taste, but very good when baked or stewed. In use from November till February.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.413/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Brown Beurré’

‘Brown Beurré’ is identical to ‘Golden Beurré’, which see for details. In the pre-Victorian era it was often considered separately and the synonyms given here have been used specifically for the ‘Brown Beurré’.

Pyrus communis ‘Calebasse Grosse’

‘Fruit very large, sometimes measuring six inches long, pyramidal. Skin greenish-yellow, considerably covered with dark grey russet in the shade, and entirely covered with light brown russet on the side next the sun. Eye small, set in a pretty deep basin. Stalk an inch long. Flesh coarse-grained, crisp, juicy, and sweet, ripe in October. Its size is its only recommendation.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.174/1830].

Pyrus communis Catillac’

‘Fruit very large, of a broad turbinate figure, somewhat in the shape of a Quince; usually about three inches and a half or four inches deep, and the same in diameter. Eye small, with a short neat calyx, placed in a deep and wide plaited hollow. Stalk an inch long, stout, curved, and a little obliquely inserted in a very small cavity. Skin yellow, and when well matured in a warm season, of a deep orange, with a red tinge on the sunny side. Flesh hard, with an austere juice. In use from December till April.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.412/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Chaumontel’

‘Fruit large, of an oblong, and somewhat irregular figure, having some slightly obtuse angles, which, more or less, extend from the stalk to the crown; generally about three inches and a half long, and three inches broad. Eye small, deeply sunk in a very angular basin. Stalk short, inserted in a rather deep angular cavity. Skin a little scabrous, yellowish green on the shaded side, but of a brown or purplish colour when fully exposed to the sun and highly ripened. Flesh melting, and full of a sugary and highly perfumed juice. In eating from November till January or February. It succeeds on both the Pear and the Quince.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.395/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Colmar d’Arenberg’

‘Fruit large, obovate, uneven, and bossed in its outline. Skin lemon coloured, marked with spots and patches of russet. Eye rather small and partially closed, set in a very deep round cavity. Stalk short, and rather slender, deeply inserted. Flesh yellowish-white, coarse-grained, half-melting, juicey, and briskly flavoured. A fine-looking but very coarse pear, ripe in October.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.197/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Colmar Preul’

See Pyrus communis L. var. ‘Passe Colmar’ for a description and details. ‘Colmar Preul’ is a synonym of this pear.

Pyrus communis ‘Colmar’

‘Fruit pretty large, of a pyramidal turbinate figure; about three inches and a quarter long, and two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye large, and deeply hollowed. Stalk an inch long, rather thick, bent, inserted in a tolerably deep, oblique cavity. Skin smooth, green, with a few yellowish grey specks; as it becomes mature, it turns more yellow, and has sometimes a little colour on the sunny side. Flesh greenish white, very tender, and full of a saccharine, rich, highly-flavoured juice. In eating from November till January.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.397/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Crasanne’

‘Fruit above the middle size, of a roundish turbinate figure, about two inches and a half deep, and a little more in diameter. Eye small, and placed in a deep narrow basin, something like the eye of an apple. Stalk one inch and a quarter long, crooked, slender, and inserted in an open shallow cavity. Skin greenish yellow, thinly covered with a reticulated grey russet. Flesh extremely tender, buttery, and full of a rich saccharine juice. Ripe the beginning of November, and will keep till Christmas.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.355/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Crawford’

I have found no record of a pear called ‘Early Crawford’. The information given here is for the Scottish pear ‘Crawford’ which could be synonymous as this is an early pear.  ‘Fruit below medium size, obovate. Skin greenish-yellow, changing to pale yellow, with sometimes a tinge of brownish-red next the sun. Eye open. Stalk an inch long. Flesh white, buttery, juicy, sweet, and with a musky flavour. Ripe in the middle of August.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.179/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Doyenné Marbré’

Fruit; medium sized, oval, curved. Skin; pea green ripening to yellowish, thickly dotted, sometimes grey or green. Flesh; yellowish, tender, buttery, melting, slightly gritty at the core, sweet, rich and highly flavoured. Produces a vigorous tree and is an abundant bearer. An excellent late pear. Ripening December to March. [Herefordshire Pomona].