Barland
Pear
Origin/History
The Barland originated in the parish of Bosbury, near Ledbury, Herefordshire, England. The original tree is said to have grown in a field called "Bare Lands," on an estate called "Bosbury Farm," and to have been blown down about the end of the last century (late 18th century). The variety was well established by the 17th century and in great repute. John Evelyn mentions it in 1674, by which time it was already extensively cultivated; a parent tree surviving to about 1830 was then supposed to be 200 years old (Hedrick). Knight (Pomona Herefordiensis) observes that "as no trees of this variety are found in decay from age in favourable soils, it must be concluded that the identical trees which were growing when Evelyn wrote, still remain in health and vigour."
The variety is also known by the names Bosbury Pear, Bareland Pear, and Bearland Pear; the Bosbury name reflects the parish of origin. It is well represented in Knight's Pomona Herefordiensis, Pl. xxvii., and is cited by Lindley (Guide Orch. Card., 1831) and Hogg (Fruit Man., 1884).
Tree
Trees of this variety have acquired extraordinary size and height and are much distinguished by the beauty of their form and foliage. Very few farms on the eastern side of Herefordshire are without Barland pear trees, showing how extensively this favourite variety was at one time cultivated. The largest orchards are found in the parishes of Dymock, Gloucestershire, and Newland, Worcestershire. In favorable soils, no trees of this variety have been found in decay from age.
The bloom comes forth of a damask rose colour, resembling that of apple blossoms rather than that of other pears.
Fruit
Size and Form: Small. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the form as turbinate (top-shaped), pinched in near the stalk; Hedrick describes it as obovate.
Stem: About one inch long, slender, inserted on the end of the fruit without any depression (cavity absent).
Cavity: None; stem inserted directly on the end of the fruit without depression.
Calyx: Large for the size of the fruit, open, with short erect segments; filled with the permanent stamens.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: The Herefordshire Pomona describes the ground colour as bright green, very much covered with patches and large dots of thick, pale brown or ash-grey russet, but not so much so as to entirely obscure the green ground colour. Hedrick describes the colour as dull green, much covered with gray russet.
Flesh/Flavor: The raw fruit is astringent and unpalatable. Evelyn writes that it is "of such insufferable taste that hungry swine will not smell to it, or if hunger tempt them to taste, at first crash, they shake it out of their mouths." Specific gravity of the juice: 1070 (Knight).
Chemical analysis of the juice (G. H. With, F.R.A.S.):
- Density of fresh juice: 1.0421
- Density after 24 hours exposed to air: 1.0435
- Per 100 parts by weight: Sugar 10.670; Tannin, Mucilage, &c. 2.763; Water 86.567
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Autumn (Hedrick).
Uses
Grown exclusively for perry making; first class for perry (Hedrick). Evelyn (1674) says of the Barland that it is "reputed of the best, as bearing almost their weight of spriteful and vinous Liquor. They will grow in common Fields, gravelly and stony Ground to that largeness, as only one tree has been usually known to make three or four Hogsheads."
Evelyn writes of the perry: "There's a Pear in Bosberry and that neighbourhood, which yields the liquor richer the second year than the first, and so, by my experience very much amended the third year."
Beale (Herefordshire Orchards, 1730) writes: "It hath many of the Masculine Qualities of Cyder. It is quick, strong, and heady, high coloured and retaineth a good vigour . . . many years before it declineth . . . As it approacheth to the Apple Cyder in Colour, Strength and excellence in Durance, so the bloom cometh forth of a damask Rose Colour like Apples, not like other Pears."
Barland Perry does not bottle well — it curdles in the bottles. It is usually drunk in Herefordshire as soon as made, where it is considered very wholesome and singularly beneficial in nephritic complaints.
Knight (Pomona) notes: "many thousand hogsheads of Perry are made from this fruit in a productive season; but the Perry is not so much approved by the present as it was by the original planters. It however sells well, whilst new, to the merchants, who have, probably, some means of employing it with which the public are not acquainted; for I have never met with it more than once within the last twenty years out of the district in which it is made, and many Herefordshire planters have applied to me in vain, for information respecting its disappearance. It may be mingled in considerable quantity with strong new port without its taste becoming perceptible; and as it is comparatively cheap, it possibly sometimes contributes one of the numerous ingredients of that popular compound."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The variety has been much planted in Herefordshire and the adjoining counties and was at one time a dominant commercial perry pear throughout the eastern portion of Herefordshire. Phillips' Cyder (quoted in the Herefordshire Pomona) addresses it under the name "Bosbury": "What tho' the pear tree rival not the Worth / Of Ariconian Products? yet her freight / Is not contemn'd / Chiefly the Bosbury whose large increase / Annual, in sumptuous Banquets claims applause."
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- THE BARLAND PEAR.
" What tho' the pear tree rival not the Worth Of Ariconian Products ? yet her freight Is not contemn'd Chiefly the Bosbury whose large increase Annual, in sumptuous Banquets claims applause." (Philips' Cyder.)
[Syn : Bosbury Pear ; Bareland, or Bearland Pear.]
This pear from one of its common names may be supposed to have originated in the parish of Bosbury, near Ledbury, Herefordshire. The original tree is said to have grown in a field called Bare Lands, on an Estate called " Bosbury Farm," and to have been blown down about the end of last century. The variety was well established in the 17th century, and in great repute. Evelyn (1674) says of it "The Horse Pear, and the Bear-land Pear are reputed of the best, as bearing almost their weight of spriteful and vinous Liquor. They will grow in common Fields, gravelly and stony Ground to that largeness, as only one tree has been usually known to make three or four Hogs-heads." (Evelyns Pomona.)
This fruit is well represented in Mr. Thomas Andrew Knight's "Pomona Herefordiensis," Pl. xxvii.
Description.—Fruit : small, turbinate, pinched in near the stalk. Skin : bright green, very much covered with patches and large dots of thick, pale brown, or ash grey russet, but not so much so as entirely to obscure the green ground colour. Eye : large for the size of the fruit, open, with short erect segments; filled with the permanent stamens. Stalk : an inch long, slender, and inserted on the end of the fruit without any depression.
This variety has been much planted in Herefordshire and the adjoining counties. The trees have acquired an extraordinary size and height, and they are much distinguished by the beauty of their form and foliage. The largest orchards of this variety are now to be found in the parishes of Dymock in Gloucestershire, and Newland in Worcestershire. Very few Farms on the Eastern side of Herefordshire are without Barland pear trees, shewing how extensively this favourite variety was at one time cultivated. Evelyn several times mentions the Barland Pear, " and as no trees of this variety " says Mr. Knight " are found in decay from age in favourable soils, it must be concluded that the identical trees which were growing when Evelyn wrote, still remain in health and vigour. The specific gravity of the juice is 1070."
The fruit Evelyn describes as "of such insufferable taste that hungry swine will not smell to it, or if hunger tempt them to taste, at first crash, they shake it out of their mouths" : but of the Perry he speaks much more favourably. "There's a Pear in Bosberry and that neighbourhood, which yields the liquor richer the second year than the first, and so, by my experience very much amended the third year." Another writer says : "It hath many of the Masculine Qualities of Cyder. It is quick, strong, and heady, high coloured and retaineth a good vigour . . . many years before it declineth . . . As it approacheth to the Apple Cyder in Colour, Strength and excellence in Durance, so the bloom cometh forth of a damask Rose Colour like Apples, not like other Pears." Herefordshire Orchards by J. Beale, 1730.
The juice is rich in colour and full in flavour, its chemical analysis by Mr. G. H. With, F.R.A.S., is as follows :—
Density of fresh juice ... 1·0421 Ditto after 24 hours exposed to air 1·0435 One hundred parts by weight contains Sugar 10·670 Tannin, Mucilage, &c.... 2·763 Water 86·567 100·000
Mr. Knight in his Pomona says " many thousand hogsheads of Perry are made from this fruit in a productive season ; but the Perry is not so much approved by the present as it was by the original planters. It however sells well, whilst new, to the merchants, who have, probably, some means of employing it with which the public are not acquainted ; for I have never met with it more than once within the last twenty years out of the district in which it is made, and many Herefordshire planters have applied to me in vain, for information respecting its disappearance. It may be mingled in considerable quantity with strong new port without its taste becoming perceptible ; and as it is comparatively cheap, it possibly sometimes contributes one of the numerous ingredients of that popular compound."
Barland Perry does not bottle well. It curdles in the bottles. It is usually drunk in Herefordshire as soon as made, where it is considered very wholesome and singularly beneficial in nephritic complaints.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Barland.
- Lindley Guide Orch. Card. 414. 1831. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 489. 1884.
The parent tree of this variety grew in the parish of Bosbury, Hereford, Eng., and about 1830 was supposed to be 200 years old. It appears to have been extensively cultivated as early as 1674. Fruit small, obovate, dull green, much covered with gray russet; first class for perry; autumn.