Barry
PearBarry
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Thomas (1903) describes a large, long pyriform, orange-yellow, russet-dotted pear in season in late winter, grown in California, while Elliott, Downing, and Hedrick describe an October pear found at Angers; Thomas may be describing a different variety under the same name. His details are included below with attribution.]
Origin / History
Elliott lists it as "Foreign." Hedrick says it was found in Leroy's nurseries at Angers, Fr., but was not originated by Leroy. It first bore fruit in 1851 and was then dedicated to P. Barry of Rochester, N.Y. Hedrick cites Leroy (Dict. Pom., 1867) and Downing (Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, 1869) as its early literature. Downing calls it "an old variety, lately introduced and renamed." Thomas, whose entry closes with "California," calls it "one of the best winter varieties." He says it is extensively grown in California, where "it has there supplanted Nelis to some extent."
Tree
A poor grower that must be double worked (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Medium to large. Elliott calls it medium, sometimes large, and Thomas calls it large.
Form: Pyriform, long, irregularly shaped or contorted. It ranges from oblong obovate pyriform (Downing) to long pyriform, and to long and nearly cylindrical, narrowed toward the stalk (Hedrick).
Stem: Short (Downing), obliquely inserted.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Small (Elliott), or large and open (Downing).
Basin: Narrow (Elliott).
Skin: Rough (Elliott). Greenish yellow, yellow greenish on the shaded side, and red on the sunny side. Elliott describes the sunny side as spotted with red and Hedrick as washed with bright red. Downing describes the skin as netted and shaded with russet, and Hedrick as streaked and stained with fawn. Thomas describes an orange-yellow skin covered with russet dots and blotches, resembling Winter Nelis in color.
Dots: Russet (Downing, Thomas) or fawn (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white or whitish, juicy to extremely juicy. Elliott calls it coarse and tender at the center. Hedrick calls it semi-fine, melting, and rather gritty at the center. Thomas calls it buttery and rich, resembling Anjou in texture. The flavor is sweet, sugared or saccharine, and perfumed, "pleasant" to Downing, and vinous and "deliriously perfumed" to Hedrick. Downing rates it "good to very good," Hedrick "first," and Thomas "best."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October; Hedrick extends it into November. Thomas gives late winter.
Uses
Extensively grown in California for Eastern markets (Thomas).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Barry.
Foreign. Fruit, medium size, sometimes, large, pyriform, irregularly shaped; skin, rough red, spotted on the sunny side, yellow greenish on the opposite; calyx, small, set in a narrow basin; stalk, obliquely inserted; flesh, white, coarse, tender at the centre, very juicy, sugared and perfumed. October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Barry.
De Lestumieres. Doyennè Barry.
An old variety, lately introduced and renamed.
Fruit medium, oblong obovate pyriform, greenish yellow, netted and shaded and dotted with russet. Stalk short, obliquely inserted, short. Calyx large, open. Flesh whitish, juicy, sweet, pleasant. Good to very good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Barry.* Large, long pyriform; skin orange-yellow, covered with russet dots and blotches; flesh juicy, buttery, rich, best. Resembles Anjou in texture and Winter Nelis in color. Tree a poor grower and must be double worked. Late winter. One of the best winter varieties, extensively grown in California for Eastern markets. It has there supplanted Nelis to some extent. California.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Barry.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:181. 1867.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 665. 1869.
This variety was found in his nurseries but was not originated by Leroy, Angers, Fr. It bore fruit first in 1851 and was then dedicated to P. Barry, Rochester, N. Y.
Fruit medium to large, long, nearly cylindrical, narrowed toward the stalk, contorted, greenish-yellow, dotted, streaked and stained with fawn, washed with bright red on the side next the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, rather gritty at the center, extremely juicy, saccharine, vinous and deliriously perfumed; first; Oct. and Nov.