Beau Présent d'Artois
PearOrigin/History
A foreign variety (Downing; Elliott). Prévost, who died at Rouen in 1849, considered it identical with the Present royal de Naples, which is said to have obtained its name from the fact that the King of Naples, about the end of the eighteenth century, sent a number of these pears to Prince Charles of Wurttemberg to remind him to forward a promised white stag (Hedrick). Highly esteemed by some persons (Downing). Has been classed by error by some as a Pound pear (Hedrick).
Tree
Vigorous, with long branches. Young wood dull brown, with white oblong specks (Downing). Other tree characteristics not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Sources give related but varying descriptions: oblong pyriform (Downing); oblong-obtuse-pyriform (Hedrick); oblong obovate pyriform (Elliott); pyriform (Thomas).
Stem/Stalk: Long, rather stout, inclined, with little or no depression (Downing). Large, short (Elliott). Hedrick and Thomas do not describe the stem.
Cavity: Little or no depression (Downing). Not otherwise described.
Calyx: Partially closed (Downing). Short, broad (Elliott).
Basin: Shallow, uneven (Downing). Not otherwise described.
Skin: Greenish yellow, dotted and patched with russet (Downing); greenish-yellow, covered with patches and dots of brown russet (Hedrick); gray and green spotted (Elliott); yellow (Thomas).
Flesh/Flavor: Buttery, juicy, melting; good to very good (Downing). Melting, juicy, sweet, and agreeably flavored and perfumed; first quality (Hedrick). White, with green lines, tender, juicy, sugary (Elliott). Granular, sweet; rots at core (Thomas).
Core/Seeds: Rots at core (Thomas). Not otherwise described.
Season
September (Downing, Elliott, Thomas); August and September (Hedrick).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beau Present d'Artois.
Present Royal de Naples. Present Royal de Nantes.
A foreign variety, by some persons highly esteemed. Tree vigorous, with long branches. Young wood dull brown, with white oblong specks.
Fruit large, oblong pyriform, greenish yellow, dotted and patched with russet. Stalk long, rather stout, inclined, little or no depression. Calyx partially closed. Basin shallow, uneven. Flesh buttery, juicy, melting. Good to very good. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Beau Présent d'Artois.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:185, fig. 1867. 2. Mas Pom. Gen. 1:175, fig. 88. 1872. Present Royal of Naples. 3. Mag. Hort. 4:395. 1838.
Prévost, who died at Rouen in 1849, wrote of this pear that he considered it identical with the Present royal de Naples which it is said obtained its name from the fact that the King of Naples about the end of the eighteenth century sent a number of these pears to Prince Charles of Wurttemberg to remind him to forward a promised white stag. Fruit large, by error classed by some as a Pound pear, oblong-obtuse-pyriform, greenish-yellow, covered with patches and dots of brown russet; flesh melting, juicy, sweet, and agreeably flavored and perfumed; first; Aug. and Sept.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beau Present d'Artois.
Foreign. Fruit large, oblong obovate pyriform, gray and green spotted; stem, large, short; calyx, short, broad; flesh, white, with green lines, tender, juicy, sugary. September. (Hov. Mag.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Beau Present d'Artois. Large, pyriform, yellow; granular, sweet; rots at core. September.