Bessemianka

Pear

Bessemianka

Origin/History

A Russian variety recommended for cultivation by the American Pomological Society. It grows in Europe from the Gulf to the Volga, as far north as Moscow and Kazan, and is the most widely-known and most largely-grown pear in central Russia. J. L. Budd writes: "This is beyond all doubt a true hybrid with a wild pear of Russia as the parent tree. The name means seedless, and it is rare, indeed, that more than the rudiment of a seed can be found."

Tree

Upright in habit. Leaves large, dark, thick, very slightly crenate, almost entire. Stands aridity well.

Fruit

Size and Form: Hedrick describes the fruit as large and round-obovate; Thomas describes it as medium and pyriform.

Stem, Cavity, Calyx, Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Greenish-yellow, with some russety-brown.

Flesh and Flavor: Juicy, with few or no seeds. Hedrick describes the flesh as gritty at the core, mild, and pleasant. Thomas describes it as tender, buttery, juicy, and sub-acid, rating it good.

Core and Seeds: Seeds are typically absent or present only as rudiments; rarely more than the rudiment of a seed can be found.

Season

Early October.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Cited in: Montana Horticulture Society Report 53, fig. 1881–2; Iowa Horticulture Society Report 83, 1882; American Pomological Society Catalogue 40, 1909.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 15 catalogs (1890–1912) from Alabama, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington

William H. Moon Co. , Morrisville, Bucks County , Pennsylvania — 1890
Missouri Nursery Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1891
Rogers Nursery Co. , Moorestown , New Jersey — 1893
The Lovett Company , Little Silver , New Jersey — 1896
Reading Nursery , Jacob W. Manning, Proprietor, Reading , Massachusetts — 1898
J.V. Cotta (Cotta Nursery) , Carroll County , Illinois — 1898
Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1899
Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
Washington Nursery Co. , Toppenish , Washington — 1901
Brown Brothers Co. , Continental Nurseries, Rochester, NY (also operated from Toronto, Canada) — 1901
Phoenix Nursery Company (W. E. Rossney , President; Sidney Tuttle, Vice-President), Bloomington , Illinois — 1904
Wm. J. Corse (successor to Robert Sinclair / Sinclair Nurseries) , Baltimore , Maryland — 1909
Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1909
Pacific Nursery Company , Portland , Oregon — 1912
Washington Nursery Company , Toppenish , Washington — 1912

View original book sources (2)

Bessemianka.

Mont. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 53, fig. 1881-2.

Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 83. 1882.

Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 40. 1909.

A Russian variety recommended for cultivation by the American Pomological Society. It grows in Europe from the Gulf to the Volga as far north as Moscow and Kazan and is the most widely-known and most largely-grown pear in central Russia. J. L. Budd says, "This is beyond all doubt a true hybrid with a wild pear of Russia as the parent tree. The name means seedless, and it is rare, indeed, that more than the rudiment of a seed can be found."

Tree upright; leaves large, dark, thick, very slightly crenate, almost entire, stands aridity well.

Fruit large, round-obovate, greenish-yellow, with some russety-brown; flesh gritty at the core, juicy, with few or no seeds, mild, pleasant; early Oct.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Bessemianka. Medium, pyriform; flesh tender, buttery, juicy, sub-acid; good. Russian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Seedless