Beurré Bachelier
Pear
Origin/History
A French pear obtained by Louis-François Bachelier of the commune of Cappellebourg (also rendered Capelle-Brouck), Canton of Bourbourg, in the North of France. First fruited in 1845, the year of its introduction (Downing, Hedrick, Bunyard).
Tree
Vigorous growth (Downing), with Bunyard specifying medium, upright-spreading growth and good fertility. Young wood rich dark brown (Downing); shoots reddish-yellow and vigorous (Thomas). The bark of the tree cracks (Thomas). Leaves small, round, flat or a little folded, finely serrate (Bunyard). A little subject to scab (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Sources vary. Downing calls it "medium or above"; Hedrick "large"; Elliott "very large"; Thomas "rather large"; Bunyard "medium, 3 by 3½" inches.
Form: Obovate obtuse pyriform (Downing); oblong-turbinate, very obtuse and swelled, mammillate at summit (Hedrick); oblong, obovate pyriform (Elliott); obovate, pyriform, irregular (Thomas); round conical, flattened at stem, even (Bunyard). Thomas adds that large, well-grown specimens are sometimes nearly Bartlett-shaped, while small ones approach roundish-obovate.
Stem: Shortish, very much inclined in a moderate depression by a lip (Downing); stout, set in a deep cavity (Elliott); rather short, obliquely set (Thomas); short, woody, often in a deepish cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity: See stem. Downing describes a moderate depression with a lip; Elliott a deep cavity; Bunyard a deepish cavity.
Calyx/Eye: Partially closed, set in a shallow basin (Downing, Thomas); eye large, nearly closed in a slight basin (Bunyard).
Basin: Shallow (Downing, Thomas); slight (Bunyard).
Skin: Greenish yellow, with brown dots and a patch of russet next the stalk (Downing); greenish-yellow, with brown dots, russeted and streaked with fawn around the stalk (Hedrick); greenish yellow (Elliott); green (Thomas); smooth, colour green to pale yellow green, with small russet dots (Bunyard).
Flesh/Flavor: Buttery, juicy, melting, with a brisk, vinous, aromatic flavor (Downing); white, fine, melting, juice very abundant, sweet, acid, vinous, delicate and aromatic (Hedrick); firm, sugary (Elliott); buttery, melting, vinous, aromatic, flavor moderate (Thomas); yellowish, fine, melting, juicy and pleasantly flavoured with a slight acidity (Bunyard). Quality rated "very good" by Downing and "first" by Hedrick.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November and December (Downing, Thomas, Bunyard); October to December (Hedrick); December (Elliott). Bunyard classes it as a dessert pear and advises that it should be gathered a little before it is ready to part from the tree.
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard notes it is a valuable fruit but suffers from being in season at the same time as Doyenné du Comice.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1900–1911) from England
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (6)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)[Text description not captured in provided pages. Beurre Bachelier appears as item 3 on Plate XXIV (page 388). The text page (page 390) was truncated after the Soldat Labourer entry (item 2); the Beurre Bachelier description would follow on page 390 or 391.]
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurre Bachelier.
Bachelier. Chevalier.
A French Pear, introduced in 1845. Tree vigorous. Young wood rich dark brown.
Fruit medium or above, obovate obtuse pyriform. Skin greenish yellow, with brown dots and patch of russet next the stalk. Stalk shortish, very much inclined in a moderate depression by a lip. Calyx partially closed, set in a shallow basin. Flesh buttery, juicy, melting, with a brisk, vinous, aromatic flavor. Very good. November and December.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Beurré Bachelier.
- Pom. France 2:No. 49, Pl. 49. 1864. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 673. 1869. This splendid pear was obtained by Louis-François Bachelier, commune of Cappellebourg, Canton of Bourbourg, Fr., in 1845. Fruit large, oblong-turbinate, very obtuse and swelled, mammillate at summit, greenish-yellow, with brown dots, russeted and streaked with fawn around the stalk; flesh white, fine, melting; juice very abundant, sweet, acid, vinous, delicate and aromatic; first; Oct. to Dec.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre Bachelier.
Foreign. Fruit, very large, oblong, obovate pyriform, greenish yellow ; stem, stout ; cavity, deep ; flesh, firm, sugary. December. (Hov. Mag.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bachelier. Rather large, obovate, pyriform, irregular; green; stalk rather short, obliquely set; calyx partly closed, basin shallow; buttery, melting, vinous, aromatic, flavor moderate. November, December. Shoots reddish-yellow, vigorous. Large, well-grown specimens are sometimes nearly Bartlett-shaped, small ones approach roundish-obovate. Bark of the tree cracks.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BEURRE BACHELIER. Her. Pom. I. 24. G. Bachelier's Butterbirne. (Chevalier.) Dessert, November to December, medium, 3 by 3½, round conical, flattened at stem, even. Skin, smooth. Colour, green to pale yellow green, with small russet dots. Flesh, yellowish, fine, melting, juicy and pleasantly flavoured with a slight acidity. Eye, large, nearly closed in a slight basin. Stem, short, woody, often in a deepish cavity. Growth, medium, upright spreading; fertility good. Leaf, small, round, flat or a little folded, finely serrate. Origin, obtained by M. Bachelier of Capelle-Brouck in the North of France, and first fruited in 1845. This is a valuable fruit but suffers from being in at the same season as Doyenne du Comice. A little subject to scab. It should be gathered a little before it is ready to part from the tree.