THE BEURRÉ BEAUMONT PEAR.

Beurré Beaumont. Kenrick's American Orchardist. Beurré Le Fevre, } } of some French Collections. Beurré de Montefortaine, }

The Beurre Beaumont is a most excellent pear, and well deserves more attention than it has hitherto received. In its general character it approaches the Andrews, and, if it resembled it in form, might be readily mistaken for that variety. Its flesh has the same buttery texture, and its juice much of its rich spicy aroma. But, beyond this, there is no similarity in the two; for, while the Andrews is a somewhat pyramidal-shaped fruit, the Beaumont is a roundish one, and could never be mistaken for it. It matures at the same season, keeps about the same length of time, and will not suffer by a comparison with that old, highly esteemed, and truly luscious but too much neglected pear.

The Beurre Beaumont was introduced into our collections fifteen or twenty years ago, and first fruited at Salem, from whence we had fine specimens, which we described and figured in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. xi. p. 331.) It has since been much disseminated under this name, but whether it is its legitimate one or not we are unable to determine. Two other pears, received by us from France as the Beurré Le Fevre and Beurre Montefortaine, have proved synonymous with the Beurré Beaumont; but in the present confusion of names, and in the absence of accurate descriptions, it is difficult to decide which should have priority. The Beurre Le Fevre is a very old pear, raised in 1804; yet it appears to be wholly unknown to English pomologists, and is only briefly described by a few French authors. With such information, therefore, as we have been able to find in regard to it, we have thought it best to adhere to the familiar name of Beurre Beaumont, under which it has been widely disseminated, and under which it will be everywhere recognized.

The tree is a rather irregular grower, with diverging and often drooping branches, and is somewhat difficult to train into a good pyramid. It thrives exceedingly well on the quince, and may be set down as one of the sorts which may be generally cultivated on that stock.

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BEURRÉ BEAUMONT PEAR.

Tree. — Moderately vigorous, irregular and somewhat straggling in habit, with diverging or nearly horizontal branches; annual growth rather slender, curved.

Wood. — Brownish olive, sparsely dotted with grayish specks, rather slender and short-jointed; old wood, grayish olive; buds, medium size, ovate, sharply pointed, very diverging, with small shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, ovate, obtuse, light brown, with gray scales.

Leaves. — Medium size, narrow ovate, broadest near the base, tapering to the point, deep green, wavy, and slightly and sharply serrated; petioles, about two inches long, slender.

Flowers. — Medium size; petals, roundish oval, cupped; clusters, compact.

Fruit. — Medium size, about two and a quarter inches long, and two and a quarter in diameter: Form, roundish obovate, largest in the middle, full at the crown, and rounding off to the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish green in the shade, broadly marbled with brownish red in the sun, and thickly and regularly covered with dark green specks, assuming a ruddy color on the exposed side: Stem, short, about three quarters of an inch long, brown, inserted in a very shallow cavity, often contracted and swollen on the sides: Eye, medium size, closed, and moderately sunk in a round basin; segments of the calyx, medium length, pointed, stiff: Flesh, white, fine, buttery and juicy: Flavor, rich, sweet, perfumed and excellent: Core, medium size: Seeds, large, dark brown.

Ripe the middle of September, and keeps three or four weeks.

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— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)