THE BEURRÉ CLAIRGEAU PEAR.

Beurré Clairgeau. Album de Pomologie, vol. iv. p. 145.

No pear of recent introduction has attracted the attention of pomologists more than the Beurre Clairgeau. Remarkably handsome in its appearance, very large in size, excellent in quality, a vigorous, erect, and beautiful growing tree, hardy, early, and an abundant bearer, it possesses all the qualities that constitute a fine pear. Preceded with a high reputation, it is gratifying to find that it has fully maintained its character, and is likely to prove one of the most popular pears, second only to the Bartlett, Seckel, and a few others.

The Beurre Clairgeau is a French variety, and was originated by Peter Clairgeau of Nantes. The parent tree was raised in 1835 or '36, and first bore fruit in 1846 or '47. In 1848, the fruit was first exhibited before the Horticultural Society of Nantes, and its perfect form, beautiful exterior, and fine quality, at once established its reputation. A subscription was immediately opened by several cultivators to purchase the entire stock; but as the requisite number (two hundred) could not be obtained, the trees remained in the hands of the originator. In 1850, however, M. de Jonghe and other nurserymen completed the subscription and took the entire stock, in all about three hundred trees on the quince. These, with the parent tree, were removed to Brussels in November, 1850. They produced fruit the following year, and enabled the purchasers to again test its quality, which was found to be excellent. But it was not till 1852, when the trees had borne another crop, that they were offered for sale.

The Beurre Clairgeau is a very upright and erect growing tree, more resembling the Buffum than any other variety; but the foliage is larger, richer and more ornamental. It bears remarkably young, scions inserted in moderately strong trees producing fruit the following year. It appears to succeed well upon the quince.

Tree. — Moderately vigorous, very upright and erect, branching at a very acute angle, and making rather stout wood; annual shoots of medium length.

Wood. — Reddish brown, dotted with rather large whitish specks, stout and short-jointed; old wood, brownish olive; buds, large, long, sharply pointed, diverging, with prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, oval, very sharply pointed.

Leaves. — Large, roundish ovate, broadest about the middle, rather thick, deep green, glossy, nearly flat, and coarsely and very slightly serrated; petioles, long, about one and a half inches in length, little tinged with red, and moderately stout.

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

Fruit. — Very large, about four inches long, and three inches in diameter: Form, oblong, or obtuse pyramidal, large at the crown, slightly contracted in the middle, obtuse at the stem, with a somewhat uneven surface: Skin, slightly rough, of a clear cinnamon russet, with numerous darker colored specks, acquiring, at maturity, a deep reddish tint on the sunny side: Stem, short, about half an inch long, very stout, fleshy at the base, obliquely inserted without any cavity, but surrounded by a few uneven projections: Eye, small, open, and but slightly depressed in a very shallow basin, somewhat ribbed; segments of the calyx, short, stiff, pointed, complete: Flesh, yellowish, rather coarse, melting and juicy: Flavor, saccharine, sprightly, perfumed and delicious: Core, medium size: Seeds, small, ovate, pointed.

Ripe in November, and keeps nearly a month.

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

Beurre Clairgeau of Nantes.

III. Beurre Clairgeau, (of Nantes.)—A very large fruit, irregularly turbinated; skin—yellow greenish, with dark spots; flesh—melting, buttery, juicy; resembles the Gray Doyenne; ripens in October and November. A vigorous tree; very productive, and forming fine pyramids. It is a handsome pear of first rate quality, raised from seed by Mr. Clairgeau, at Nantes, (France,) and put in trade by the care of the Horticultural Society of this city. Yours very respectfully, Andre Le Roy. Angers, France, 1st Sept., 1851.

— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)

Beurre Clairgeau.

Foreign. Tree, vigorous, light yellow wood. Fruit, large, oblong obovate pyriform: color, mostly russet, reddish in sun: stem, short, stout; calyx, small, open; flesh, yellowish, rather coarse, juicy, vinous ; "very good." October, November. This will probably prove one of the most valuable, as a large-sized pear, and desirable as an orchard variety, on the pear root. Growing strong, and bearing very young : does not succeed on Quince.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Beurré Clairgeau.

Clairgeau. Clairgeau de Nantes.

Raised by Pierre Clairgeau, of Nantes, France. Tree very vigorous, forming a beautiful pyramid. Young wood reddish brown, very productive.

The size, early bearing, productiveness, and beauty of this Pear render it a profitable market sort.

Fruit large, pyriform, but with unequal sides. Skin warm yellow, inclining to fawn, shaded with orange and crimson, thickly covered with russet dots, and sometimes sprinkled with russet. Stalk short, stout, and fleshy, inserted by a lip at an inclination almost without depression; when the lip is absent the cavity is uneven. Calyx open. Segments stiff, in a shallow furrowed basin. Flesh yellowish, buttery, juicy, somewhat granular, with a sugary, perfumed, vinous flavor. Good. October to January.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Clairgeau.* Large, pyramidal-pyriform, approaching long obovate, skin yellow or yellowish-brown, often with a crimson shade toward the sun, and brown dots; stalk short, stout, fleshy, oblique, sunk little or none; basin shallow, furrowed; flesh white, slightly granular, buttery, melting, often with a rich, very good flavor, but frequently poor. November, December. Shoots reddish-purple, short, erect, and ascending; leaves stiff. Fig. 727. France.

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

Clairgeau. — Large, pyriform, nearly long obovate, with unequal sides; color yellowish brown, usually with crimson shading next the sun; dots brown; stalk short, stout, fleshy at base, oblique, and inserted at top of neck with slight trace of cavity. Flesh white, buttery, melting, and usually rich in flavor. Season late autumn. Widely grown. France.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

BEURRE CLAIRGEAU. Her. Pom. II., 32. G. Clairgeau's Butterbirne. Culinary, November to December, large, 3¾ by 4½, long oval, even. Skin, rough. Colour, golden brown, often red flushed. Flesh, firm, not melting, white, faint musky flavour. Eye, large, open in a narrow shallow basin which is often a little ribbed. Stem, short, fleshy and thick, continued. Growth, vigorous, extremely upright; fertility good. Leaf, round oval, flat or a little folded, finely serrate. Origin, raised by Pierre Clairgeau, a gardener at Nantes, France, in 1848. A vigorous healthy tree, the quality of the fruit is variable but it is seldom better than second class. It makes a good erect standard.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

BEURRÉ CLAIRGEAU

1. Hovey Fr. Am. 2:73, Pl. 1851. 2. Ann. Pom. Belge 2:103, Pl. 1854. 3. Gard. Chron. 805. 1854. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 337. 1860. 5. Pom. France 1: No. 11, Pl. 11. 1863. 6. Mas Le Verger 1:39, fig. 26. 1866-73. 7. Jour. Hort. N. S. 12:211. 1867. 8. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:335, fig. 1867. 9. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 678. 1869. 10. Gard. Chron. 1271. 1873. 11. Hogg Fruit Man. 517. 1884.

Clairgeau's Butterbirne. 12. Dochnahl Führ. Obstkunde 2:127. 1856. 13. Lauche Deut. Pom. II: No. 7, Pl. 7. 1882. 14. Deut. Obstsorten 3: Pt. 9, Pl. 1907.

Clairgeau. 15. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1883.

Beurré Clairgeau is one of the mainstays in American pear-growing, and is an especially valuable variety in New York. It maintains its place among standard varieties chiefly because of splendid tree-characters, as the fruits, while handsome, are not of the best quality. The tree is second only to that of Buffum in vigor, health, and productiveness, and is nearly as handsome as an ornamental. It does equally well on quince or pear stock, although the Europeans maintain that the product is better on the dwarfing stock. On either stock, the trees bear young and annually. The fruits are large, smooth, symmetrical, and uniform in shape, with a handsome ground color of rich yellow at maturity and a bright crimson cheek. But here praises end, for the "deceptive cheek of the Clairgeau" is proverbial in pear-growing, the handsome coat covering rather coarse, granular flesh which is sometimes very good but more often commonplace. The core is very large, and the flesh surrounding it often rots or softens prematurely. The fruit is more suitable for cookery than dessert. The pears are heavy and often drop before maturity, and the trees should not be set in windswept situations. Despite these demerits of the fruits, the variety is well worth planting in commercial orchards for late markets.

The original tree of Beurré Clairgeau appears to have grown by chance about 1830 with Pierre Clairgeau, Nantes, France. M. Clairgeau's first account of it was given in 1848 when he exhibited fruit. The reputation of the variety seems to have been at once established, for J. de Jonghe and others combined and purchased the stock of about 300 trees grafted on quince. Together with the parent tree, these were the same year removed to Brussels, and in 1852 the pear was placed on the market. Thus it happened that a French pear was first distributed by Belgian growers. The variety was introduced in America about 1854. The American Pomological Society placed it upon its list of recommended fruits in 1860.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, unusually upright, dense, slow-growing, hardy, productive, a regular bearer; trunk slender, shaggy; branches smooth, slightly zigzag, ash-gray almost completely overspreading reddish-brown, with many lenticels; branchlets thick, short, with short internodes, greenish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with slightly raised lenticels.

Leaf-buds conical, pointed, appressed; leaves very numerous, 3 in. long, 2 in. wide, broadly oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous; stipules rudimentary or lacking. Flower-buds medium to long, conical, pointed; flowers 1½ in. across, showy, in dense clusters, averaging 7 buds to a cluster; pedicels ¾ in. long, thick, pubescent, greenish.

Fruit in season, late October and November; large, 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-acute-pyriform, with a long, tapering neck, symmetrical, uniform in shape; stem ¾ in. long, short, very thick and fleshy; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, fleshy around the base of the stem, russeted, lipped; calyx open, large; lobes separated at the base, long, broad, acute or acuminate; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed, often compressed; skin thick and granular, tough, smooth, glossy; color yellow, with bright red blush; dots many, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh white, quite granular, firm at first but becoming at maturity tender and melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a rich, vinous flavor; quality variable, good to best. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

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

BEURRE CLAIRGEAU. Fig. 74. Clairgeau. Beurre Clairgeau is one of the mainstays in American pear-growing. It maintains its place among standard varieties because of excellent tree-characters, the fruits, while handsome, being of but mediocre quality. The tree is second only to that of Buffum in vigor, health and productiveness. It does equally well on quince or pear stock. On either stock, the trees bear young and usually annually. The fruits are large, smooth, symmetrical and uniform in shape, with a handsome ground color of rich yellow at maturity and a bright crimson cheek. But here praises end, for the "deceptive cheek of the Beurre Clairgeau" is proverbial in pear-growing, the handsome coat covering rather coarse, granular flesh which is sometimes good but more often commonplace. The core is very large, and the flesh surrounding it often softens prematurely. The fruit is more suitable for cookery than dessert. The pears are heavy and often drop before maturity; hence the trees should not be set in windswept situations. Despite these demerits of the fruits, the variety is well worth planting in commercial orchards for late markets. The original tree of Beurre Clairgeau appears to have grown by chance as early as 1828 or 1830 by Pierre Clairgeau, Nantes, France.

Tree below medium in size, vigorous, unusually upright, dense, slow-growing, hardy, productive, a regular bearer; trunk slender, shaggy; branches smooth, slightly zigzag, ash-gray almost completely overspreading reddish-brown, with many lenticels. Leaves very numerous, 3 inches long, 1½ inches wide, broadly oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin glandless, finely serrate; petiole ¾ inch long, stout, slightly pubescent. Fruit in season late October and November; large, 3½ inches long, 2½ inches wide, uniform in size, pyriform, tapering neck, symmetrical, uniform in shape; stem 1 to 1½ inches long, stout, fleshy; cavity small, shallow; calyx open, large; lobes separated at the base, long, broad, acute or acuminate; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed, often compressed; skin thick and granular, tender, roughened by russet; color rich yellow, blushed bright crimson; dots small, russet; flesh whitish, coarse, granular, tender, juicy, sweet; quality good when well grown; core large, open, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, cone-shaped; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous grower and a free producer. Fruit large, pyriform. Skin yellow, with a warm blush, and sprinkled with russet dots. Flesh yellowish, juicy, buttery, sweet, of fair quality. Season October and November.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)