Beurré Duhaume
Pear
Origin/History
The origin of this pear is unrecorded. The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) notes "there is no notice of the origin of this pear in any of the leading authorities." Elliott (1865) identifies it only as "Foreign."
The Herefordshire Pomona observes it is "a pear of the first value, not unlike the Passe Colmar in the colour of the fruit and the texture of its flesh," though "quite distinct from it." Hedrick rates it "first" quality; Downing rates it "Good."
Tree
A moderate grower, productive, with young wood yellowish brown (Downing; Elliott). The Herefordshire Pomona describes the tree as having a diffuse and bushy habit of growth, succeeding well on the pear or Quince stock, and bearing freely on either when fully grown.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing; Elliott). Not described by other sources.
Form: Sources conflict on form. The Herefordshire Pomona and Hedrick describe the fruit as turbinate, evenly shaped. Downing and Elliott describe it as oblate turbinate, very much depressed, with a suture along one side.
Stem: Sources conflict significantly. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the stalk as about half an inch long, very slender, and placed in a narrow round cavity. Downing and Elliott describe the stalk as short, thick and fleshy, inserted by a lip at an inclination.
Cavity: A narrow round cavity (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described separately by other sources, though Downing and Elliott note the stem is inserted by a lip at an inclination.
Calyx/Eye: The Herefordshire Pomona describes the eye as large and quite open, set in a shallow basin, or almost level with the surface. Downing and Elliott describe the calyx as open, with stiff segments, and the basin as irregular.
Skin: Covered with brown russet over a yellow ground color. The Herefordshire Pomona gives the most detailed account: the russet "only admits of a little of the yellow ground colour showing through on the side next the sun, where it has a red and orange cheek; on the shaded side it is not so much covered with russet, and therefore shows more of the yellow ground colour through it." Hedrick similarly describes the skin as yellow but almost entirely covered with brown russet, with some red and orange on the side exposed to the sun. Downing and Elliott describe the skin as rough, covered with thin russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots.
Flesh/Flavor: Sources give two distinctly different flesh descriptions. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the flesh as firm, crisp and breaking, very juicy, sweet, rich and vinous, with a fine noyau flavour. Hedrick agrees: firm, breaking, very juicy, sweet, rich, vinous. Downing and Elliott describe the flesh as coarse, buttery, juicy, melting, with a pleasant vinous flavor. All sources agree the flavor is vinous; the Herefordshire Pomona alone notes a fine noyau flavour.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to February (Downing; Elliott). December to February (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
View original book sources (4)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- BEURRÉ DUHAUME.
There is no notice of the origin of this pear in any of the leading authorities.
Description.—Fruit: turbinate, evenly shaped. Skin: covered with brown russet, which only admits of a little of the yellow ground colour showing through on the side next the sun, where it has a red and orange cheek; on the shaded side it is not so much covered with russet, and therefore shows more of the yellow ground colour through it. Eye: large, and quite open, set in a shallow basin, or almost level with the surface. Stalk: about half an inch long, very slender, and placed in a narrow round cavity. Flesh: firm, crisp and breaking, very juicy, sweet, rich and vinous, with a fine noyau flavour.
This is a pear of the first value, not unlike the Passe Colmar in the colour of the fruit and the texture of its flesh. It is, however, quite distinct from it.
The tree has a diffuse and bushy habit of growth. It succeeds well on the pear, or Quince stock, and bears freely on either when fully grown.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurre Duhaume.
Tree a moderate grower, productive. Young wood yellowish brown.
Fruit medium, oblate turbinate, very much depressed, with a suture along one side. Skin rough, covered with thin russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk short, thick, and fleshy, inserted by a lip at an inclination. Calyx open. Segments stiff. Basin irregular. Flesh coarse, buttery, juicy, melting, with a pleasant vinous flavor. Good. November to February.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Beurré Duhaume.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 519. 1884.
Fruit turbinate, evenly shaped; skin yellow but almost entirely covered with brown-russet, some red and orange on side exposed to the sun; flesh firm, breaking, very juicy, sweet, rich, vinous; first; Dec. to Feb.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre Duhaume.
Foreign. Tree, a moderate grower, productive, young wood yellowish brown. Fruit, medium, oblate turbinate, very much depressed, with a suture along one side ; skin, rough, covered with thin russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots ; stalk, short, thick and fleshy, inserted by a lip at an inclination ; calyx, open, segments stiff; basin, irregular; flesh, coarse, buttery, juicy, melting, with a pleasant vinous flavor. November to February.