Beurré Gens
Pear
Beurré Gens
Origin/History
A Belgian pear.
Tree
Vigorous. Downing describes the tree as productive; Elliott as very productive. Young wood yellowish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Downing describes the fruit as roundish obovate, obscurely pyriform. Elliott describes it as irregularly obovate, inclining to conic and truncate.
Stem: Short (both sources). Elliott adds that it is thick and inserted in a cavity at an inclination.
Cavity: Elliott notes the stalk is inserted in a cavity; Downing does not describe a cavity.
Calyx: Downing describes the calyx as small and partially closed. Elliott describes it as open and stiff. These accounts conflict.
Basin: Downing describes the basin as narrow. Elliott describes it as broad, rather deep, and uneven. These accounts conflict.
Skin: The two sources give differing accounts. Downing describes the skin as yellow, shaded with bright red, and sprinkled with russet dots, netted and patched with russet. Elliott describes the skin as rough and greenish, slightly shaded on the sunny side, and thickly covered with russet dots.
Flesh and Flavor: Downing: white, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, vinous, aromatic, and a little gritty at the core; rated Very Good. Elliott: sugary, perfumed, and excellent.
Core/Seeds: Flesh a little gritty at the core (Downing). Not described in Elliott.
Season
Downing gives October; Elliott gives September.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurré Gens.
A Belgian Pear. Tree vigorous and productive. Young wood yellowish brown.
Fruit medium, roundish obovate, obscurely pyriform. Skin yellow, shaded with bright red and sprinkled with russet dots, and netted and patched with russet. Stalk short. Calyx small, partially closed. Basin narrow. Flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, sweet, vinous, aromatic, a little gritty at the core. Very good. October.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre Gens.
Tree, vigorous, very productive. Fruit, medium, irregularly obovate, inclining to conic, truncate ; skin, rough, greenish, slightly shaded on the sunny side and thickly covered with russet dots ; stalk, short and thick, inserted in a cavity at an inclination ; calyx, open, stiff, in a broad, rather deep, uneven basin ; flesh, sugary, perfumed, excellent. September.