Beurré Gris d'Hiver Nouveau
Pear
Beurré Gris d'Hiver Nouveau
Origin / History
Foreign (Elliott); French (Thomas). Also called "Gray Winter Beurré" (Thomas). Elliott: very similar to Brown Beurre, except in its time of ripening.
Tree
Elliott calls the tree a poor, irregular grower; Downing, moderately vigorous and productive. Wood dark reddish brown (Elliott); young wood dark yellowish-reddish brown (Downing). Shoots purplish-red, leaves curled (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Obovate, obtuse, oblique; roundish obtuse pyriform (Downing); short Doyenné-form (Thomas).
Stem: Short, thick to very stout, inclined or obliquely inserted. Downing: sometimes inserted in a large cavity, at others with a lip.
Cavity: Moderate (Thomas). Large in some fruits, in others with a lip (Downing).
Calyx: Small to very small, open. Segments small, slightly recurved (Downing).
Basin: Shallow, uneven (Downing); small (Thomas).
Skin: Rough, dull; yellow with cinnamon russet, reddish, bronzed in the sun (Elliott). Golden russet, with a fine sunny cheek (Downing). Greenish, considerably russeted (Thomas).
Dots: Dark specks (Elliott); sprinkled dots (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish white (Elliott) or greenish (Thomas); somewhat granular (Downing); melting, juicy, buttery (Downing, Thomas), very juicy (Thomas). Flavor vinous (Elliott); rich and sugary, with a very peculiar aroma (Downing); rich, slightly sub-acid, resembling the Beurré d'Aremberg in flavor but "rather richer and less acid" (Thomas). Downing: "Very good."
Core and seeds: Core large (Elliott).
Season
Early winter (Thomas). December to February (Elliott); November to February (Downing: "November, February").
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1849–1900) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre Gris d'Hiver Nouveau.
Beurre Gris d'Hiver, | Beurre Gris Superieure, Beurre de Lucon, | St. Michael d'Hiver.
Foreign. Very similar to Brown Beurre, except in its time of ripening. Tree a poor, irregular grower, with dark reddish brown wood. Fruit, medium, obovate obtuse oblique, rough, dull, yellow, cinnamon russet, reddish, bronzed in sun, and dotted with dark specks ; stem, short, stout, obliquely inserted ; calyx, small, open ; flesh, yellowish white, melting, juicy, vinous ; core, large. December to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurré Gris d'Hiver Nouveau.
Beurré Gris d'Hiver. Beurré de Fontenay. de Luçon. d'Hiver. Supérieur. de Luçon.
Tree moderately vigorous, productive. Young wood dark yellowish-reddish brown.
Fruit medium, roundish obtuse pyriform. Skin golden russet, with a fine sunny cheek, and sprinkled with dots. Stalk very stout, rather short, inclined, sometimes inserted in a large cavity, at others with a lip. Calyx very small and open. Segments small, slightly recurved. Basin shallow, uneven. Flesh somewhat granular, juicy, buttery, melting. Flavor rich and sugary, with a very peculiar aroma. Very good. November, February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Gris d'Hiver.* (Beurré Gris d'Hiver Nouveau, or "Gray Winter Beurré.") Size medium, obovate, or short Doyenné-form, obtuse; skin greenish, considerably russeted; stalk thick, short, cavity moderate, basin small; flesh greenish, buttery, melting, very juicy, rich, slightly sub-acid—resembling in flavor the Beurré d'Aremberg, but rather richer and less acid. Early winter. Shoots purplish-red, leaves curled. French. Fig. 677.