Plate XIII.

1. BEURRE HARDY.

[Syn : Bonnet de Boulogne.]

This fine pear was raised by M. Bonnet of Boulogne, the friend of Van Mons, about the year 1820. It was first distributed by M. Jamin, of Bourg-la-Reine, near Paris, who dedicated it to the late M. Hardy, director of the gardens of the Luxembourg.

Description.—Fruit, large, three inches wide and three inches and three-quarters long ; oblong obovate or pyramidal, handsome and even in its outline. Skin, shining, yellowish green, thickly covered with large russet dots, and a coat of brown russet round the stalk and the eye. Eye, large and open, set in a shallow basin. Stalk, an inch long, stout and fleshy, with fleshy folds at the base, and inserted without depression. Flesh, white, melting, and very juicy, sweet, and perfumed with a rose water aroma.

A dessert pear of the first quality ; in season in October and November. It forms a very handsome pyramid on the Pear, or on the quince stock. It is perfectly hardy, grows freely and bears well, and is worthy of general cultivation. The fruit should be gathered before it is ripe, at intervals, to prevent its getting mealy and to keep it fit for the table for a longer period.

The specimen represented on the coloured plate is perhaps rather above the medium size. It was grown on a Cordon tree at Holme Lacy.

— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)

Beurré Hardy.

Tree vigorous, productive. Young wood dark grayish olive brown.

Fruit large, obovate obtuse pyriform. Skin greenish, covered with light russet, considerably shaded with brownish red, and sprinkled with brown dots. Stalk about an inch long, a little swollen at its insertion, at an inclination, in a small, rather uneven cavity. Calyx open. Segments long, recurved in a broad, shallow basin. Flesh buttery, melting, juicy, brisk, vinous, and highly perfumed, slightly astringent near the skin. Very good. September and October.

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

Hardy.* Large, long obovate, sometimes obscurely pyriform; skin greenish, with thin brown russet; stalk an inch long, cavity small, uneven, oblique; basin shallow; buttery, somewhat melting, rich, slightly sub-acid, good. October. Tree a strong grower, succeeds well on quince.

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

Hardy (Beurre Hardy). — Large, obovate, obtuse pyriform; color light green covered with light russeting and shaded with brownish red; dots numerous; stalk one inch long, inclined, stout, inserted in small quite uneven cavity. Flesh buttery, melting, juicy, vinous, perfumed, with slight astringency under the skin; very good. Season, early autumn. Europe.

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

BEURRE HARDY. Her. Pom. I., 13. G. Gellert's Butterbirne. (Hardy, Beurré Gellert.) Dessert, mid to end October, large round conical, uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, russet bronze with faint red cheek. Flesh, white, faint pink tinge, very tender, transparent with a rose water flavour. Eye, open or nearly closed in a shallow even basin. Stem, stout, fairly long, in a very shallow cavity. Growth, very vigorous; fertility excellent. Leaf, large, round, much down curved, upfolded, nearly entire, turns orange red. Origin, raised by M. Bonnet, a friend of Van Mons at Boulogne, about 1820. Named after M. Hardy, the director of the Luxembourg gardens. Introduced about 1840. Quite one of the best and hardiest pears, in season just before Marie Louise. It should be gathered a little before it parts readily from the tree to have it in the best condition. Does well on quince or pear.

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

BEURRÉ HARDY

1. Barry Fr. Garden 314. 1851. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 466. 1857. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 66. 1862. 4. Pom. France 2: No. 46, Pl. 46. 1864. 5. Mas Le Verger 3: Pt. I, 11, fig. 4. 1866-73. 6. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:379, fig. 1867. 7. Hogg Fruit Man. 521. 1884. 8. Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom. 378, fig. 1904.

Hardy. 9. Gard. Chron. 463. 1863. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 38. 1883.

Gellert's Butterbirne. 11. Gaucher Pom. Prak. Obst. No. 38, Pl. 78. 1894.

Beurré Hardy is one of the good autumn pears. Both fruit and tree commend it. The fruits are usually large; are handsome in appearance; and the flesh and flavor are exceptionally fine. Thus, the flesh, while a little granular at the core, is melting, juicy, and richly aromatic,—as truly luscious as in any other pear. Unfortunately the fruits do not keep well, having a tendency to soften at the core as maturity advances. When poorly grown or not properly ripened, the pears are sometimes a little astringent, and there is always a smack of astringency. The trees, while not large, are vigorous, hardy, productive, and healthy except in being a little susceptible to blight. This is a favorite pear with nurserymen to bud or graft on the quince, Japanese pear stocks, or other stocks, since it makes a perfect union with any of those in common use. The tree is one of the best dwarfs, also, for its own crop. Wherever pears are grown, this is a good dessert sort, and in many regions it is a valuable fruit for commerce. Beurré Hardy does especially well in New York and in eastern United States.

This is a French pear raised about 1820 by M. Bonnet, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. In 1830, it was acquired by M. Jean-Laurent Jamin, a nurseryman near Paris, who named it in honor of M. Hardy, Director and Professor of Arboriculture at the Garden of the Luxembourg. It was propagated, made known, and distributed by M. Jamin between 1840 and 1845. The American Pomological Society added Beurré Hardy to its list of recommended fruits in 1862.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, hardy, productive; trunk stocky; branches smooth, dull brown overspread with gray, marked more or less with scarf-skin, with very numerous large, elongated lenticels; branchlets thick, greenish-brown, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaf-buds conical, pointed, plump, usually free; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1 in. wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with small glands, finely serrate; petiole 1½ in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, free, singly or in small clusters on short spurs; flowers 1¼ in. across, well distributed, average 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, pubescent, reddish-green.

Fruit in season, late September and early October; large, 3 in. long, 2½ in. wide, uniform, obtuse-pyriform, with a rather long neck, symmetrical; stem ¾ in. long, thick, slightly curved; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow, russeted, often uneven and gently furrowed, lipped; calyx large, open; lobes broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed; skin granular, tender, russet; color dull greenish-yellow, overspread with thin, brownish-russet, without blush; dots numerous, russet, small, very conspicuous; flesh granular, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, richly aromatic and somewhat vinous; quality very 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 HARDY. Fig. 76. Hardy.

Beurre Hardy is one of the good autumn pears. The fruits are usually large, handsome, and the flesh and flavor are exceptionally fine. Thus, the flesh, while a little granular at the core, is melting and juicy—in this case, as truly luscious as in any other pear. Unfortunately, the fruits do not keep well, having a tendency to soften at the core. When poorly grown the pears are quite astringent, and there is always a smack of astringency. The trees, while not large, are vigorous, hardy, productive and healthy except in being a little susceptible to blight. This is a favorite pear with nurserymen to bud or graft on the quince, since it makes a perfect union with any of the stocks in common use. Beurre Hardy does especially well in eastern United States. This is a French pear raised about 1820 by M. Bonnet in his seed-beds at Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, rapid-growing, hardy, productive; branches smooth, dull brown overspread with gray, with very numerous, large, elongated lenticels. Leaves 2¾ inches long, 1½ inches wide, stiff; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with small glands, finely serrate; petiole 1½ inches long. Flowers 1¼ inches across, well distributed, average 7 buds in a cluster. Fruit in season late September and early October; large, 3¼ inches long, 2¼ inches wide, uniform, obtuse-pyriform, with a long neck, symmetrical; stem ¾ inch long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow and narrow, russeted, often uneven and gently furrowed, lipped; calyx large, open; lobes, broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed; skin granular, tender, russet; color dull greenish-yellow, overspread with thin, brownish-russet, without blush; dots numerous, russet, small, very conspicuous; flesh granular, melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, richly aromatic and somewhat vinous; quality very good to best; core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.

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

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a vigorous grower. Fruit large, obtuse, pyriform. Skin greenish, with light russet, and a dull red cheek. Flesh buttery, juicy, with a brisk, pleasant flavour, slightly astringent, quality good. Season October.

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

medium size, melting and delicious, sugary flavour. Fine bearer Excellent Sept. & Oct.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)

Oct.; medium, medium yellow with russet of golden shade; flesh white, very juicy, buttery and sweet; medium size; prolific; first class. Fine desert pear. Hardy; suitable for both open and walled gardens.

— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)