Beurré Millet of Angers

Pear

Beurré Millet of Angers

Origin/History

Originated in Angers, France.

Tree

Vigorous and very productive. Young wood yellowish brown.

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium in size. Downing (1900) describes the form as roundish obovate; Elliott (1865) describes it as angular and somewhat conic.

Stem: Medium length, stout, curved, inserted in a rather abrupt cavity.

Cavity: Rather abrupt.

Calyx: Downing (1900) describes the calyx as open; Elliott (1865) describes it as closed. Set in a deep, irregular basin.

Basin: Deep and irregular.

Skin: Greenish, covered with russet and thickly sprinkled with minute russet dots.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing (1900) describes the flesh as whitish; Elliott (1865) describes it as greenish. Somewhat buttery, melting, and juicy — Elliott specifies "exceedingly juicy." Flavor brisk and vinous. Elliott notes it is sometimes astringent. Downing rates the quality Good to very good.

Season

November to January.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Elliott's entry explicitly cites Downing as its authority, indicating both descriptions derive from a common Downing source; the discrepancies in form (roundish obovate vs. angular, somewhat conic), calyx (open vs. closed), and flesh color (whitish vs. greenish) likely reflect differences between editions of Downing's work.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

Beurré Millet of Angers.

Origin, Angers, France. Tree vigorous and very productive. Young wood yellowish brown.

Fruit medium, roundish obovate. Skin greenish, covered with russet and thickly sprinkled with minute russet dots. Stalk medium, stout, curved, inserted in a rather abrupt cavity. Calyx open, set in a deep irregular basin. Flesh whitish, somewhat buttery, juicy, melting, with a brisk vinous flavor. Good to very good. November to January.

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

Beurre Millet of Angers. Foreign. Tree, vigorous, and very productive, young wood yellowish brown. Fruit, medium, angular, somewhat conic ; skin, greenish, covered with russet, and thickly sprinkled with minute russet dots ; stalk, medium, stout, curved, inserted in a rather abrupt cavity : calyx, closed, set in a deep, irregular basin; flesh, greenish, somewhat buttery, exceedingly juicy, melting, with a brisk vinous flavor, sometimes astringent, November to January. (Downing.)

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