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Bezi de la Motte

Pear

Bezi de la Motte

Origin / History

First reported by La Quintinye, the creator of the fruit gardens of Louis XIV of France, as having been found by him at the end of October, 1685 (Hedrick). Of European/foreign origin (Budd & Hansen; Elliott). Documented in Duhamel's Traité des Arbres Fruitiers (1768, 2:206, Pl. XLIV, fig. 5) and Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884, p. 507) per Hedrick.

Tree

Exceedingly vigorous and productive (Downing); hardy, vigorous, a prolific bearer (Hedrick); vigorous, hardy sort, well suited to orcharding (Elliott). Budd & Hansen note the variety has proven much hardier than Flemish Beauty on the prairie soils of the West. The grayish olive shoots, like the fruit, have a peculiarly speckled appearance (Downing). It ripens gradually, and may be kept a good while (Downing).

Fruit

Size

Medium (Downing; Elliott; Budd & Hansen); above medium to large (Hedrick).

Form

Sources describe the form variously: bergamot-shaped, roundish, flattened at the eye (Downing); globular, more swelled generally on one side than on the other (Hedrick); obovate rounded (Elliott); roundish turbinate (Budd & Hansen).

Stem / Stalk

About an inch long, green, slightly curved, and inserted in a slight flattened hollow (Downing); one inch long, inserted in a small, round, shallow cavity (Budd & Hansen); short, rather stout, slightly curved (Elliott).

Cavity

Slight flattened hollow (Downing); small, round, shallow (Budd & Hansen).

Calyx

Small, open (Downing; Budd & Hansen); small, open, with reflexed segments (Elliott).

Basin

Shallow, rather abruptly sunken (Downing); shallow, with eye small and open (Budd & Hansen).

Skin

Pale yellowish green, thickly sprinkled with conspicuous russet green dots (Downing); greenish-yellow or bright green, sprinkled with large russet dots (Hedrick); yellowish green, with many small russet dots (Elliott); yellowish green, thickly covered with brown russety dots (Budd & Hansen). Sources agree on a yellow-green ground heavily marked with russet dots, but differ on dot size — Hedrick describes them as large, Elliott as many small, and Downing as conspicuous green russet dots.

Flesh / Flavor

White, very fine-grained, buttery, juicy, with a sweet, delicate perfumed flavor; rated "Good" (Downing). Whitish, fine, melting, buttery, slightly gritty; juice very abundant and full of sugar, savory and delicate; rated "first" (Hedrick). Yellowish white, rather coarse, sugary, juicy, melting; rated "very good" (Elliott). White, fine-grained, melting, buttery, very good (Budd & Hansen). Sources agree on a sweet, sugary, juicy, melting, buttery character, but disagree on grain — Downing and Budd & Hansen describe it as fine-grained, Hedrick as fine but slightly gritty, and Elliott as rather coarse.

Core / Seeds

Core medium; seeds plump, ovate (Elliott). Not described in other sources.

Season

October (Downing; Elliott); September and October, and sometimes later (Hedrick). Ripens gradually and may be kept a good while (Downing).

Uses

Well suited to orcharding (Elliott). Otherwise not described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 7 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois, Missouri

View original book sources (4)

Bezi de la Motte.

Bein Armudi. Beurre blanc de Jersey.

The tree is exceedingly vigorous and productive, and the grayish olive shoots, like the fruit, have a peculiarly speckled appearance. It ripens gradually, and may be kept a good while.

Fruit of medium size, bergamot-shaped, roundish, flattened at the eye. Skin pale yellowish green, thickly sprinkled with conspicuous russet green dots. Stalk about an inch long, green, slightly curved, and inserted in a slight flattened hollow. Calyx small, open, set in a shallow, rather abruptly sunken basin. Flesh white, very fine-grained, buttery, juicy, with a sweet, delicate perfumed flavor. Good. October.

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

Besi de la Motte.

  1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:206, Pl. XLIV, fig. 5. 1768.
  2. Hogg Fruit Man. 507. 1884.

First reported by La Quintinye, the creator of the fruit gardens of Louis XIV of France, as having been found by him at the end of October, 1685. Tree hardy, vigorous, a prolific bearer. Fruit above medium to large, globular, more swelled generally on one side than on the other, greenish-yellow or bright green, sprinkled with large russet dots; flesh whitish, fine, melting, buttery, slightly gritty; juice very abundant and full of sugar, savory and delicate; first; Sept. and Oct. and sometimes later.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Bezi de la Motte. Bein Armudl. | Beurre Blanc de Jersey. Foreign. A vigorous, hardy sort, well suited to orcharding. Fruit, medium, obovate rounded, yellowish green, with many small russet dots; stem, short, rather stout, slightly curved; calyx, small, open, reflexed segments; core, medium; seeds, plump, ovate; flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, sugary, juicy, melting; "very good." October.

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

Besi de la Motte. — Medium, roundish turbinate; color yellowish green, thickly covered with brown russety dots; stalk one inch long, inserted in a small, round, shallow cavity; basin shallow, with eye small and open. Flesh white, fine-grained, melting, buttery, very good. This variety has proven much hardier than Flemish Beauty on prairie soils of the West. Europe.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)
Aumale (P. d') Bein Armudi Bein Armudl Bergamote Crassane Bergamote Grise Bergamote Verte Bergamote d'Automne Besi de la Motte Beurre Blanc de Jersey Beurre blanc de Jersey Bezi-La-Motte Bezy Lamotte Crassane Tiquetee Getüpfelte Crassane Graue Bergamotte Grosse Crassane Grüne Bergamotte Grüne Herbst Bergamotte Grüne Mullebusch Lamotte Poire de la Motte Wildling von Motte Chaumontel Petre