Black Worcester
PearBlack Worcester
Origin / History
Black Worcester is an old pear, the type of the "Warden" or baking pear. In Worcester, England, in the sixteenth century, a pear called Black Worcester, Black Pear of Worcester, or Parkinson's Warden "came under general cultivation as a 'Warden' or baking pear of which it forms the type" (Hedrick). Bunyard, citing "Her. Pom. II., 60," says it "has been known in Worcester since the 16th century, where according to legend Queen Elizabeth saw it at Whystone Farm." Hedrick's references trace it through Parkinson in 1629 under the name "Worster," Langley's Pomona in 1729 as "Black Pear of Worcester," Duhamel in 1768 and Leroy in 1869 as "Livre," Downing in 1845 and 1869, Cole in 1849 as "Iron Pear," Hogg in 1884, and Bunyard in 1920.
Black Worcester is held to be identical with the French Poire de Livre, or Pound Pear. Hedrick notes that the Romans cultivated a Pound Pear during the first century of the Christian era. Claude Mollet described a Pound Pear in 1652, and several later writers described the same pear as Livre, De Livre, or Poire de Livre. Hedrick concludes, "These two pears appear to be identical." Mas makes Black Worcester a synonym of De Livre. Hogg states that the two very much resemble each other. The authors of Guide Pratique de l'Amateur de Fruits list them as synonymous. Bunyard thinks it "almost certainly the Poire de Livre of Leroy, which has been known in France for several centuries, and which may even go back to Roman days." Hedrick retains Black Worcester as the name "because it is now most commonly used."
Black Worcester is rated a market and cooking pear: "a valuable and profitable variety for marketing and cooking purposes" (Elliott), "a market fruit esteemed for cooking" (Downing), and "an esteemed culinary sort … proving profitable for market" (Thomas).
Tree
Tree hardy and vigorous (Elliott, Hedrick), though Bunyard gives growth as moderate. Growth very crooked and straggling (Thomas). Young shoots dark olive to dark yellow-olive, diverging. Branches incline downward with the weight of the fruit (Downing). Bears well as a standard (Hedrick). Thomas has it bearing heavy crops, while Bunyard gives fertility as moderate.
Fruit
Size: Large. Bunyard gives it as 3¾ by 4.
Form: Obovate to obovate-oblong or oblong-pyriform; large pyriform, "Diel-shaped," sometimes approaching oblong-ovate (Thomas). Bunyard instead gives the shape as "round Bergamotte, uneven."
Stem: Stout to very stout and woody (Bunyard), about 1 inch long; Thomas gives half an inch to an inch and a half.
Cavity: None, the stem inserted without depression (Thomas, Hedrick); Elliott sets the stem in a slight depression.
Calyx: Small or rather small, erect (Thomas), nearly closed (Bunyard).
Basin: Deepish to rather deep and uneven (Bunyard), wide (Hedrick); Thomas calls the basin small.
Skin: Thick and rough. Ground green, dull green, or light green. Nearly or mostly covered with dark rough russet; Bunyard has it "entirely covered with dark coppery brown russet." Elliott describes "numerous marblings and specks of dark iron russet." Occasionally a dull tinge next the sun (Hedrick).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh pale yellow (Bunyard). Hard or firm, crisp, coarse, "rather gritty" (Bunyard). Flavor austere (Elliott); Thomas has it "rich, somewhat austere," while Bunyard calls it "flavourless." Hard and coarse, "but stews and bakes well" (Downing, Thomas). Bunyard rates it "a good cooking pear, but not equal to Catillac, Double de Guerre and Bellissime d'Hiver."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Late autumn into April. The season is late autumn till midwinter, or November to February. Bunyard, treating it as a culinary pear, keeps it till April.
Uses
Culinary and market pear, a baking pear. Stews and bakes well.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas illustrates it as Fig. 655.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1845–1900) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as De Livre
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Black Worcester.
Black Pear of Worcester, | Parkinson's Warden, | Iron Pear.
A valuable and profitable variety for marketing and cooking purposes ; shoots, dark olive, diverging ; tree, hardy vigorous.
Fruit, large, obovate oblong ; color, dull green, with numerous marblings and specks of dark iron russet ; stem, stout, in a slight depression ; calyx, rather small ; flesh, firm, coarse, austere. November to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Black Worcester.
Black Pear of Worcester. Parkinson's Warden. Iron.
A market fruit esteemed for cooking. The branches incline downwards with the weight of the fruit. Young shoots dark yellow olive, diverging.
Fruit large, obovate or oblong pyriform. Skin thick, rough, green, nearly covered with dark russet. Flesh hard and coarse, but stews and bakes well. November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Black Worcester. (Iron Pear, Black Pear of Worcester.) Large pyriform (Diel-shaped), sometimes approaching oblong-ovate; surface mostly covered with dark rough russet on a light green surface; stalk half an inch to an inch and a half long; cavity none; calyx erect, basin small; flesh hard, coarse, rich, somewhat austere; stews and bakes well. An esteemed culinary sort, bearing heavy crops, and proving profitable for market. Late autumn till midwinter. Growth very crooked and straggling. Fig. 655.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BLACK WORCESTER. Her. Pom. II., 60. F. de Livre G. Konigsgeschenk von Neaple. Culinary, till April, large, 3¾ by 4. Shape round Bergamotte, uneven. Skin, rough, entirely covered with dark coppery brown russet. Flesh, pale yellow, crisp, flavourless and rather gritty. Stem, 1 inch, very stout and woody. Growth moderate. Fertility moderate. Eye nearly closed in a deepish uneven basin. This has been known in Worcester since the 16th century, where according to legend Queen Elizabeth saw it at Whystone Farm. It is, I think, almost certainly the Poire de Livre of Leroy, which has been known in France for several centuries, and which may even go back to Roman days. A good cooking pear, but not equal to Catillac, Double de Guerre and Bellissime d'Hiver.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Black Worcester,
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 429. 1845.
- Ibid. 702. 1869.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 531. 1884.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fruits 160. 1920. Worster. 5. Parkinson Par. Ter. 592. 1629. Black Pear of Worcester. 6. Langley Pomona 133, Pl. LXXI, fig. 2. 1729. Livre. 7. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:235. 1768.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:346. 1869. Iron Pear. 9. Cole Am. Fr. Book 174. 1849.
The Romans cultivated a Pound Pear during the first century of the Christian era. In 1652 Claude Mollet describes a Pound Pear. Several subsequent writers describe the same pear as Livre, De Livre, or Poire de Livre. In Worcester, Eng., in the sixteenth century a pear known as Black Worcester, Black Pear of Worcester, or Parkinson's Warden came under general cultivation as a "Warden" or baking pear of which it forms the type. These two pears appear to be identical. Mas makes Black Worcester a synonym of De Livre, Hogg states that they very much resemble each other, the authors of Guide Pratique de l'Amateur de Fruits list them as synonymous, and Bunyard says that he believes that they are almost certainly identical. Black Worcester is retained as the name of the variety because it is now most commonly used.
Tree vigorous, hardy, bears well as a standard; young shoots dark yellow-olive, diverging; branches inclining downward with the weight of the fruit.
Fruit large, obovate; skin thick, green, rough, nearly covered with dark russet, occasionally with a dull tinge next the sun; calyx small, nearly closed, set in a wide and rather deep basin; stem about an inch long, very stout, woody, inserted without depression; flesh pale yellow, hard, crisp, coarse, flavorless, rather gritty; a good cooking pear; Nov. to Feb.