Docteur Bouvier
PearOrigin/History
Of Belgian origin (Thomas). Elliott notes it as "Foreign" and cites Al. Pom. (Alphonse de Bavay's Annales de Pomologie) as his source. Hedrick references Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1869) and Downing (1869) as the earliest citations. Hedrick describes it as "an excellent French pear suitable for a mild climate."
Tree
A vigorous tree, forming a beautiful pyramid, very productive. Elliott adds that the tree is "covered with long, sharp spines." Young wood yellow reddish brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Downing and Hedrick describe the fruit as medium. Elliott and Thomas describe it as large.
Form: Downing describes it as roundish obovate pyriform. Hedrick gives globular-obovate-pyriform. Elliott describes it as elongated pyriform, and Thomas as long pyriform.
Stem: Stalk curved, set without depression (Downing).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Open (Downing).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Greenish, becoming slightly yellow at maturity, sprinkled, shaded, and dotted with russet, sometimes slightly crimson and fawn in the sun (Downing). Hedrick agrees closely, specifying the crimson and fawn appear on the "exposed cheek." Elliott describes the skin as light green, taking a slight tint of yellow at maturity, and mottled with russet. Thomas gives light green with a little russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as "a little coarse, juicy, melting, brisk, vinous, slightly perfumed" and rates it good to very good. Hedrick similarly gives "rather coarse, melting, juicy, vinous, having but little perfume; good to very good." In contrast, Elliott describes the flesh as "white, fine, half buttery, half melting, sufficiently juicy, vinous, and of a perfume most agreeable." Thomas gives "juicy, half melting, agreeable, vinous."
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Downing gives December. Hedrick extends the season from December to March. Elliott gives February and March. Thomas gives February.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)DOCTEUR BOUVIER.
A vigorous tree, forming a beautiful pyramid, very productive. Young wood yellow reddish brown.
Fruit medium, roundish obovate pyriform. Skin greenish, becoming slightly yellow at maturity, sprinkled, shaded, and dotted with russet, sometimes slightly crimson and fawn in the sun. Stalk curved, set without depression. Calyx open. Flesh a little coarse, juicy, melting, brisk, vinous, slightly perfumed. Good to very good. December.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Docteur Bouvier.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:33, fig. 1869.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 738. 1869.
An excellent French pear suitable for a mild climate. Fruit medium, globular-obovate-pyriform, greenish, more yellow at maturity, sprinkled, shaded and dotted with russet, sometimes with slight crimson and fawn on exposed cheek; flesh rather coarse, melting, juicy, vinous, having but little perfume; good to very good; Dec. to Mar.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)DOCTEUR BOUVIER.
Foreign. A vigorous tree, covered with long, sharp spines, forming a beautiful pyramid ; very productive.
Fruit, large, elongated pyriform ; skin, light green, taking a slight tint of yellow at maturity, and mottled with russet ; flesh, white, fine, half buttery, half melting, sufficiently juicy, vinous, and of a perfume most agreeable. February, March. (Al. Pom.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Docteur Bouvier. Large, long pyriform, light green, a little russet; juicy, half melting, agreeable, vinous. February. Belgian.