Doyenné Gris
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Doyenné Gris
Origin / History
An ancient pear of France, attributed by Hedrick to the garden of the Chartreux Monastery at Paris about the middle of the eighteenth century. Hedrick cites it from Duhamel, Trait. Arb. Fr. (1768), and Leroy, Dict. Pom. (1869), under the name Doyenné Gris. He also cites it from Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869) as Doyenné Gray, and from Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884) as Red Doyenné.
Elliott says it has been confounded with "Boussouck" and with "Surpasse Virgalieu," but is distinct. Downing finds that Doyenné Gris strongly resembles the White Doyenné in flavor and general appearance, except that its skin is covered all over with russet. He calls it "a beautiful Pear," "considered by many rather the finer of the two." Budd and Hansen call it "popular in many States for home dessert use."
Tree
A hardy tree and a good bearer on Pear or Quince (Elliott). Shoots upright or ascending, grayish brown, or yellowish brown (Thomas). Thomas says it "fails by cracking in many localities."
Fruit
Size: Medium; medium and above (Hedrick).
Form: Obovate, varying to ovate, ovate obovate, roundish, or obtuse pyriform, often approaching turbinate (Thomas), and usually a little rounder than the White Doyenné (Downing). Hedrick describes it as globular, flattened at each extremity.
Stem: Short, half to three-fourths of an inch long, curved.
Cavity: Narrow to quite narrow, rather deep and abrupt.
Calyx: Small, closed.
Basin: Smooth, shallow.
Skin: Wholly or nearly covered with fine, lively cinnamon russet, so that little of the true ground color shows. Most authors call the skin smooth. Hedrick calls it rather thin and wrinkled, with a yellow-ochre ground. A ruddy, red, or brownish-red tinge appears toward the sun, which Downing says occurs only rarely. Handsome and beautiful in appearance.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: White, very fine-grained, tender, buttery to very buttery, melting, rich, perfumed (Thomas), and delicious. Quality "best" (Downing; Budd and Hansen), "excellent" (Thomas), and "one of the best dessert pears" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
The recorded season runs from October into winter. Elliott and Hedrick give October, and Downing the middle of October; Thomas extends it from the middle of autumn to winter. Downing says it "will keep many weeks," usually a little longer than the White Doyenné.
Uses
A dessert pear, grown for home dessert use.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Figured by Duhamel (Pl. XLVII, fig. 1), by Leroy, and by Thomas (Fig. 717).
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Doyenné Gray
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Gray Doyenné
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914) — listed as Gray Doyenne
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Doyenne Gray
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1845–1849) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Gray Doyenné
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Doyenné roux
View original book sources (5)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Doyenne Gray.
Gray Butter Pear, Doyenne d'Automne, St. Michel Doré, Gray Doyenne, Gray Dean's, Doyenne Galeux. Doyenne Rouge, Doyenne Gris, Doyenne Roux, Red Doyenné,
This has been confounded with "Boussouck," and with "Surpasse Virgalieu," but is distinct. It is a good bearer on Pear or Quince, a hardy tree, with upright, grayish brown shoots.
Fruit, medium, roundish, obovate or obtuse pyriform: skin, covered with smooth cinnamon russet; stem, curved; cavity, rather deep; calyx, small, closed; basin, shallow; flesh, white, fine-grained, buttery, melting. Oct
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Doyenné Gray.
Doyenne Gray. Gray Butter Pear. Gray Deans. Gray Doyenné. Red Doyenne. St. Michel Doré. Doyenné Galeux. Doyenné Boussouck, of some. Doyenné Gris. Doyenné Rouge. Doyenné Roux. Doyenné d'Automne. Red Beurré, } incorrectly Beurré Rouge, } of some. Le Beurré.
The Gray Doyenné strongly resembles the White Doyenné in flavor and general appearance, except that its skin is covered all over with a fine, lively cinnamon russet. It is a beautiful Pear, usually keeps a little longer, and is considered by many rather the finer of the two.
Shoots upright, grayish brown.
Fruit of medium size, ovate obovate, but usually a little rounder than the White Doyenné. Skin wholly covered with smooth cinnamon russet (rarely a little ruddy next the sun). Stalk half to three-fourths of an inch long, curved, set in a narrow, rather deep and abrupt cavity. Calyx small, closed, and placed in a smooth, shallow basin. Flesh white, fine-grained, very buttery, melting, rich, and delicious. Best. Middle of October, and will keep many weeks.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Gray Doyenné.* (Doyenné Gris, Gray Butter Pear, Red Doyenné, Doyenné Rouge, St. Michael Doré.) Size medium, obovate, often approaching turbinate; whole surface a handsome, smooth cinnamon russet; stalk half to three-quarters of an inch long; cavity quite narrow; calyx small, closed; flesh with a very fine texture, very buttery, melting, rich, perfumed, delicious, excellent. Middle of autumn to winter. Shoots yellowish or grayish brown, ascending. Fails by cracking in many localities. France. Fig. 717.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Red Doyenné", pp. 801–801]
Red Doyenné. See Gray Doyenné.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Gray Doyenne. — Medium in size, ovate to obovate in form; color cinnamon russet with red in the sun; skin smooth; stalk short, inserted in narrow abrupt cavity. Flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, rich; quality best. Popular in many States for home dessert use. France.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Doyenné Gris. 1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:208, Pl. XLVII, fig. 1. 1768. 2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:69, fig. 1869. Doyenné Gray. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 745. 1869. Red Doyenné. 4. Hogg Fruit Man. 635. 1884.
An ancient pear attributed to the garden of the Chartreux Monastery at Paris about the middle of the eighteenth century. Fruit medium and above, globular, flattened at each extremity; skin rather thin and wrinkled, yellow-ochre, nearly covered with cinnamon-colored russet, so that little of the true color is visible, brownish-red toward the sun; flesh white, tender, melting, very buttery, rich and delicious; one of the best dessert pears; Oct.