THE DUCHESSE OF ANGOULEME PEAR.

Duchesse of Angouleme. Pomological Magazine, vol. ii. pl. 76.

Few varieties of pears have attracted so much attention as the Duchesse of Angouleme. The immense size of the fruit, — its great beauty and rich flavor, — as well as the vigor, hardiness, and productiveness of the tree, have given it a character which entitles it to a place in the smallest collection. Some cultivators, we are aware, have pronounced it a variable fruit, sometimes excellent, but oftener wanting in flavor, and only to be considered a good pear. But we are inclined to believe this character has only been applied to it when grown in an unfavorable soil or locality, or when, from some cause, the fruit has not been produced in its best condition. The Pomological Magazine, above quoted, describes it as " the very finest" of late autumn pears, and though this was twenty years ago, since which time many new kinds have been introduced, we know of no variety of the same season, except Swan's Orange, which for general cultivation will surpass it.

The Duchesse of Angouleme was originally found growing in a hedge, at Anvers, near Paris, upwards of thirty years ago ; but since its introduction it has been rapidly and widely disseminated, and there are few collections which do not contain one or more trees. The fruit often grows to a very large size ; its ordinary weight is from twelve to sixteen ounces ; but the specimen which our drawing so beautifully represents, weighed upwards of twenty ounces, and grew upon a dwarf tree only four or five years old.

The tree is of upright and stocky habit, and makes a beautiful and symmetrical pyramid, growing admirably upon the quince, and forming fine specimens at the age of four or five years. It is also a fine variety for espaliers or walls ; and a trained tree, with a full crop, is one of the most attractive objects of the fruit garden. It comes into bearing early, either upon the pear or quince stock.

Tree. — Vigorous, upright and erect, the lateral branches ascending at very acute angles ; annual shoots long and straight.

Wood. — Brownish yellow, thickly dotted with large prominent whitish specks, stout and rather long-jointed ; old wood yellowish olive ; buds, medium size, long, slender, and sharply pointed, diverging : Flower-buds, medium size, ovate, with somewhat wooly scales.

Leaves. — Medium size, ovate, broadest in the middle, shortly pointed, slightly wavy, of a bright shining green, finely nerved, and nearly entire on the edge ; petioles medium length, about one and a quarter inches long, and rather slender.

Flowers. — Medium size ; petals narrow, oblong, nearly flat.

Fruit. — Very large, about four inches long and three and a half in diameter : Form, roundish oblong, tapering little to the stem, where it is very obtuse, with a very uneven and knobby surface : Skin, fair, smooth, rich deep yellow when mature, often tinged with blush on the sunny side, with several scattered irregular russety patches, and the whole surface regularly sprinkled with large russety specks : Stem, medium length, about an inch long, thick and large where it adjoins the branch, and deeply sunk in a round cavity : Eye, rather small, closed, and deeply sunk in a much furrowed basin ; segments of the calyx short, incurved, stiff : Flesh, white, fine, melting, buttery, and juicy : Flavor, rich, saccharine, perfumed, and excellent : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, plump.

Ripe in October and November, and keeps well.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)

Duchess d'Angouleme.

Foreign. A valuable variety for market, on the Quince, and on the Quince only. It succeeds well at the Southwest. High culture of this variety produces very large and very good fruit, otherwise it is indifferent in size or character. Fruit, large, oblong obovate pyriform, dull greenish yellow, traced and dotted with russet ; stem, rather long, stout ; calyx, medium, partly open; basin, deep, uneven ; core, below medium ; seeds, oblong pyriform; flesh, white, buttery, juicy : "very good." An extremely variable fruit, unreliable. October. The striped Duchess d'Angouleme differs only in the fruit being striped yellow and green.

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

Duchesse d'Angoulême.

Beurré Soulé.

A magnificent large dessert Pear, sometimes weighing a pound and a quarter, named in honor of the Duchess of Angoulême, and said to be a natural seedling, found in a forest hedge near Angers. When in perfection, it is a most delicious fruit of the highest quality. We are compelled to add, however, that the quality of the fruit is a little uncertain on young standard trees. The tree is a strong grower, the shoots upright, reddish yellow brown.

Fruit very large, oblong obovate, with an uneven, somewhat knobby surface. Skin dull greenish yellow, a good deal streaked and spotted with russet. Stalk one to two inches long, very stout, bent, deeply planted in an irregular cavity. Calyx set in a somewhat knobby basin. Flesh white, buttery, and very juicy, with a rich and very excellent flavor. Very good. October.

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

Angoulême.* (Duchess.) Very large, very obtuse-pyriform, sometimes oblong-obovate, surface uneven; greenish-yellow, often some russet; stalk an inch to an inch and a half long, very stout; cavity deep, often wide; calyx small, basin uneven; flesh yellowish-white, melting, buttery, juicy, good when well grown, poor or worthless when small; succeeds admirably and is best on quince stock. It has been remarked that when this pear weighs less than four ounces it is worthless in flavor. Ripens mid-autumn and later. French. Mostly grown as a dwarf. Fig. 696.

[Additional entry in this volume: "Duchesse", pp. 790–790]

Duchesse. See Angoulême.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

Angoulême, Duchesse d'Angoulême. — Very large, oblong obovate, with uneven knobby surface; color greenish yellow, with many streaks and spots of russet; stalk one to two inches long, stout, curved, inserted in deep irregular cavity. Flesh white, buttery, melting, juicy, with very rich flavor, very good; quality varied much by climate and soil. Season, July. France.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)

DUCHESS D'ANGOULEME. Her. Pom., II., 66. G. Herzogin d'Angoulême. (Des Eparonnais, Duchess.) Dessert, October to December, large, often enormous, 4 by 4, round conical, uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, yellowish green marked with conspicuous russet dots and patches. Flesh, nearly white, very melting, juicy fine aromatic aroma, extremely sweet. Eye, open in a deep, uneven basin. Stem, very stout and fleshy in a slight cavity or on level. Growth, moderate, upright, spreading; fertility great. Leaf, small, oval, entire or very shallowly and widely crenate. Origin, a seedling found wild near Chateau Neuf, France, about 1808. It was introduced by M. Audusson, a nurseryman of Angers, as Poire des Eparonnais, but renamed in 1819 in honour of the Duchess d'Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI. This fruit is rather uncertain in quality, but when all conditions are favourable is often of the highest merit. It makes a small, compact and upright tree.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

DUCHESSE D'ANGOULÊME

1. Kenrick Am. Orch. 171. 1832. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 381. 1845. 3. Ann. Pom. Belge 1:21, Pl. 1853. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 68. 1862. 5. Pom. France 1: No. 17, Pl. 17. 1863. 6. Mas Le Verger 3: Pt. 2, 79, fig. 136. 1866-73. 7. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:98, figs. 1869. 8. Jour. Hort. N. S. 24:26. 1873. 9. Guide Prat. 59, 267. 1876. 10. Hist. Mass. Hort. Soc. 1829-78. 224. 1880. 11. Hogg Fruit Man. 569. 1884.

Duchess of Angouleme. 12. Lindley Guide Orch. Gard. 371. 1831. Angouleme. 13. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1883. Herzogin von Angouleme. 14. Gaucher Pom. Prak. Obst. No. 46, Pl. 43. 1894.

The fruits of Duchesse d'Angoulême excite admiration and wonder by their enormous size. They may always be known by their great size, squat pyriform shape, and uneven knobby surfaces. Well grown, the pears have other virtues than size, as the flesh is buttery and melting with a rich and delicious flavor; but poorly grown, and on unfavorable soils, the flesh is granular, coarse-grained, but half-melting and nearly devoid of the richness that characterizes the fruits in happier situations. Size shrinks also when poorly grown, so that one may say that a small pear of this variety is seldom fit for dessert and too insipid for a good product in cookery. The trees are vigorous, hardy, and healthy, bear abundantly under favorable conditions, and succeed either as a standard or a dwarf. Possibly it is best grown as a dwarf, and in America at least is more often worked on the dwarfing quince than on the pear. In fact, this variety is the favorite dwarf-pear for garden and home orchard, and commercial orchards of dwarfed trees of it are not uncommon. On either stock, the tree makes a beautiful, symmetrical pyramid, comes in bearing early, and bears regularly. This variety is more popular in New York than in any other part of America, and while less planted than formerly, is still regarded as a standard late autumn variety. It is a particularly desirable sort for the pear-fancier.

The original tree of Duchesse d'Angoulême was a wilding growing in a garden near Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. About 1808, M. Audusson, a nurseryman at Angers, appreciating the beauty and excellent quality of the pear, obtained the right to propagate it. In 1812 he began selling trees of the variety under the name of "Poire des Eparonnais." In 1820, M. Audusson sent a basket of the fruit to the Duchesse d'Angoulême with a request for permission to name the pear in her honor, a request which was granted. At the exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society held in 1830, Samuel G. Perkins showed a specimen which measured eleven and three-tenths inches. It was the only one that grew on the tree, and was considered to be the first fruit of this variety produced in America. The American Pomological Society added Duchesse d'Angoulême to its catalog-list of fruits in 1862.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, slow-growing, usually hardy, productive; trunk thick; branches stocky, shaggy, zigzag, dull reddish-brown overspread with scarf-skin, marked with small lenticels; branchlets thick, short, dull light brown, streaked with gray scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with many small, raised lenticels.

Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, nearly free; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 2⅝ in. long, 1⅜ in. wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin marked with minute dark brown glands, crenate or nearly entire; petiole 1⅛ in. long. Flower-buds large, long, conical, plump, free, arranged singly or in small clusters on short branches and spurs; flowers 1⅜ in. across, 7 or 8 buds in each cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, slender, lightly pubescent, greenish.

Fruit ripe October to November; large, often very large, 4 in. long, 3 in. wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with irregular and uneven surface and with sides often unequal; stem frequently 1½ in. long, very thick, curved; cavity acute, deep, furrowed, irregular, often lipped; calyx partly open, small; lobes short, narrow, acute; basin medium to deep, abrupt, furrowed and uneven, often corrugated; skin thick, granular, roughened with russet; color dull yellow, streaked, spotted and netted with dull russet; dots numerous, russet, conspicuous; flesh white, firm becoming somewhat melting and quite tender when fully mature, granular, juicy, sweet, rich and delicious when fully mature; quality good to very good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds small, narrow, flat, acute, very often abortive.

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

DUCHESSE D'ANGOULÈME. Fig. 82. Angouleme. The fruits of Duchesse d'Angouleme excite admiration and wonder by their enormous size. They may always be known by their size, squat pyriform shape, and uneven knobby surface. Well grown, the flesh is buttery and melting with a rich and delicious flavor; but poorly grown, and on unfavorable soils, the flesh is granular, coarse-grained, but half-melting, and nearly devoid of the richness that characterizes the fruits in happier situations. The trees are vigorous, hardy and healthy, bear abundantly under favorable conditions, and succeed either as standards or dwarfs. Possibly this sort is best grown as a dwarf, and in America at least is more often worked on the dwarfing quince than on the pear. This variety is the favorite dwarf pear for garden and home orchard, and commercial orchards of dwarfed trees are not uncommon. On either stock, the tree makes a beautiful and symmetrical pyramid, and comes in bearing early and bears regularly. This variety is more popular in New York than in any other part of America, and while less planted than formerly, is still regarded as a standard late autumn variety. The original tree of Duchesse d'Angouleme was a wilding growing in a garden near Angers, France. It was introduced about 1812. Tree vigorous, upright, becoming spreading, dense-topped, slow-growing, productive; branches stocky, shaggy, zigzag, dull reddish-brown, marked with small lenticels. Leaves 2½ inches long, 1½ inches wide, oval, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin marked with minute dark brown glands, crenate, or nearly entire; petiole 1½ inches long. Flowers 1½ inches across, 7 or 8 buds in each cluster. Fruit ripe October-November; large, often very large, 3½ inches long, 2¾ inches wide, uniform in size, oblong-obovate-pyriform with irregular and uneven surface and with sides often unequal; stem 1½ inches long, very thick, curved; cavity acute, deep, furrowed, irregular, often lipped; calyx partly open, small; lobes short, narrow, acute; basin medium to deep, abrupt, furrowed and uneven, often corrugated; skin thick, granular, roughened with russet; color dull yellow, streaked, spotted and netted with dull russet; dots numerous, russet, conspicuous; flesh white, firm, melting, tender, granular, juicy, sweet, rich and delicious; quality good to very good; core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds small, narrow, flat, acute, often abortive.

— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)

Planted Spring 1890. Tree a strong grower and free bearer. Fruit large, oblong, pyriform. Skin greenish yellow. Flesh white, juicy, buttery, quality good. Season October.

— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)

very large and extremely handsome melting. One of the finest pears, tree vigorous and hardy, excellent bearer, good for forcing Oct. & Nov.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)