Emile Bivort

Origin/History

A Belgian pear variety, dedicated by its first describer, Bouvier, to the daughter of the distinguished Belgian pomologist, A. Bivort.

Tree

Elliott describes the tree as of slow growth but very hardy, with upright, stout, short shoots that are reddish or light brown in color. Downing notes the young wood as olive brown. No further tree characteristics are described in the sources.

Fruit

Size

Medium, or medium to below medium (Downing).

Form

Sources differ on form: Elliott describes the fruit as oblate, inclining to conic, and very much depressed; Downing gives roundish irregular, sometimes oblate; Thomas describes it as conic oblate.

Stem

Elliott describes the stalk as short and fleshy. Downing gives it as medium length.

Cavity

Sources conflict: Elliott describes the cavity as rather deep, surrounded by protuberances; Downing gives it as shallow.

Calyx

Elliott describes the calyx as small. Downing notes it as partially open.

Basin

Elliott describes the basin as deep and well-formed. Downing describes it as abrupt, deep, and furrowed.

Skin

Deep orange-yellow (Elliott; Thomas: orange yellow), much covered with russet (Elliott, Thomas). Downing gives the color as yellow, blotched and patched with russet, with many russet dots; notes that sometimes nearly the whole surface is covered with cinnamon russet.

Flesh and Flavor

Sources differ slightly on flesh color: Elliott gives it as yellowish; Downing as whitish. All sources agree on the texture and quality: buttery, melting, juicy (Elliott, Downing, Thomas), rich (Elliott, Downing, Thomas), sweet (Downing), and vinous (Elliott, Thomas). Elliott describes the flesh as abounding in rich, sugary, vinous juice, with a peculiar flavor somewhat resembling quince. Downing adds slightly aromatic. Downing rates the variety Very Good.

Core/Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Elliott: ripe October and November. Downing: October. Thomas: November.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Elliott's description is attributed to Berckmans. The Downing entry appears twice in the source under the spelling "Emilie Bivort," with the two repetitions substantively identical (the second contains an apparent transcription error, "laughter" for "daughter").