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Gerardine

Pear

Gerardine

Origin/History

Gerardine is a foreign variety obtained by M. Grégoire of Jodoigne, Belgium, early in the nineteenth century (Hedrick).

Tree

A vigorous grower. Young wood dull grayish brown (Downing).

Fruit

Size

Medium.

Form

Sources differ on form: Downing, Elliott, and Thomas describe the fruit as roundish and somewhat irregular. Hedrick describes it as turbinate, more or less short and swelled, reducing to a point at the top.

Stem

Not described in source.

Cavity

Not described in source.

Calyx

Not described in source.

Basin

Not described in source.

Skin

Sources differ in their characterization:

  • Downing, Elliott, and Thomas: Skin yellow, with many spots and patches of rough russet, and a reddish tint towards the sun.
  • Hedrick: Skin thick, firm, intense green dotted with large brown specks, changing to dark yellow at maturity, with golden-russet on the side of the sun and some red blush.

Flesh/Flavor

Sources differ:

  • Downing and Elliott: Flesh coarse, buttery, astringent, granular. Tolerably good.
  • Thomas: Granular, astringent.
  • Hedrick: Flesh white, rather fine, buttery, melting, gritty about the center, full of rich sugary juice, vinous and highly scented.

Core/Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Downing, Elliott, and Thomas: September. Hedrick: November.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Gerardin.

Girardin. Gerardine. Girardon. La Girardin.

A foreign variety. Tree a vigorous grower. Young wood dull grayish brown.

Fruit medium, roundish, somewhat irregular. Skin yellow, with many spots and patches of rough russet, and a reddish tint towards the sun. Flesh coarse, buttery, astringent, granular. Tolerably good. September.

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

Gerardine.

i. Mas Pom. Gen. 3:119, fig. 156. 1878.

Obtained by M. Grégoire, Jodoigne, Bel., early in the nineteenth century. Fruit medium, turbinate, more or less short and swelled, reducing to a point at the top; skin thick, firm, intense green dotted with large brown specks, changing to dark yellow at maturity, with golden-russet on the side of the sun and some red blush; flesh white, rather fine, buttery, melting, gritty about the center, full of rich sugary juice, vinous and highly scented; Nov.

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

Gerardin.

Fruit, medium, roundish, somewhat irregular ; skin, yellow, with many spots and patches of rough russet, and a reddish tint towards the sun ; flesh, coarse, buttery, astringent, granular, tolerably good. September.

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

Gerardin. Medium, roundish, irregular, yellow with russet; granular, astringent. September.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Gerardin Girardin Girardon La Girardin Girardon Hampden's Bergamot JARGONELLE Long Green, of Coxe Long Green Naquette Passe Colmar Sainte Anne Sapieganka St. Dorothee Summer Franc Real Verte Longue Panachée, Striped Long Green Verte longue White Doyenne' Pear