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Guyot

Pear

Guyot

Origin / History

Raised at Troyes, France, about 1870. Bunyard credits M. Ernest Baltet of Troyes and gives the year as 1870. Hedrick places it in the nurseries of the Baltet Brothers, Troyes.

Hedrick says that within the next decade it was quite widely distributed in France and England, where it has since been esteemed as a pear of the Bartlett type. It was first brought to America about 1885, and the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, planted it in spring 1893.

Lauche figured it in the Deutsche Pomologie (1883) under the name "Dr. Jules Guyot." The same name appears in Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884), the Georgia Horticultural Society report (1892), The Garden (1897 and 1909), and Deutschlands Obstsorten (1906). Lucas's Tafelbirnen (1894) and the Catalogue of the Congrès Pomologique de France (1906) give it as "Docteur Jules Guyot." Ragan's nomenclature of the pear (1908) records it as Guyot.

Hedrick says the fruits "bear strong resemblance to those of Bartlett." They differ in being larger and rather more handsomely colored, ripening a little earlier, having coarser flesh, and being "very differently flavored." Bunyard says it much resembles Williams, and Veitch's entry likewise names Williams.

Bunyard reports it "grown in large quantities for market but is only second class in flavour." Hedrick says the product "can seldom compete with that of Bartlett, or even with that of Clapp Favorite with which it ripens, because its season is exceedingly transitory." He judges the variety nonetheless "well worth planting in collections for its early, handsome, well-flavored fruits."

Tree

Tree medium in size, upright, hardy. Growth moderate to vigorous: Hedrick calls it vigorous and Veitch a good grower, while Bunyard gives moderate and the Agassiz station a medium grower. Productive and a regular bearer. The Agassiz station calls it an early and constant bearer, and Bunyard gives fertility as very good. Hedrick finds the trees "quite as satisfactory as those of Bartlett, unless, possibly, they fall short somewhat in productiveness."

Trunk and branches brownish. Branches overlaid with thick scarf-skin, marked by small, round or roundish, indistinct lenticels. Branchlets slender, very long, curved, with long internodes, reddish-brown mingled with green, smooth, glabrous, sprinkled with raised, conspicuous lenticels. Leaf-buds small, very short, pointed, appressed.

Leaves medium, round oval, upfolded and down-curved, finely crenate, turning dull yellow-brown (Bunyard). Apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, variable in serration; petiole 2 inches long, thick, reddish-green. Hedrick gives the leaf as 2½ inches long by 1⅜ inches wide in The Pears of New York; his Cyclopedia prints 2¾ by 1¾ inches.

Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, borne singly on very short spurs. Flowers open late; showy, in dense clusters of 5 to 8 buds; pedicels ¾ inch long, pubescent. Flowers 1½ inches across in The Pears of New York, 1¼ inches in the Cyclopedia.

Fruit

Size: Large, larger than Bartlett (Hedrick). Bunyard calls it "rather large," and Hedrick's Cyclopedia "very large." Bunyard gives 3½ by 4½. Hedrick gives 3½ inches long by 2½ inches wide in The Pears of New York; the Cyclopedia prints 3¼ by 2¾ inches.

Form: Pyriform: oblong-obtuse-pyriform, irregular, with unequal sides (Hedrick); oval pyriform, a little uneven (Bunyard).

Stem: Thick or rather stout, curved, generally inserted obliquely (Bunyard). Bunyard calls it short. Hedrick gives 1½ inches long in The Pears of New York, 1¼ inches in the Cyclopedia.

Cavity: Obtuse, shallow, narrow, slightly russeted, drawn up on one side of the stem in a prominent lip (Hedrick).

Calyx: Large, open. Lobes separated at the base, short, broad, acute. Calyx-tube short, wide, conical (Hedrick). Bunyard gives the eye as open, almost level.

Basin: Shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed (Hedrick).

Skin: Very thin, tender (Hedrick), roughish or a little rough. Clear yellow to pale yellow, more or less mottled, with traces of russet or russet patches. A red blush or slight red flush on the exposed cheek, pinkish-red in Hedrick's Cyclopedia. The Agassiz station describes the blush as faint and only sometimes present on the sunny side. More handsomely colored than Bartlett (Hedrick).

Dots: Numerous, small, russet, conspicuous (Hedrick).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, yellowish-white, or pale yellow. Granular, tender, melting; buttery (Agassiz station). Coarser than Bartlett (Hedrick). Juicy: very juicy (Bunyard), but only moderately juicy (Hedrick).

Flavor sweet mingled with sprightliness, aromatic (Hedrick). Taken at the proper moment, Hedrick says, the pears are better flavored than Bartlett: "richer" and with "a more delicate taste and perfume than the musky fruits of Bartlett." Bunyard finds a slight musky flavor, less musky than Williams.

Quality "very good" (Agassiz station), "good" (Hedrick); Bunyard calls it "only second class in flavour."

Core and seeds: Core closed, with clasping core-lines. Seeds large, long, plump, acute (Hedrick).

Season

Early ripening, in August and September. Bunyard and Hedrick give early September, the Agassiz station September, and Veitch August and September. Hedrick says it ripens a little earlier than Bartlett, with Clapp Favorite, and that its season is exceedingly transitory.

Unless picked quite green and ripened indoors, the pears rot at the center. Even when ripened under the best conditions, they quickly become mealy and insipid (Hedrick). Bunyard advises gathering in good time and storing in a cool place.

Uses

Dessert. Market (Bunyard). Fine for forcing (Veitch).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 9 catalogs (1894–1917) from California, England

  • Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1894 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Dr. Jules Guyot
  • James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
  • George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917 — listed as Docteur Jules Guyot
View original book sources (5)

DR. JULES GUYOT. Lauche II., 71. Dessert, early September, rather large, 3½ by 4½, oval pyriform, a little uneven. Skin, a little rough. Colour, pale yellow with russet patches and slight red flush. Flesh, pale yellow, very juicy and melting, with slight musky flavour. Eye, open, almost level. Stem, short, rather stout, generally inserted obliquely. Growth, moderate, upright; fertility, very good. Leaf, medium, round oval, upfolded and down curved, finely crenate, turns dull yellow brown. Origin, raised by M. Ernest Baltet of Troyes, in 1870. This much resembles Williams, but has less of the musky flavour. It is grown in large quantities for market but is only second class in flavour. It should be gathered in good time and stored in a cool place.

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

GUYOT

  1. Ragan Nom. Pear, B. P. I. Bul. 126:139. 1908. Dr. Jules Guyot. 2. Lauche Deut. Pom. II: No. 71, Pl. 71. 1883. 3. Hogg Fruit Man. 562. 1884. 4. Ga. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 54. 1892. 5. Garden 52:248. 1897. 6. Deut. Obstsorten 5: Pt. 5, Pl. 1906. 7. Garden 73:564, fig. 1909. Docteur Jules Guyot. 8. Lucas Tafelbirnen 73, fig. 1894. 9. Cat. Cong. Pom. France 234. 1906.

The fruits of Guyot bear strong resemblance to those of Bartlett, but differ in being larger and rather more handsomely colored, ripen a little earlier, have coarser flesh, and are very differently flavored. The product can seldom compete with that of Bartlett, or even with that of Clapp Favorite with which it ripens, because its season is exceedingly transitory. Unless picked quite green and ripened indoors, the pears rot at the center, and even when ripened under the best conditions quickly become mealy and insipid. Taken at the proper moment, the pears are better flavored than those of Bartlett, as they are richer and have a more delicate taste and perfume than the musky fruits of Bartlett. The trees are quite as satisfactory as those of Bartlett, unless, possibly, they fall short somewhat in productiveness. The variety is well worth planting in collections for its early, handsome, well-flavored fruits.

Guyot was raised in the nurseries of the Baltet Brothers, Troyes, France, about 1870. Within the next decade it was quite widely distributed in France and England where it has since been esteemed as a pear of the Bartlett type. It was first brought to America about 1885.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, hardy, productive, a regular bearer; branches brownish, overlaid with thick scarf-skin, marked by small, round, indistinct lenticels; branchlets slender, very long, curved, with long internodes, reddish-brown mingled with green, smooth, glabrous, sprinkled with raised, conspicuous lenticels. Leaf-buds small, very short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1⅜ in. wide; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, variable in serration; petiole 2 in. long, thick, reddish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers open late, showy, 1½ in. across, in dense clusters, from 5 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels ¾ in. long, pubescent.

Fruit ripens in early September; large, 3½ in. long, 2½ in. wide, oblong-obtuse-pyriform, irregular, with unequal sides; stem 1½ in. long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, slightly russeted, drawn up on one side of the stem in a prominent lip; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, short, broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed; skin very thin, tender, roughish; color yellow, more or less mottled and with traces of russet, with a red blush on the exposed cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, granular, tender, moderately juicy, sweet mingled with sprightliness, aromatic; quality good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, long, plump, acute.

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

GUYOT. Doctor Jules Guyot.

The fruits of Guyot bear strong resemblance to those of Bartlett, but differ in being larger, rather more handsomely colored, ripen a little earlier, have coarser flesh, and are very differently flavored. The product can seldom compete with that of Bartlett, or even with that of Clapp Favorite with which it ripens, because its season is exceedingly transitory. Unless picked quite green and ripened indoors, the pears rot at the center, and even when ripened under the best conditions quickly become mealy and insipid. Taken at the proper moment, the pears are better flavored than those of Bartlett; they are richer and have a more delicate taste and perfume than the musky fruits of Bartlett. The trees are quite as satisfactory as those of Bartlett, unless, possibly, they fall short somewhat in productiveness. The variety is well worth planting in collections for its early, handsome, well-flavored fruits. Guyot was raised in the nurseries of the Baltet Brothers, Troyes, France, about 1870.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, hardy, productive, a regular bearer; trunk and branches brownish, marked by roundish, small, indistinct lenticels. Leaves 2¾ inches long, 1¾ inches wide; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, variable in serration; petiole inches long, thick, reddish-green. Flowers open late, showy, 1¼ inches across, in dense clusters, from to 8 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripens in early September; very large, 3¼ inches long, 2¾ inches wide, oblong-obtuse-pyriform, irregular, with unequal sides; stem 1¼ inches long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, slightly russeted, drawn up on one side of the stem in a prominent lip; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, short, broad, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, furrowed; skin very thin, tender, roughish; color yellow, more or less mottled and with traces of russet, with a pinkish-red blush on the exposed cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, granular, tender, moderately juicy, sweet mingled with sprightliness; quality good; core closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, long, plump, acute.

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

Planted Spring 1893. Tree a medium grower, with a early and constant bearer. Fruit large, pyriform. Skin clear yellow, with sometimes a faint blush on the sunny side. Flesh white, juicy, buttery, melting, quality very good. Season September.

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

large, melting, juicy, early ripening. Williams, fine for forcing, good grower Aug. & Sept.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)
Docteur Jules Guyot Doctor Jules Guyot Dr. Jules Guyot