Hovey
PearHovey
Origin / History
Of foreign origin (Elliott), French (Thomas). Raised by André Leroy and dedicated to C. M. Hovey, of Boston, Mass. (Downing). Hedrick gives 1853 as the year Leroy propagated it and calls the dedicatee "the American pomologist Hovey." Hedrick cites Leroy's description as "Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:284, figs. 1869" and Downing's as "Downing Fr. Trees Am. 784. 1869."
Tree
A vigorous, upright grower. Young shoots clear yellow brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium to above medium.
Form: Pyriform. Elliott calls it regular and likens it to the Beurre Capiaumont. Downing describes the form as varying from oblong oval to obovate obtuse pyriform. Hedrick calls it conic-pyriform or turbinate-obtuse-pyriform, "variable but always very long."
Stem: Medium, moderately stout (Downing), obliquely inserted (Elliott).
Cavity: None; the stalk inserted without cavity (Downing).
Calyx: Set outside (Elliott), with short, stiff segments (Downing).
Basin: Shallow, lightly furrowed and slightly russeted (Downing).
Skin: Fine, fair, very smooth. Yellow to bright yellow, or greenish yellow (Downing). Slightly sprinkled, netted, and patched or stained with patches of russet.
Dots: Finely dotted with gray (Hedrick). Speckled and dotted around the eye (Elliott).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow to yellowish or yellowish white, melting and juicy. Downing calls it buttery. Hedrick calls it semi-fine, watery and slightly granular, with abundant juice. Flavor sugary, sweet, rich, aromatic, perfumed and vinous. Hedrick calls the juice acidulous, "possessing a musky perfume." Quality "very good" (Downing), "first" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
The recorded season runs from September to November. The later authors place it in October and November. Elliott alone gives September.
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)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)HOVEY. Foreign. Fruit, medium size, pyriform, regular, resembles the Beurre Capiaumont ; skin, fair, smooth, yellow, speckled and dotted around the eye ; calyx, set outside ; stem, obliquely inserted ; flesh, yellow, melting, juicy, sugary, perfumed and vinous. September.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)HOVEY.
Doyenné Hovey.
Raised by André Leroy, and dedicated to C. M. Hovey, of Boston, Mass. Tree a vigorous, upright grower. Young shoots clear yellow brown.
Fruit medium or above, varying in form from oblong oval to obovate obtuse pyriform, yellow or greenish yellow, slightly sprinkled, netted, and patched with russet. Stalk medium, moderately stout, inserted without cavity. Calyx with short, stiff segments. Basin shallow, lightly furrowed and slightly russeted. Flesh yellowish, buttery, juicy, melting, sweet, aromatic. Very good. October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Hovey. Medium, pyriform, yellow; melting, juicy, rich, vinous. French.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Hovey.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:284, figs. 1869.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 784. 1869.
Propagated by André Leroy in 1853 and dedicated by him to the American pomologist Hovey. Fruit medium or above, conic-pyriform or turbinate-obtuse-pyriform, variable but always very long; skin fine and very smooth, bright yellow, finely dotted with gray and stained with patches of russet; flesh yellowish-white, semi-fine, melting, watery and slightly granular; juice abundant, sugary, acidulous, and possessing a musky perfume; first; Nov.