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Le Lectier

Pear

Le Lectier

Origin / History

Raised about 1882 at Orléans, France, by Auguste Lesueur, a horticulturist (spelled "Leseur" by Bunyard). Bunyard gives the parentage as William's Bon Chretien × Bergamotte Fortunée; Hedrick gives it as a cross between Bartlett and Fortunée. Bunyard says Messrs. Transons introduced it in 1888; Hedrick puts the introduction about 1889. Named after Le Lectier, the famous pomologist of Orléans. Hedrick says that in 1628 he was growing about 260 varieties of pears; Bunyard says he had collected "no less than 260 varieties" that year.

In France, Le Lectier was described as greatly superior in flavor, aroma, and sweetness to varieties of the same class that had established reputations (Hedrick). In 1894 the Royal Horticultural Society of London recommended it for cultivation in England. Hedrick says that in size and beauty of fruit Le Lectier surpasses most of its associates, but that the tree is seldom at home on this side of the Atlantic. Bunyard calls it "a valuable fruit," and Veitch "One of the best late pears."

Tree

Vigorous, strong, upright; very upright according to Bunyard. Hedrick describes it as medium in size and dense-topped, and in the Cyclopedia as sometimes unsymmetrical. Trunk and branches medium in thickness and smoothness. Branchlets thick, curved, light brownish-red tinged with green, overspread with grayish scarf-skin, glabrous. They are sprinkled with numerous raised, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves thick, with a taper-pointed apex and a glandular, finely serrate margin; petiole slender. Hedrick gives the leaves as 2¼ in. long and 1¼ in. wide with a petiole 2½ in. long (The Pears of New York). In the Cyclopedia he gives them as 2¾ in. long and 1¾ in. wide with a petiole 2¼ in. long.

Flower-buds short, conical, plump, free, borne singly on very short spurs. Flowers showy; pedicels ⅝ in. long. The flowers measure 1¼ in. across with 8 or 10 buds in a cluster (The Pears of New York), or 1½ in. across with 5 or 6 buds in a cluster (the Cyclopedia).

Hedrick calls the tree very productive; Bunyard gives its fertility as moderate.

Very satisfactory in some situations, but capricious to both soils and climates (Hedrick). In Europe it grows best on warm, rich soils. Bunyard says it does well on all walls except the North, and on most soils.

Fruit

Size: Large; "rather large" per Bunyard, who gives the dimensions 3¼ by 4¼.

Form: Pyriform, elongated-obovate-pyriform, often with a narrow neck (Hedrick); fairly even (Bunyard).

Stem: Bunyard describes the stem as rather long, often continued, and fleshy. Hedrick describes it as slender, rather short, enlarged at both ends, and inserted obliquely.

Cavity: Irregular, often lipped (Hedrick).

Calyx: Variable in size, partly open (Hedrick); "a little open" (Bunyard).

Basin: Variable in size, abrupt, irregular (Hedrick).

Skin: Thin, glossy, smooth (Bunyard), with uneven surface (Hedrick). Green to pale yellow or yellow. Hedrick's Cyclopedia describes it as greenish-yellow becoming yellower at full maturity. Mottled and faintly blushed on the exposed cheek with yellowish-bronze (Hedrick). A little russet round the stem and occasionally on the sides (Bunyard).

Dots: Small, inconspicuous (Hedrick).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, fine-grained, melting, juicy. Flavor sweet and pleasantly aromatic; "deliciously perfumed" (Bunyard); "fine flavour" (Veitch). Quality "very good," and first rate in soils and climates to which the variety is suited (Hedrick).

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

November to January. Most authors give December and January, a late-winter season when good pears are scarce. Veitch gives November and December.

Uses

Dessert. Hedrick judges that the fine, large fruits would be most acceptable for either home or market if the tree could be made to thrive.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Hedrick cites the following references: Mathieu Nom. Pom. 246, 1889; Guide Prat. 95, 1895; Rev. Hort. 466, 1899; Garden 59:14, 93, 124, 1901; Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom. 420, fig., 1904; Cat. Cong. Pom. France 287, fig., 1906.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England

View original book sources (4)

LE LECTIER. Dessert, December to January, rather large, 3¼ by 4¼, pyriform, fairly even. Skin, smooth. Colour, green to pale yellow, a little russet round stem and occasionally on sides. Flesh, white, melting, deliciously perfumed. Eye, a little open. Stem, rather long, often continued, fleshy. Growth, very upright, strong; fertility moderate. Origin, raised by M. Auguste Leseur, of Orleans, about 1882, from William's Bon Chretien × Bergamotte Fortunée, introduced by Messrs. Transons in 1888. It is named after the famous Le Lectier, who collected no less than 260 varieties of pears in 1628. A valuable fruit, doing well on all walls except the North, and also on most soils.

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

LE LECTIER

  1. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 246. 1889. 2. Guide Prat. 95. 1895. 3. Rev. Hort. 466. 1899. 4. Garden 59:14, 93, 124. 1901. 5. Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom. 420, fig. 1904. 6. Cat. Cong. Pom. France 287, fig. 1906.

In size and beauty of fruit, Le Lectier surpasses most of its associates, and the quality is first rate in soils and climates to which the variety is suited. Unfortunately the tree, while very satisfactory in some situations, is capricious to both soils and climates, and is seldom at home on this side of the Atlantic. The season is December and January, when good pears are scarce, and it would seem that the fine, large fruits of this pear would be most acceptable for either home or market if it could be made to thrive. In Europe, it grows best on warm, rich soils.

Auguste Lesueur, a horticulturist at Orléans, France, obtained this late winter pear about 1882 as a cross between Bartlett and Fortunée. It was named after Le Lectier, the great pomologist of Orléans, who was growing in the year 1628 about 260 varieties of pears. The variety was introduced about 1889. In France, Le Lectier has been described as greatly superior in flavor, aroma, and sweetness to varieties of the same class having established reputations. In 1894, the Royal Horticultural Society of London recommended this variety for cultivation in England.

Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, very productive; trunk and branches medium in thickness and smoothness; branchlets thick, curved, light brownish-red, tinged with green and overspread with grayish scarf-skin, glabrous, sprinkled with numerous raised, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 2¼ in. long, 1¼ in. wide, thick; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 2½ in. long, slender. Flower-buds short, conical, plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers showy, 1¼ in. across, 8 or 10 buds in a cluster; pedicels ⅝ in. long.

Fruit ripens December to January; large, elongated-obovate-pyriform, often with a narrow neck; stem slender, rather short, enlarged at both ends, inserted obliquely; cavity irregular, often lipped; calyx variable in size, partly open; basin variable in size, abrupt, irregular; skin glossy, thin, with uneven surface; color yellow, mottled and faintly blushed on the exposed cheek with yellowish-bronze; dots inconspicuous, small; flesh white, fine-grained, melting, juicy, sweet, pleasantly aromatic; quality very good.

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

LE LECTIER. In size and beauty of fruit, Le Lectier surpasses most of its associates, and the quality is first rate in soils and climates to which the variety is suited. Unfortunately the tree is capricious to both soils and climates and is seldom at home on this side of the Atlantic. The season is December and January, when good pears are scarce, and it would seem that the fine, large fruits of this pear would be most acceptable for either home or market if it could be made to thrive. In Europe, it grows best on warm rich soils. Auguste Lesueur, Orleans, France, obtained this late winter pear about 1882 as a cross between Bartlett and Fortunee. Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, sometimes unsymmetrical, very productive; trunk and branches medium in thickness and smoothness. Leaves 2¾ inches long, 1¾ inches wide, thick; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 2¼ inches long, slender. Flowers showy, 1½ inches across, 5 or 6 buds in a cluster. Fruit ripens December-January; large, elongated-obovate-pyriform, often with a narrow neck; stem slender, rather short, enlarged at both ends, inserted obliquely; cavity irregular, often lipped; calyx variable in size, partly open; basin variable in size, abrupt, irregular; skin glossy, thin, with uneven surface; color greenish-yellow becoming yellower at full maturity, mottled and faintly blushed on the exposed cheek with yellowish-bronze; dots inconspicuous, small; flesh white, fine-grained, melting, juicy, sweet, pleasantly aromatic; quality very good.

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

large, fine flavour, melting, juicy and aromatic. One of the best late pears Nov. & Dec.

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