Madame Ducar

Pear

Madame Ducar

Origin/History

A posthumous gain of Major Espéren of Mechlin, Belgium, dating from 1846. Downing credits its introduction to "M. Esperen." Cited in Leroy, Dict. Pom. 2:376, fig. (1869) and Downing, Fr. Trees Am. 808 (1869).

Tree

Vigorous and productive (Downing). Not described further in sources.

Fruit

Size: Medium.

Form: Sources differ. Downing describes the fruit as obovate pyriform; Hedrick as globular-ovate, regular in form, slightly undulating around the summit; Thomas as oval.

Stem: Long, fleshy at the insertion (Downing).

Cavity: Medium, somewhat [Downing's description is truncated at this point].

Calyx: Not described in sources.

Basin: Not described in sources.

Skin: Sources differ in color description. Downing gives pale lemon yellow with a few russet dots. Hedrick describes the skin as fine, rather dull yellow, finely dotted and streaked with fawn. Thomas describes the color as green becoming yellow.

Flesh and Flavor: According to Hedrick: white, coarse, semimelting, very gritty; juice sufficient, sugary, sweet, almost without perfume, but having a certain delicacy of taste. Thomas describes the fruit as very juicy, rich, and perfumed — conflicting with Hedrick on both juiciness ("sufficient" vs. "very juicy") and aroma ("almost without perfume" vs. "perfumed"). Quality rated second (Hedrick).

Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.

Season

End of August (Hedrick; Thomas gives August).

Uses

Not described in sources.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Other

Not described in sources.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

View original book sources (3)

Madame Ducar.

Introduced by M. Esperen. Tree vigorous, productive.

Fruit medium, obovate pyriform, pale lemon yellow, with a few russet dots. Stalk long, fleshy at insertion. Cavity medium, somewhat

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

Madame Ducar.

Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:376, fig. 1869. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 808. 1869.

This was a posthumous gain of Major Espéren, Mechlin, Bel., dating from 1846. Fruit medium, globular-ovate, regular in form, slightly undulating around the summit; skin fine, rather dull yellow, finely dotted and streaked with fawn; flesh white, coarse, semimelting, very gritty; juice sufficient, sugary, sweet, almost without perfume but having a certain delicacy of taste; second; end of Aug.

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

Madame Ducar. Medium, oval, green becoming yellow; very juicy, rich, perfumed. August. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

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