Magnate
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Magnate Pear
Origin/History
A seedling raised by Messrs. Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, England, from Louise Bonne de Jersey, prior to 1880. Introduced about 1888 (Bunyard). The variety was planted in the Agassiz, BC trial grounds in spring 1893 (Central Experimental Farm).
Tree
Growth moderate, upright spreading, making a well-spurred tree; fertility moderate (Bunyard). The Central Experimental Farm independently describes the tree as a moderate grower, consistent with Bunyard's assessment.
Leaf remarkably long, oval, slightly upfolded, very finely crenate; turns a slight brownish red in autumn (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size and Form: Large, pyriform. Hedrick further characterizes the form as obtuse-pyriform, even and symmetrical in outline. Bunyard concurs: large, pyriform, even.
Stem: Rather long and stout (Bunyard).
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx/Eye: Half open, nearly on level with the surface (Bunyard).
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: Rough in texture (Bunyard). Ground color yellow (Hedrick, Bunyard) or greenish yellow (Central Experimental Farm). Nearly covered with brownish russet. Hedrick describes the russet covering as rather dark brown, with the surface thickly strewed with large russet freckles; Bunyard characterizes the pattern as russet brown on a yellow ground with russet dots; the Central Experimental Farm describes a brownish russet covering nearly the full surface.
On the sun-exposed side, sources agree on a red blush, though they differ in character: Hedrick describes it as blushed and streaked with crimson; the Central Experimental Farm describes a dull red cheek in the sun.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh yellow (Hedrick, Bunyard) to yellowish (Central Experimental Farm). Hedrick describes it as tender and melting, with a rich flavor and a slight perfume of rose-water; quality rated very good. The Central Experimental Farm describes the flesh as juicy, fine-grained, with a rich flavor. Bunyard describes it as soft.
On grittiness, sources differ: Hedrick notes the flesh is rather gritty at the core; Bunyard notes it is somewhat gritty on some soils, suggesting the characteristic is soil-dependent; the Central Experimental Farm describes the flesh as fine-grained, possibly reflecting favorable soil conditions at the Agassiz trial ground.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
October to November (Hedrick, Bunyard). The Central Experimental Farm places the season at the last of October.
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1900–1911) from England
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (3)
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Magnate.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 610. 1884.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 186. 1920. A seedling raised by Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, Eng., from Louise Bonne de Jersey, prior to 1880. Fruit large, obtuse-pyriform, even and symmetrical in outline, yellow covered with rather dark brown-russet, thickly strewed with large russet freckles, blushed and streaked with crimson; flesh yellow, tender, melting, rather gritty at the core, richly flavored, and with a slight perfume of rose-water; very good; Oct. and Nov.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1893. Tree a moderate grower. Fruit large, pyriform. Skin greenish yellow, nearly covered with a brownish russet and with a dull red cheek in the sun. Flesh yellowish, juicy, fine grained, with a rich flavour. Season last of October.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)MAGNATE. Dessert, October to November, large, pyriform, even. Skin, rough. Colour, russet brown on yellow ground, with russet dots. Flesh, yellow, soft, somewhat gritty on some soils. Eye, half open nearly on level. Stem, rather long and stout. Growth, moderate, upright spreading, making a well spurred tree; fertility moderate. Leaf, remarkably long, oval, slightly upfolded, very finely crenate, turns slight brownish red. Origin, raised by Messrs. Rivers, and introduced about 1888.