Moorfowl Egg
PearMoorfowl Egg
Origin / History
Hedrick describes Moorfowl Egg as an old Scotch dessert pear, partaking somewhat of the character of Swan Egg, citing Lindley's Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden (1831) and Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884, as "Muirfowl Egg"). Hedrick treats the closely related Swan Egg as a distinct English variety first published by Langley in Pomona (1729), recommended by Lindley as suitable for the Highlands of Scotland. Bunyard, writing of Swan's Egg, likewise notes that it "has been known for some years, and was first described by Batty Langley in 1729," and cites Herefordshire Pomona II, 34.
Downing and Thomas, however, treat "Moor-fowl Egg" as an incorrect name for Swan's Egg — Downing: "Moor-fowl Egg. incorrectly."; Thomas: "An incorrect name for Swan's Egg." Coxe (under Swan's Egg) notes that the fruit "is by many called the Poire d'Auch," but argues this must be an error, since Forsyth says the Poire d'Auch resembles the Colmart "but fuller in the neck," whereas the Colmart is delineated by the Abbé Rozier as a very different pear, much larger, with a distinct neck.
Downing characterizes the variety as "A very old Pear, unworthy cultivation."
Tree
Per Bunyard (Swan's Egg): growth slender, very upright; fertility great. Leaf fairly large, oval, almost entire. The other sources do not describe the tree.
Fruit
Size. Sources disagree. Hedrick (Moorfowl Egg): below medium. Hedrick (Swan Egg), Coxe, and Downing: small to medium / ordinary size / small. Bunyard: small, 2½ by 2½ inches.
Form. Hedrick (Moorfowl Egg): globular. Hedrick (Swan Egg): globular-ovate. Coxe: elliptical. Downing and Thomas: oval. Bunyard: round, a little conical.
Stem. Coxe: a long stem. Bunyard: very long and slender, woody. Other sources do not specify.
Cavity. Not described in source.
Calyx / Eye. Bunyard: eye open, almost on the surface. Other sources do not specify.
Basin. Not described in source.
Skin. Hedrick (Moorfowl Egg): dull green changing to yellow-green, mottled with red next the sun, and thickly strewed with pale brown-russety dots. Hedrick (Swan Egg): smooth, yellowish-green on the shaded side and clear brownish-red on the cheek exposed to the sun and covered with pale brown-russet. Coxe: green, thinly covered in part with brown. Downing: pale green, washed with pale brown on the sunny side, and dotted with brownish specks. Thomas: pale green. Bunyard: rough; greenish yellow almost covered with thick brown russet, occasionally with a dull brown flush.
Flesh / Flavor. Hedrick (Moorfowl Egg): yellowish, semi-buttery, tender, sweet, and with a slight perfume. Hedrick (Swan Egg): yellowish-white, tender, very juicy, with a sweet and piquant flavor and musky aroma; rated "good." Coxe: melting, and full of a pleasant musky juice. Downing: soft, juicy, with a sweet, somewhat musky flavor. Thomas: juicy, sweet, slightly musky. Bunyard: white, rather firm, fairly juicy, and a little musky.
Core / Seeds. Not described in source.
Season
October (Downing, Thomas, Bunyard, Hedrick — both Moorfowl Egg and Swan Egg entries). Coxe gives November, adding that "with care [it] may be preserved for some time."
Uses
Dessert pear (Bunyard; Hedrick describes Moorfowl Egg as a Scotch dessert pear).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source, beyond the distinction Hedrick draws between Moorfowl Egg and the related Swan Egg (see Origin / History).
Other
Foreign-language equivalents recorded by Bunyard for Swan's Egg: French Oeuf de Cygne; German Schwaner Eierbirne.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as SWAN'S EGG
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Swans Egg
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Swan's Egg
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Swan's Egg
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- SWANS EGG.
A pear of ordinary size; of elliptical form; a long stem: the skin green, thinly covered in part with brown: the flesh melting, and full of a pleasant musky juice; ripens in November, and with care may be preserved for some time. This fruit is by many called the Poire d'Auch; this must be an error; Forsyth says the Poire d'Auch resembles the Colmart, but fuller in the neck; the Colmart is delineated by the Abbé Rozier as a very different pear, much larger, with a distinct neck: see figure no. 44.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SWAN'S EGG.
Moor-fowl Egg. incorrectly.
A very old Pear, unworthy cultivation.
Fruit small, oval. Skin pale green, washed with pale brown on the sunny side, and dotted with brownish specks. Flesh soft, juicy, with a sweet, somewhat musky flavor. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Moor-fowl Egg. An incorrect name for Swan's Egg.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Swan's Egg", pp. 804–804]
Swan's Egg. Small, oval, pale green; juicy, sweet, slightly musky. October.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SWAN'S EGG. Her. Pom., II., 34. F. Oeuf de Cygne. G. Schwaner Eierbirne. Dessert, October, small, 2½ by 2½, round, a little conical. Skin, rough. Colour, greenish yellow almost covered with thick brown russet, occasionally with dull brown flush. Flesh, white, rather firm, fairly juicy and a little musky. Eye, open almost on surface. Stem, very long and slender, woody. Growth, slender, very upright ; fertility great. Leaf, fairly large, oval, almost entire. Origin, this has been known for some years, and was first described by Batty Langley in 1729.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Moorfowl Egg.
- Lindley Guide Orch. Card. 361. 1831.
Muirfowl Egg. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 619. 1884.
An old Scotch dessert pear partaking somewhat of the character of Swan Egg. Fruit below medium, globular, dull green changing to yellow-green, mottled with red next the sun, and thickly strewed with pale brown-russety dots; flesh yellowish, semi-buttery, tender, sweet and with a slight perfume; Oct.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Swan Egg", pp. 739–739]
Swan Egg.
i. Langley Pomona 132, Pl. LXIV. 1729.
An English variety recommended by Lindley as suitable in the Highlands of Scotland.
Fruit medium, globular-ovate; skin smooth, yellowish-green on the shaded side and clear brownish-red on the cheek exposed to the sun and covered with pale brown-russet; flesh yellowish-white, tender, very juicy, with a sweet and piquant flavor and musky aroma; good; Oct.