Muscat Robert
PearMuscat Robert
Origin / History
Old pear of unknown origin (Downing). Mentioned by Le Lectier in 1628 and by la Quintinye in 1690 under the name Pucelle de Saintonge. Hedrick dates the name Muscat Robert from about 1672; Merlet wrote of it in 1675 as the Amber Pear or Muscat Robert. Widely known also as the Amber Pear. Hedrick cites Duhamel, Traité des Arbres Fruitiers 2:120, Plate II, 1768.
Tree
Tree very productive (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Small (Downing, Hedrick); "rather small" (Thomas).
Form: Roundish pyriform, inclining to ovate (Downing); globular, very round in all its lower part, slightly conic at its other extremity, where it is a little wrinkled (Hedrick).
Stem: Long, sometimes inserted by a lip (Downing).
Cavity: Stalk sometimes inserted in a slight cavity, sometimes by a lip (Downing).
Calyx: Large, open (Downing).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Greenish yellow (Downing, Thomas) or yellowish green (Hedrick), with a dull crimson (Downing); sometimes rather carmined on the cheek exposed to the sun (Hedrick).
Dots: Fine, uniformly distributed, olive-brown (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh whitish, semi-fine, breaking or semi-breaking, granular, very juicy, sweet, sugary, very musky; inclined to rot before ripe (Hedrick). Thomas: "pleasant." Quality "Good" (Downing); "second" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Mid-July to the end of July. Downing ("last of July") and Thomas ("late July") give late July; Hedrick alone gives mid-July.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1849) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Robert Muscat
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Muscat Robert.
Poire a la Reine. Queen's Amber. D'Ambre. Virgin of Xaintonge. St. Jean Musquee Gros. Muscat d'Ambre. Musk Robine. The Princess. Early Queen. Great Musk Pear of Gone. Queen's Pear. Maiden of Flanders. Beurre a la Reine. Maiden of Xaintonge. Robine. Robert's Muskateller. Muscat Robine.
An old Pear, of unknown origin. Tree very productive. Fruit small, roundish pyriform, inclining to ovate, greenish yellow, with a dull crimson. Stalk long, sometimes inserted by a lip, and sometimes in a slight cavity. Calyx large, open. Flesh breaking, juicy, sweet. Good. Last of July.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Muscat Robert. Rather small, greenish-yellow; juicy, pleasant. Late July.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Muscat Robert,
- Duhamel Trait. Arb.Fr. 2:120, Pl. II. 1768.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 818. 1869.
This pear was mentioned by Le Lectier in 1628 and by la Quintinye in 1690 under the name of Pucelle de Saintonge. Its name of Muscat Robert dates from about 1672 and Merlet wrote of it in 1675 as the Amber Pear or Muscat Robert. It has also been widely known as the Amber Pear. Fruit small, globular, very round in all its lower part but slightly conic at its other extremity where it is a little wrinkled, yellowish-green, finely and uniformly dotted with olive-brown and sometimes rather carmined on the cheek exposed to the sun; flesh whitish, semi-fine, breaking or semi-breaking, inclined to rot before ripe, granular, very juicy, sugary, very musky; second; mid-July.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Robine", pp. 703–703]
Robine.
i. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:174, Pl. XXVII. 1768. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 637. 1884.
This is an ancient pear of unascertained origin, though the pomologists Turpin and Poiteau and others have regarded it as French. It is often known as the Royale d'Ete, and has had various other synonyms. Fruit below medium, globular-turbinate, bright green changing to yellow, dotted with greenish-gray; flesh white, fine or semi-fine, almost breaking, rather dry, very saccharine, sweet and having an agreeable musky flavor; second; mid-Aug.