Napoleon Savinien
PearNapoleon Savinien Pear
Origin / History
Obtained in the garden of the Society Van Mons at Geest-Saint-Remy, Belgium, in 1854 (Hedrick). Downing describes it as a new French variety resembling Napoleon in appearance but maturing later in the season. First documented in Annales de Pomologie Belge 4:71 with figure, 1856 (Hedrick).
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium. Downing describes the form as obovate acute pyriform; Hedrick gives turbinate-ventriculous or pyriform-ventriculous, acute at the top, the apex passing into the stalk.
Stem: Short (Downing).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Large, open; segments reflexed (Downing).
Basin: Large, uneven (Downing).
Skin: Downing describes the ground color as yellow, partially netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Hedrick gives greenish-yellow, dotted with gray-russet. The two sources agree on a yellow-russet character but differ slightly on ground color (yellow vs. greenish-yellow) and on the degree of russet coverage (Downing's "netted and patched" vs. Hedrick's simple dotting).
Flesh / Flavor: The sources differ on texture. Downing describes the flesh as whitish, rather coarse, juicy, and half melting, rating it Good. Hedrick describes it as white, semi-fine, melting, juicy, perfumed, and saccharine, with a musky and delicate juice. Both agree on juiciness and white color; they conflict on coarseness (Downing: rather coarse; Hedrick: semi-fine) and degree of melt (Downing: half melting; Hedrick: melting).
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Downing places it in January. Hedrick gives October to March, noting that the exceptionally long ripening period is a very valuable quality of the variety.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
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
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Napoleon Savinien.
This is a new French variety, resembling Napoleon in appearance but maturing later in the season.
Fruit medium, obovate acute pyriform, yellow, partially netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk short. Calyx large, open. Segments reflexed. Basin large, uneven. Flesh whitish, rather coarse, juicy, half melting. Good. January.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Napoleon Savinien.
- Ann. Pom. Belge 4:71, fig. 1856. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 819. 1869.
Obtained in the garden of the Society Van Mons at Geest-Saint-Remy, Bel., in 1854. Fruit medium, turbinate-ventriculous or pyriform-ventriculous, acute at the top which passes into the stalk; greenish-yellow, dotted with gray-russet; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, juicy and perfumed, saccharine; juice musky, delicate; Oct. to Mar.; the long period of its ripening is its very valuable quality.