Olivier De Serres

Origin/History

Olivier De Serres was raised from seed by M. Boisbunel of Rouen, France, about the middle of the nineteenth century. Bunyard specifies the seed parent as Fortunée d'Angers and gives the first fruiting as 1861; Hedrick gives the seed parent as Fortunée and notes that it fruited a few years after sowing but did not receive attention until about 1862, when it was brought to the notice of the French Society of Horticulture and pronounced a fruit of merit. At the suggestion of M. Boisbunel, it was named after the illustrious Frenchman Olivier de Serres, who in France is called "The Father of Agriculture" and whose "Theatre d'Agriculture" was first published in 1600, and to whose birthplace Arthur Young made a pious pilgrimage (Bunyard). It was brought to America about 1865 (Hedrick).

Downing, writing in 1900, called it "a new sort, reputed of first quality in France" that had not yet fruited in America at the time of his account. Hedrick later observed that Olivier De Serres is rated in Europe as a delicious late-winter pear, and that pomological writers of the last century ascribed to it on this side of the Atlantic all the virtues Europeans gave it; closer study of the variety as grown in America (specifically in New York) showed, in his judgment, that it does not possess those merits in this country — the flesh is coarse and gritty, the flavor mediocre, and the tree-characters, though good, are not sufficiently good to offset the faults of the fruit. Bunyard called it "one of the best of late varieties deserving a wall to bring it to perfection," and noted that the illustration in the Herefordshire Pomona shows the fruit too yellow in colour — it is more greenish brown in reality.

Tree

Tree medium in size, vigorous, dense-topped, upright-spreading, productive (Hedrick). Downing describes the tree as vigorous, rather spreading, and very productive. Bunyard, by contrast, characterizes growth as rather weak and dwarf, with irregular fertility — a conflict with the American and Downing accounts. Trunk and branches marked with numerous lenticels; in the 1921 account, trunk and branches are also noted as medium in thickness and smoothness.

Branchlets slender, short, curved, with short internodes, light reddish-brown tinged with green, sprinkled with scattering, inconspicuous, very small, raised lenticels (Hedrick 1921). Downing describes the young wood as slender, rich yellow brown.

Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, free; leaf-scars with prominent shoulders. Leaves 2½ in. long, 1¼ in. wide in Hedrick's 1921 account; 2¾ inches long, 1¼ inches wide in his 1922 account; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate. Petiole ¾ in. long and slender in 1921; 2 inches long and slender in 1922 (a conflict between Hedrick's two accounts). Bunyard describes the leaf as long, narrow, much upfolded, neatly and markedly serrate, turning yellow-brown and occasionally a little red.

Flower-buds small, short, sharply pointed, free, singly on short spurs; flowers with an unpleasant odor, showy, 1⅝ in. across (Hedrick 1921) or 1 5/16 inches across (Hedrick 1922); pedicels 1 in. long, thinly pubescent.

Fruit

Size

Medium to large (Downing, Budd & Hansen). Medium (Bunyard, Hedrick), 2¾ by 2½ inches (Bunyard); 2¾ in. long, 2½ in. wide (Hedrick 1921); 2⅝ inches long, 2⅝ inches wide (Hedrick 1922). George Bunyard Catalog calls it "Very; large pear" and elsewhere "medium size; first rate." Veitch describes it as "a medium size." So sources broadly converge on medium-to-large with detailed measurements in the 2½–2¾ inch range.

Form

Roundish (Downing, Budd & Hansen). Round much flattened, apple-like, uneven (Bunyard). Roundish-obtuse-pyriform, truncate at both ends, irregular in outline (Hedrick). Downing adds that the form is irregular, generally roundish.

Stem

Stem variable in length, averaging ¾ in. long, thick, enlarged at the top, curved (Hedrick). Bunyard describes the stem as medium, stout, woody, in a deep cavity.

Cavity

Broad, slightly furrowed (Hedrick). Deep (Bunyard).

Calyx / Eye

Calyx large, slightly open (Hedrick 1921); calyx large, open (Hedrick 1922). Eye a little open, in a deep basin (Bunyard).

Basin

Variable in depth, furrowed (Hedrick). Deep (Bunyard).

Skin

Skin tender (Hedrick); skin rough (Bunyard).

Color: Deep yellow, with shade of rough russet, and many reddish russet dots in sun (Downing). Olive green, covered with rough russet (Bunyard), who further notes that the fruit is more greenish brown in reality than the yellow shown in the Herefordshire Pomona illustration. Greenish-yellow, partly overspread with cinnamon-russet and sometimes with a dull blush on the exposed cheek (Hedrick 1921); the same in Hedrick 1922, with a slight dull blush. The George Bunyard Catalog calls it "gold and golden-russet." Veitch describes the colour as "dark brownish" and remarks that fruit is of good colour but requires a warm position.

Flesh / Flavor

Downing: Flesh white, fine, melting, rich, juicy, sweet, with a delicate perfume.

Budd & Hansen: Flesh tender, juicy, melting, very good to best.

Bunyard: Flesh white, half melting, with a brisk musky flavour.

Hedrick: Flesh whitish, variable in texture, juicy, varying from sweet to a brisk vinous flavor; quality poor unless grown under the most favorable conditions. In America, Hedrick states, the flesh is coarse and gritty and the flavor mediocre — a sharp conflict with the European book sources.

Veitch describes the fruit as sweet and tender. George Bunyard Catalog: flesh white, very juicy, buttery and very sweet; fine; excellent flavored; fairly tender; fairly juicy.

Core / Seeds

Not described in source.

Season

Late winter / quite late winter, keeping as well as Josephine of Malines (Budd & Hansen). February, March (Downing). Dessert, February to April (Bunyard). Fruit ripens January to March (Hedrick). The George Bunyard Catalog lists the season as October, which conflicts with all other sources giving a January–April window.

Uses

Dessert (Bunyard). Hedrick implies dessert use through his quality discussion. Veitch notes that it is a good bearer and requires a warm position. George Bunyard Catalog calls it prolific, hardy, pretty good for open-ground, and valuable.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Bunyard recommends giving Olivier De Serres a wall to bring it to perfection, ranking it among the best of late varieties. Veitch likewise notes it requires a warm position. Hedrick's American assessment (New York) consistently downgrades the variety relative to its European reputation — flesh coarse and gritty, flavor mediocre, quality poor unless grown under the most favorable conditions — while granting that the tree-characters are good. Fertility is described as irregular by Bunyard but as productive by Hedrick and Downing, and as a good bearer / prolific by Veitch and the George Bunyard Catalog.