Petit-Muscat
PearPetit-Muscat
Origin/History
Petit-Muscat is a very old French pear of considerable antiquity. Jean Mayer, director of the gardens of the Grand Duke of Wurtzburg, Bavaria, in his Pomona franconica published in 1801, showed that the Petit-Muscat was the antique pear Superba described by Pliny. Various other pomologists wrote of it prior to Mayer, including Jacq. Daléchamp (1615), Jean Jonston (1662), and Henri Manger (1783). Charles Estienne was the first to write of it in France in 1530, and he named it Musquette. Knoop's Fructologie (1:75, Tab. 1) described it in 1771, and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (2:522, with figure) treated it in 1869. Coxe (1817) and Downing (1900) both characterize it as a foreign/French pear, "well known in many of our gardens."
Tree
The form of the tree resembles the Catharine pear (Coxe). It does not produce fruit early, but when it has attained the proper age, it is an abundant bearer (Coxe); Downing likewise describes it as "very productive."
Fruit
Size: Very small (Downing, Hedrick); Elliott and Thomas describe it as "small" to "quite small."
Form: Turbinate (Elliott, Downing, Thomas, Hedrick), more or less obtuse and sometimes globular-turbinate (Hedrick). Coxe describes the form as "round rather than long." Coxe also notes that the fruit grows in clusters.
Stem: Short (Coxe). Not otherwise described.
Cavity: Hedrick notes the eye is placed in a regular-formed cavity. Other sources do not describe the cavity.
Calyx/Eye: The eye is always naked, in consequence of the segments of the calyx falling off (Hedrick).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Sources broadly agree on a yellow ground with a colored cheek next the sun, but differ on the specific shading of the cheek:
- Coxe: "skin is yellow, with a portion of reddish brown on the cheek next the sun" when fully ripe.
- Elliott: yellow with a "dull red cheek."
- Downing: yellow with a "dull red cheek."
- Thomas: yellow with a "brownish cheek."
- Hedrick: "pale greenish-yellow, finely dotted and slightly clouded with rose on the side of the sun (in France)."
Hedrick is the only source noting fine dotting on the skin.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh yellowish, semi-fine, breaking, not very juicy, sugary, acidulous, and with a pleasant musk flavor (Hedrick). Downing describes the flesh as "breaking, sweet, with a slight musk flavor." Thomas: "breaking, sweet, slightly musky." Coxe: "If not too ripe, it is a pleasant pear; the juice somewhat musky." Quality is rated "Good" by Downing, "Tolerably good" by Thomas, and "second" by Hedrick.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Sources differ on ripening date:
- Coxe: ripens from the first to the tenth of July.
- Downing: ripening at the beginning of July; "the earliest of all Pears."
- Elliott: July.
- Thomas: middle of July.
- Hedrick: June.
Downing emphasizes its distinction as "the earliest of all Pears."
Uses
A pleasant dessert pear when not too ripe (Coxe). Downing notes it is allowed a place in gardens "chiefly because it is the earliest of all Pears."
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Little Muscat
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Petit Muscat, Little Musk, Or Primitive Pear
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Little Muscat
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Little Muscat
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- PETIT MUSCAT, LITTLE MUSK, OR PRIMITIVE PEAR.
This pear grows in clusters; the form is round rather than long; the stalk short, and when fully ripe the skin is yellow, with a portion of reddish brown on the cheek next the sun. If not too ripe, it is a pleasant pear; the juice somewhat musky—the form of the tree resembles the Catharine; it does not produce fruit early, but when it has attained the proper age, is an abundant bearer—it ripens from the first to the tenth of July.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Little Muscat. Little Musk, | Petit Muscat, Primitive, | Muscat Petit. Foreign. Small, turbinate, yellow, dull red cheek. July.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Little Muscat.
Little Musk. Primitive. Sept-en-gueule. Petit Muscat. Muscat Petit. Chiot.
This very little French Pear, well known in many of our gardens, is allowed a place there, chiefly because it is the earliest of all Pears, ripening at the beginning of July.
Fruit very small, turbinate, yellow, with a dull red cheek. Flesh breaking, sweet, with a slight musk flavor. Good. Very productive.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Little Muscat. Quite small, turbinate, yellow with brownish cheek; breaking, sweet, slightly musky. Middle of July. French. Tolerably good.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Petit-Muscat.
- Knoop Fructologie 1:75, Tab. 1. 1771.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:522, fig. 1869. Little Muscat. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 802. 1869.
Jean Mayer, director of the gardens of the Grand Duke of Wurtzburg, Bavaria, in his Pomona franconica published in 1801 showed that the Petit-Muscat was the antique pear Superba described by Pliny. Various other pomologists wrote of it prior to Mayer as for instance Jacq. Daléchamp, 1615; Jean Jonston, 1662; and Henri Manger, 1783. Charles Estienne was the first to write of it in France, 1530, and he named it Musquette. Fruit very small, turbinate, more or less obtuse and sometimes globular-turbinate; the eye is placed in a regular-formed cavity and is always naked in consequence of the segments of the calyx falling off, pale greenish-yellow, finely dotted and slightly clouded with rose on the side of the sun (in France); flesh yellowish, semi-fine, breaking, not very juicy, sugary, acidulous and with a pleasant musk flavor; second; June.