Petite Marguerite
Pear
Petite Marguerite
Origin/History
The two sources give incompatible accounts of origin and must both be presented.
Downing (1900) records it as a chance seedling grown in the garden of the late Captain Rogers of Boston, Massachusetts, and introduced by A. J. Dean of the same city.
Hedrick (1921) records a wholly different origin: raised in the nurseries of M. André Leroy, Angers, France, in 1862, and propagated in 1863. Hedrick cites Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:526, fig. 1869, and Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 192 (1920).
These accounts — American chance seedling versus French nursery-raised variety — are irreconcilable and may reflect two distinct varieties traveling under the same name.
Tree
Vigorous, somewhat spreading, productive. (Downing; not described in Hedrick.)
Fruit
Size: Medium (both sources agree).
Form: The sources conflict. Downing describes the fruit as oblong ovate, obtuse pyriform. Hedrick describes it as irregular ovate, bossed, swelled at the base, with one side always larger than the other.
Stem: Long, curved, inserted in a slight depression or small cavity. (Downing; not described in Hedrick.)
Cavity: Slight depression or small cavity at stem insertion. (Downing; not described in Hedrick.)
Calyx: Half open. (Downing; not described in Hedrick.)
Basin: Rather small, slightly corrugated. (Downing; not described in Hedrick.)
Skin: The sources conflict. Downing describes the skin as yellowish green, sometimes with a shade of dull red on the side exposed to sun, and many green and russet dots. Hedrick describes it as grass-green, dotted with gray and brown, and slightly bronzed on the cheek exposed to the sun.
Flesh and Flavor: The sources conflict substantially. Downing describes the flesh as whitish yellow, a little coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet, slightly vinous, and slightly aromatic; rated good to very good. Hedrick describes the flesh as greenish-white, fine and very melting, slightly gritty at the center; juice extremely abundant and saccharine, acidulous, with a very pleasant perfume; rated first quality.
Season
The sources conflict. Downing gives September; Hedrick gives August.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1917) from England
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Petite Marguerite. Rogers. Dean.
A chance seedling in the garden of the late Capt. Rogers, of Boston, Mass., and introduced by A. J. Dean, of the same place. Tree vigorous, somewhat spreading, productive.
Fruit medium, oblong ovate obtuse pyriform; skin yellowish green, sometimes a shade of dull red in the sun, and many green and russet dots; stalk long, curved, inserted in a slight depression or small cavity; calyx half open; basin rather small, slightly corrugated; flesh whitish yellow, a little coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet, slightly vinous, and slightly aromatic; good to very good. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Petite Marguerite.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:526, fig. 1869.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 192. 1920.
Raised in the nurseries of M. André Leroy, Angers, Fr., in 1862 and propagated in 1863.
Fruit medium, irregular ovate, bossed, swelled at the base and having one side always larger than the other, grass-green, dotted with gray and brown and slightly bronzed on the cheek exposed to the sun; flesh greenish-white, fine and very melting, slightly gritty at the center; juice extremely abundant and saccharine, acidulous, with a very pleasant perfume; first; Aug.