Petite Marguerite
Pear
Petite Marguerite
Origin/History
Sources give conflicting accounts of the variety's origin. Downing reports Petite Marguerite as a chance seedling raised in the garden of the late Capt. Rogers of Boston, Massachusetts, and introduced by A. J. Dean of the same place. Bunyard and Hedrick both attribute it to the nurseries of M. André Leroy at Angers, France, where Bunyard says it was raised about 1862, and Hedrick says it was raised in 1862 and propagated in 1863. Thomas simply identifies it as "French." Bunyard cites Lauche, II., 87, and gives the German name "Kleine Margarethe"; Hedrick cites Leroy's Dict. Pom. 2:526, fig. 1869, and Bunyard's Handbook of Hardy Fruits.
Tree
Downing describes the tree as vigorous, somewhat spreading, and productive. Bunyard describes growth as moderate and rather upright, with remarkable fertility. Bunyard adds that the leaf is rather large, long oval, finely but irregularly serrate, turning orange red. Bunyard notes it makes an excellent standard.
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Hedrick); rather small (Thomas); 2½ by 2 inches (Bunyard).
Form: Sources describe the form variously: oblong ovate obtuse pyriform (Downing); short obovate (Thomas); flat conical, uneven (Bunyard); irregular ovate, bossed, swelled at the base and having one side always larger than the other (Hedrick).
Stem/Stalk: Long, curved, inserted in a slight depression or small cavity (Downing); short and stout in a slight cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity: Slight depression or small cavity (Downing); slight cavity (Bunyard).
Calyx/Eye: Half open (Downing); nearly closed (Bunyard).
Basin: Rather small, slightly corrugated (Downing); shallow (Bunyard).
Skin: Yellowish green, sometimes a shade of dull red in the sun, with many green and russet dots (Downing); pale yellow (Thomas); fairly smooth, greenish yellow brown with red flush and broad stripes (Bunyard); grass-green, dotted with gray and brown and slightly bronzed on the cheek exposed to the sun (Hedrick).
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish yellow, a little coarse, juicy, half melting, sweet, slightly vinous, and slightly aromatic; good to very good (Downing). Juicy, melting, perfumed; good (Thomas). Soft, a little mealy, pale, flavour very good, extremely juicy (Bunyard). Greenish-white, fine and very melting, slightly gritty at the center; juice extremely abundant and saccharine, acidulous, with a very pleasant perfume; first quality (Hedrick).
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
September (Downing); August (Thomas); end of August, ripening just before Williams (Bunyard); August (Hedrick).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard). Bunyard describes it as a very valuable early fruit.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 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 (4)
— 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.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Petit Marguerite. Rather small, short obovate, pale yellow; juicy, melting, perfumed; good. August. French.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Petite Marguerite", pp. 800–800]
Petit Marguerite. Rather small, short obovate, pale yellow; juicy, melting, perfumed; good. August. French.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)PETITE MARGUERITE. Lauche, II., 87. G. Kleine Margarethe. Dessert, end August, 2½ by 2, flat conical, uneven. Skin, fairly smooth. Colour, greenish yellow brown, red flush and broad stripes. Flesh, soft, a little mealy, pale, flavour very good, extremely juicy. Eye, nearly closed in a shallow basin. Stem, short and stout in a slight cavity. Growth, moderate, rather upright; fertility remarkable. Leaf, rather large, long oval, finely but irregularly serrate, turning orange red. Origin, raised by André Leroy at Angers about 1862. A very valuable early fruit, making an excellent standard and ripening just before Williams.
Phillipe Goes: see Baronne de Mello.
Piquery: see Urbaniste.
— 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.