President Barabe

Pear

President Barabe

Origin / History

Raised by M. Sannier of Rouen, France, from a seed of Bergamotte Esperen; first fruited in 1870. Introduced in 1877 (Bunyard). Hedrick cites Guide Prat. 97 (1895) and Bunyard's own handbook as references.

Tree

Growth upright, but weak and apt to weep when older; fertility moderate. Leaf rather small, narrow oval, sharply pointed, undulating, finely serrate or entire; turns dull brown and falls early (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size and form: Hedrick describes the fruit as medium to below and short-turbinate in form. Bunyard describes it as rather small, measuring 2½ by 3 inches, round conical, and uneven in outline — the two sources are in broad agreement on small-to-medium size, with Bunyard giving the more precise measurement and Hedrick the more specific shape term.

Stem: Rather stout and fleshy, set in a slight cavity (Bunyard).

Cavity: Slight (Bunyard).

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Eye open, borne almost on level with the surface — effectively very shallow (Bunyard).

Skin: The two sources disagree on color. Hedrick describes the skin as deep golden. Bunyard describes it as rough in texture and dull greenish yellow russet in color. These descriptions may reflect different stages of ripeness or different growing conditions; both are retained here as identification-relevant data.

Flesh and flavor: White in color. Hedrick calls the texture melting; Bunyard calls it half melting — a slight disagreement in degree. Both sources note a little acid. Hedrick describes the flesh as juicy and of exquisite flavor; Bunyard describes it as having a delicious flavour, and adds that the flavor is more refreshing than that of most pears of its season.

Core / Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

January to March (Hedrick). Bunyard confirms use as a dessert pear until March.

Uses

Dessert. Bunyard characterizes it as a useful late-season variety on account of its refreshing flavor.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 5 catalogs (1900–1917) from England

George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
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)

President Barabe.

Guide Prat. 97. 1895. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 193. 1920.

First fruited in 1870 from a seed of Bergamotte Esperen with M. Sannier, Rouen, Fr. Fruit medium to below, short-turbinate, deep golden in color; flesh white, fine, melting, a little acid, juicy and of exquisite flavor; Jan. to Mar.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

PRESIDENT BARABE. Dessert, till March, rather small, 2½ by 3, round conical, uneven. Skin, rough. Colour, dull greenish yellow russet. Flesh, white, half melting, little acid with a delicious flavour. Eye, open almost on level. Stem, rather stout, fleshy, in a slight cavity. Growth, upright, but weak and apt to weep when older; fertility moderate. Leaf, rather small, narrow oval, sharply pointed, undulating, finely serrate or entire, turns dull brown, falls early. Origin, raised by M. Sannier, of Rouen, from a seed of Bergamotte Esperen; first fruited in 1870. Introduced in 1877. This is a useful late variety, the flavour being more refreshing than most pears of its season.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

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