Saint Germain
PearSaint Germain
Origin/History
A well-known old French variety. The French pomologist Merlet wrote in 1680 that it originated from a wilding on the banks of the Fare, a little river in the parish of Saint Germain d'Arée.
Tree
Rather a slow grower, with a dense head of foliage. The wood slender and light olive colored. (Hedrick does not describe the tree.)
Fruit
Size: Downing describes the fruit as large. Hedrick describes it as medium or large.
Form: Long-pyriform. Downing specifies that the fruit tapers regularly from the crown to the stalk. Hedrick describes it as slightly swelled and often irregular in contour.
Stem: About an inch long, strong, planted obliquely by the side of a small fleshy swelling. (Downing; Hedrick does not describe the stem.)
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Open. (Downing; Hedrick does not describe the calyx.)
Basin: Shallow. (Downing; Hedrick does not describe the basin.)
Skin: Rather thick and rough (Hedrick). Greenish-yellow (Hedrick) or yellowish green (Downing), dotted with russet (Hedrick) or marked with brownish specks (Downing) on the sunny side; slightly golden on the cheek exposed to the sun (Hedrick); tinged with a little brown when fully ripe (Downing).
Flesh/Flavor: White or whitish, fine (Hedrick), a little gritty, very melting, very juicy. Rich in sugar (Hedrick); sweet and agreeable in flavor (Downing). Hedrick further characterizes the flavor as perfumed. Full of refreshing juice (Downing). Very good quality, but gritty and worthless if grown on cold, moist soil (Hedrick).
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November and December (Downing). Hedrick gives a longer window of November to March.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
The Striped Germain (St. Germain Panachée) is a variety of this fruit differing only in being externally striped with yellow. (Downing only.)
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Saint Germain.
St. Germain Gris. Saint Germain blanc. Jaune. Arteloire. Inconnue la Fare. Richmond. Lafare. Saint Germain brun. St. Germain Doré. vert. Franklin. d'Hiver. Hermansbirne.
This is a well-known old French variety. The tree is rather a slow grower, with a dense head of foliage. The wood slender, and light olive colored.
Fruit large, pyriform, tapering regularly from the crown to the stalk. Skin yellowish green, marked with brownish specks on the sunny side, and tinged with a little brown when ripe. Stalk an inch long, strong, planted obliquely by the side of a small fleshy swelling. Calyx open, set in a shallow basin. Flesh white, a little gritty, but full of refreshing juice, melting, sweet, and agreeable in flavor. November and December.
The Striped Germain (St. Germain Panachée) is a pretty variety of this fruit, differing only in being externally striped with yellow.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Saint Germain.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:225, Pl. LII. 1768. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 196. 1920.
Merlet, the French pomologist, wrote in 1680 that this pear originated from a wilding on the banks of the Fare, a little river in the parish of Saint Germain d'Arée. Fruit medium or large, long-pyriform, slightly swelled, often irregular in contour; skin rather thick and rough, greenish-yellow, dotted with russet, slightly golden on the cheek exposed to the sun; flesh whitish, fine, very melting, very juicy, rich in sugar with an agreeable, perfumed flavor; very good, but is gritty and worthless if grown on cold, moist soil; Nov. to Mar.