Saint Ghislain
PearSaint Ghislain
Origin/History
Saint Ghislain was raised at the village of Jemmapes, Hainaut, Belgium, by M. Dorlain, and was subsequently propagated by Van Mons and others. It is listed in the London Horticultural Society Catalogue, 2nd edition, 1832. The variety was first introduced to American collections by the late Samuel G. Perkins of Brookline, Massachusetts, who imported his tree from France; it is believed that all trees then cultivated in America originated from that source. Perkins fruited it for several years, repeatedly exhibiting specimens before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and praising it highly as one of the best autumn pears for amateur cultivators. When it was raised from seed, or how long it had been in cultivation prior to its appearance in the London Horticultural Society catalogue, was not determinable at the time of Hovey's writing. It did not appear to be much known among French nurserymen. A. Lackey, a fruit cultivator of Marblehead, Massachusetts, showed particularly fine specimens at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society exhibitions for four or five consecutive years, raised on thorn stock.
Tree
Moderately vigorous, very erect in growth, forming a regular and handsome pyramid; attaining, when of full size, the prim appearance of a Lombardy poplar. Annual shoots long, straight, and rather slender. Not an early bearer — trees show little disposition to form flower buds until they have arrived at a good size, but then produce abundantly. A rapid though somewhat slender growing tree in the nursery, making very upright shoots. Does not grow very freely on the quince; thrives exceedingly well on the thorn.
Wood: Light olive brown, dotted with minute grayish specks, rather slender. Old wood grayish olive. Buds medium size, long, nearly erect, with moderately sized shoulders. Flower-buds medium size, ovate, pointed.
Leaves: Small, narrow, ovate, thin, dark green, little recurved on the midrib, folded inwards on the sides, and finely and sharply serrated. Petioles long, one to one and a half inches in length, slender.
Flowers: Medium size; petals cupped.
Fruit
Size: Medium — about two and a half inches long and two inches in diameter (Hovey).
Form: The two sources disagree significantly on form. Hovey describes it as pyramidal, largest at the crown, regularly tapering into the stem — similar in general appearance to the Tyson or Capiaumont. Hedrick describes the form as irregular, globular gourd-shaped and swelled in its lower part, or elongated gourd-shaped and sometimes regular turbinate, always diminishing acutely toward the stalk.
Stem: Long, about one and a half inches in length, slender, smooth, curved, fleshy, and wrinkled at its junction with the fruit, and forced into an oblique direction by a slight protuberance on one side (Hovey).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Eye small, open, and rather deeply set in a round basin; segments of the calyx long and pointed (Hovey).
Basin: Round (Hovey).
Skin: The sources disagree on color and texture. Hovey describes it as fair, smooth, pale yellow when mature, tinged with bright red in the sun, the whole surface covered with russety specks darkest and thickest where exposed. Hedrick describes it as rather thick and rough, grass-green, covered all over with large gray dots and shaded with dull red on the side exposed to the sun. Both sources agree on a reddish blush on the sun-exposed side.
Flesh and Flavor: Hovey describes the flesh as yellowish white, fine, buttery, melting, and juicy, with a flavor that is rich, sprightly, and refreshing, with a delicious perfume; core small. Hedrick describes the flesh as white, fine or semi-fine, melting or semi-melting, and watery; juice very saccharine, vinous, with a delicious perfume and an after-taste of musk. Both sources agree on the melting quality and the pronounced perfume; Hedrick adds the musk aftertaste and characterizes the juice as saccharine and vinous, while Hovey emphasizes butteriness and sprightliness.
Core: Small (Hovey).
Seeds: Medium size, roundish, light brown (Hovey).
Season
The sources disagree on ripening time. Hovey states ripe the middle of September, keeping into October. Hedrick gives the season as end of August, rated first quality.
Uses
Recommended by Perkins as one of the best autumn pears for amateur cultivators. Hovey characterized it as exceedingly melting, rich, and high-flavored, as well as beautiful, with a remarkably fair and golden yellow skin.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hovey's description and plate drawing were made from specimens raised on thorn stock by A. Lackey of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The variety's performance on thorn is noted as excellent; its performance on quince is notably poor. Whether cultivation on thorn would be worthwhile commercially was, at the time of Hovey's writing, still an open question.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
- Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852) — listed as THE SAINT GHISLAIN PEAR
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
View original book sources (2)
— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)THE SAINT GHISLAIN PEAR.
Saint Ghislain. London Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 2d Ed. 1832.
The Saint Ghislain pear was first introduced to our collections by the late Saml. G. Perkins, Esq. of Brookline, who fruited it several years ago, and repeatedly exhibited specimens before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. He praised it highly, and recommended it to amateur cultivators as one of the best of our autumn pears. It is unnecessary to say it fully sustains the reputation it acquired while in Mr. Perkins's collection. It is not a large pear, being about the size, and of the general appearance, of the Tyson or Capiaumont, but it is an exceedingly melting, rich and high flavored fruit, and as beautiful as it is excellent, having a remarkably fair and golden yellow skin.
Besides the brief description of it in the Catalogue of the London Horticultural Society, above quoted, we cannot find any account of it in any accessible work, except in Mr. Kenrick's American Orchardist, where its origin is attributed to M. Dorlain, of Belgium. Mr. Perkins imported his tree from France, and we believe we are correct when we state that all the trees now cultivated here have originated from that source. It does not appear to be much known among the French nurserymen. When it was raised from seed, or how long it has been in cultivation, we have been unable to learn.
The Saint Ghislain is a rapid though somewhat slender growing tree in the nursery, making very upright shoots, and attaining, when of full size, the prim appearance of a Lombardy poplar. It is not an early bearer, the trees showing but little disposition to form flower buds until they have arrived at a good size: it then produces abundantly. It does not grow very freely upon the quince. On the thorn, however, it thrives exceedingly well, and Mr. A. Lackey, a fruit cultivator of Marblehead, Mass., has shown, successively, for four or five years, at the exhibitions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the most beautiful specimens raised on that stock, and our drawing is made from one of his pears. Whether it will be any object to cultivate it on the thorn remains to be seen; we only mention it to show what it has already done.
Tree. — Moderately vigorous, very erect in its growth, forming a regular and handsome pyramid; annual shoots, long, straight, and rather slender.
Wood. — Light olive brown, dotted with minute grayish specks, rather slender; old wood, grayish olive; buds, medium size, long, nearly erect, with moderately sized shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, ovate, pointed.
Leaves. — Small, narrow, ovate, thin, dark green, little recurved on the midrib, folded inwards on the sides, and finely and sharply serrated; petioles, long, one to one and a half inches in length, slender.
Flowers. — Medium size; petals cupped.
Fruit. — Medium size, about two and a half inches long, and two inches in diameter: Form, pyramidal, largest at the crown, regularly tapering into the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellow when mature, tinged with bright red in the sun, the whole surface covered with russety specks, darkest and thickest where exposed: Stem, long, about one and a half inches in length, slender, smooth, curved, fleshy, and wrinkled at its junction with the fruit, and forced into an oblique direction by a slight protuberance on one side: Eye, small, open, and rather deeply set in a round basin; segments of the calyx, long and pointed: Flesh, yellowish white, fine, buttery, melting, and juicy: Flavor, rich, sprightly, and refreshing, with a delicious perfume: Core, small: Seeds, medium size, roundish, light brown.
Ripe the middle of September and keeps into October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Saint Ghislain.
- Hovey Fr. Am. 2:45, fig. 1851.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:629, fig. 1869.
This pear was raised at the village of Jammapes, Hainaut, Bel., by M. Dorlain and was propagated by Van Mons and others. Fruit medium; form irregular, globular gourd-shaped and swelled in its lower part or elongated gourd-shaped and sometimes regular turbinate, always, however, diminishing acutely to the stalk; skin rather thick and rough, grass-green, covered all over with large gray dots and shaded with dull red on the side exposed to the sun; flesh white, fine or semi-fine, melting or semi-melting, watery; juice very saccharine, vinous, with a delicious perfume and an after-taste of musk; first; end of Aug.