Soldat Labourer
Pear
Soldat Labourer
Origin / History
A seedling raised by Major Esperen of Malines (Mechlin), Belgium, from a seed bed made about 1820 (Herefordshire Pomona, Downing, Bunyard, Hedrick). It first fruited about the year 1820 (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard notes it was the first seedling raised by Major Esperen and was named by him in reference to his career. Desportes (1856) emphasizes that this is a distinct variety, raised by Maj. Esperen of Malines, "and must not be confounded with the Soldat Laboureur of the French, or Beurre d'Aremberg." Bunyard describes it as "an excellent fruit much cultivated on the Continent, deserving more attention in this country." Of Belgian origin (Thomas).
Tree
Vigorous, upright, an early and abundant bearer (Downing). Growth strong, inclined to be upright; fertility excellent (Bunyard). Desportes calls it "a hardy and beautiful tree." On the Quince stock it forms a very good pyramid and bears profusely (Herefordshire Pomona). Young wood dull grayish reddish brown (Downing); shoots erect, light greenish-brown (Thomas). Leaf long oval, upfolded, widely serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size
Large (Desportes, Herefordshire Pomona); rather large (Downing, Thomas); medium (Bunyard); medium to large (Hedrick). Herefordshire Pomona gives three inches and three-quarters long and three inches wide; Bunyard gives 3 by 3½ inches.
Form
Resembling the Beurre Diel in form, but a little more depressed at the stem (Desportes). Oblong obovate, narrowing from the bilge both towards the eye and the stalk (Herefordshire Pomona). Roundish obovate pyriform (Downing). Pyriform (Thomas). Round pyriform, uneven (Bunyard). Ovate-pyriform or turbinate, bossed (Hedrick).
Stem / Stalk
An inch long, inserted by the side of a fleshy swelling in a narrow cavity (Herefordshire Pomona). Rather stout, long and curved, inserted in a small, abrupt cavity (Downing). Rather stout, curved, slightly sunk; cavity small, abrupt (Thomas). Short and stout in a very slight uneven cavity (Bunyard).
Cavity
Narrow (Herefordshire Pomona). Small, abrupt (Downing, Thomas). Very slight and uneven (Bunyard).
Calyx / Eye
Large, slightly closed, with long acuminate segments, and placed in a shallow depression (Herefordshire Pomona). Calyx open, scarcely sunk (Downing). Open, on a level (Bunyard).
Basin
Shallow depression (Herefordshire Pomona). Very small (Downing). Small (Thomas).
Skin
Pale lemon yellow, marked here and there with tracings of russet, and completely covered with minute russet dots (Herefordshire Pomona). Yellow, patched, netted, and dotted with russet (Downing). Becoming yellow when ripe, slightly russeted (Thomas). Pale yellow, nearly covered with cinnamon russet in patches and dots (Bunyard). Smooth, rather thick, bright green passing to golden-yellow when perfectly ripe, dotted and shaded with fawn (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor
Melting and buttery, with a little perfume (Desportes). Yellowish white, buttery, melting and very juicy, rich and sugary; "somewhat of the flavour of the Autumn Bergamot" (Herefordshire Pomona). Yellowish, slightly granular, melting, juicy, with a sugary, vinous, perfumed flavor; good to very good (Downing). Granular, melting, juicy, and when well grown of a rich, vinous flavor; variable, often poor (Thomas). Pale yellow, slightly melting, very juicy and vinous, a little gritty (Bunyard). Yellowish-white, semi-fine, melting; juice abundant, saccharine, perfumed, and, on land suiting it, very vinous; very good, highest quality (Hedrick).
Core / Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
December to February (Desportes). In season through November (Herefordshire Pomona). October, November (Downing). Late autumn (Thomas). November to December (Bunyard). October and November (Hedrick).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Herefordshire Pomona illustrates this variety as Plate XXIV, figure 2. Hedrick cites Annales de Pomologie Belge 3:31 with figure (1855) and Bunyard's Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920). Quality is variable — "when well grown" the flavor is rich and vinous, but "variable, often poor" (Thomas); Hedrick notes the very vinous quality is conditional "on land suiting it."
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- The Herefordshire Pomona (1876–1885)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as SOLDAT LABOUREUR
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as SOLDAT LABOUREUR
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921) — listed as Soldat Laboureur
- The Horticulturist (1855) — listed as Soldat Laboureur
View original book sources (6)
— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)Soldat Laboureur. — Fruit large, resembling the Beurre Diel in form, but a little more depressed at the stem. Flesh, melting and buttery, with a little perfume. Ripens from December to February. This is a distinct variety, raised by Maj. Esperen, of Malines, a hardy and beautiful tree, and must not be confounded with the Soldat Laboureur of the French, or Beurre d'Aremberg.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)Plate XXIV. 2. SOLDAT LABOURER. [Syn : Soldat Esperen ; Auguste Van Mons Soldat ; Beurré de Blumenbach.] A seedling grown by Major Esperen, and first fruited about the year 1820. Description.—Fruit : large, three inches and three-quarters long and three inches wide ; oblong obovate, narrowing from the bilge both towards the eye and the stalk. Skin : pale lemon yellow, marked here and there with tracings of russet, and completely covered with minute russet dots. Eye : large, slightly closed, with long acuminate segments, and placed in a shallow depression. Stalk : an inch long, inserted by the side of a fleshy swelling in a narrow cavity. Flesh : yellowish white, buttery, melting and very juicy, rich and sugary. This excellent pear has somewhat of the flavour of the Autumn Bergamot. It is in season through November. On the Quince stock it forms a very good pyramid, and bears profusely.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Soldat Laboureur", pp. 388–388]
Plate XXIV. 2. Soldat Laboureur.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SOLDAT LABOUREUR.
Auguste Van Krans. Blumenbach. Soldat Esperen.
A seedling of Major Esperen's, produced about 1820. Tree vigorous, upright, an early and abundant bearer. Young wood dull grayish reddish brown.
Fruit rather large, roundish obovate pyriform. Skin yellow, patched, netted, and dotted with russet. Stalk rather stout, long and curved, inserted in a small, abrupt cavity. Calyx open, scarcely sunk. Basin very small. Flesh yellowish, slightly granular, melting, juicy, with a sugary, vinous, perfumed flavor. Good to very good. October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Brabant. See Soldat Laboreur.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Soldat Laboureur", pp. 548–548]
Soldat Laboureur. Rather large, pyriform; skin becoming yellow when ripe, slightly russeted; stalk rather stout, curved, slightly sunk; cavity small, abrupt; basin small; flesh granular, melting, juicy, and when well grown of a rich, vinous flavor; variable, often poor. Late autumn. Shoots erect, light greenish-brown. Belgian.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SOLDAT LABOUREUR. Her. Pom., I., 24. G. Blumenbach's Butterbirne. Dessert, November to December, medium, 3 by 3½, round pyriform, uneven. Colour, pale yellow, nearly covered with cinnamon russet in patches and dots. Flesh, pale yellow slightly melting, very juicy and vinous, a little gritty. Eye, open on a level. Stem, short and stout in a very slight uneven cavity. Growth, strong, inclined to be upright; fertility excellent. Leaf, long oval, upfolded, widely serrate. Origin, the first seedling raised by Major Esperen (about 1820) and named by him in reference to his career. An excellent fruit much cultivated on the Continent, deserving more attention in this country.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Soldat Laboureur.
- Ann. Pom. Belge 3:31, fig. 1855. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 198. 1920.
Soldat Laboureur was obtained from a seed bed made about 1820 by Major Esperen, Mechlin, Bel. Fruit medium to large, ovate-pyriform or turbinate, bossed; skin smooth, rather thick, bright green passing to golden-yellow when perfectly ripe, dotted and shaded with fawn; flesh yellowish-white, semi-fine, melting; juice abundant, saccharine, perfumed, and, on land suiting it, very vinous; very good, highest quality; Oct. and Nov.