Souveraine de Printemps
PearSouveraine de Printemps
Origin/History
A French pear, also known as Poire de Printemps. Cited in Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America as early as 1857 (per Hedrick's bibliography).
Tree
Young wood dark olive reddish brown (Downing). Not described in other sources.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium. Downing describes it as irregular in form, generally roundish obovate, slightly pyriform. Hedrick describes it as oblate, obscurely pyriform, and angular. Elliott describes it as obscurely pyriform. The Downing and Hedrick/Elliott descriptions are in partial conflict on form: Downing emphasizes a roundish obovate shape; Hedrick and Elliott agree on an oblate, obscurely pyriform outline.
Skin: Downing gives the fullest account: rough, greenish yellow, partially netted and patched with rough dark russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Hedrick and Elliott describe it more briefly as yellow, sprinkled with russet.
Stem: Downing describes the stalk as curved and enlarged at its insertion, set in a small cavity, sometimes with a lip. Elliott describes the stalk as short, inserted in a depression.
Calyx: Downing gives the calyx as large and open. Elliott gives it as closed. These accounts conflict directly.
Basin: Irregular (Elliott). Not described by Downing or Hedrick.
Flesh and Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as whitish, juicy, melting, sweet, and pleasant, rating the quality Good to Very Good. Hedrick and Elliott give a notably different account: both describe the flesh as white, melting, coarse, granular, and juicy, with Hedrick and Elliott agreeing it is somewhat astringent; Hedrick additionally characterizes the flavor as brisk and vinous. The sweetness and "pleasant" rating from Downing stand in contrast to the astringency noted by Hedrick and Elliott.
Core/Seeds: Not described in any source.
Season
Downing gives October. Hedrick and Elliott both give March. These accounts conflict directly; Hedrick's March ripening is consistent with the variety's name (Printemps = spring).
Uses
Not described in any source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in any source.
Other
Not described in any source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)SOUVERAINE DE PRINTEMPS.
Poire de Printemps.
A French Pear. Young wood dark olive reddish brown.
Fruit medium, irregular in form, generally roundish obovate, slightly pyriform. Skin rough, greenish yellow, partially netted and patched with rough dark russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk curved, enlarged at insertion, in a small cavity, sometimes a lip. Calyx large and open. Flesh whitish, juicy, melting, sweet, pleasant. Good to very good. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Souveraine de Printemps.
i. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 544. 1857.
Of foreign origin. Fruit medium, oblate, obscurely pyriform, angular, yellow, sprinkled with russet; flesh white, melting, coarse, granular, juicy, somewhat astringent, with a brisk vinous flavor; Mar.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)SOUVERAINE DE PRINTEMPS.
Poire de Printemps.
Fruit, medium, obscurely pyriform; yellow, sprinkled with russet; stalk, short, inserted in a depression; calyx, closed; basin, irregular; flesh, white, juicy, melting, coarse and granular, somewhat astringent. March.