St. Germain
Pear
St. Germain
Origin/History
St. Germain originated wild on the banks of the river Fare at St. Germain-d'Arca, and was known to writers in the seventeenth century (Bunyard). The variety has been confused in commerce with the Green Chissel, which Coxe specifically notes is an error — the Green Chissel is a summer pear, while St. Germain is a winter pear. On account of its thick green skin, St. Germain is also sometimes called the walnut pear (Coxe). Bunyard references Decaisne, IV., 4 as the authoritative pomological treatment.
Tree
The tree is of singular growth, with very dark and thick foliage (Coxe). Bunyard describes the tree as vigorous and hardy, with moderate fertility. Thomas notes that the shoots are slender and light olive in color.
St. Germain is very subject to fire blight, which Coxe describes as "so destructive of the finest and most delicate pears in this country." He notes that whether this susceptibility is founded in some peculiarity of American climate or in the long duration of the variety had not been satisfactorily ascertained. Thomas cautions that the variety fails in many localities and becomes a poor fruit; Bunyard similarly notes that it "has been somewhat abused," but asserts that when grown on light soil it is of good quality and still worth trying.
Fruit
Size
Coxe and Thomas agree the fruit is large. Bunyard gives it as medium, with dimensions of 4 inches by 3 inches.
Form
The fruit is of irregular form, generally diminished towards the stem and sometimes towards the crown (Coxe). Thomas describes it as long pyriform, with small specimens tending toward obovate. Bunyard characterizes it as long conical or calebasse in shape, uneven, with one side rather swollen.
Stem
The stem is short and generally planted in an oblique direction (Coxe). Thomas gives the stalk as approximately one inch long and oblique. Bunyard measures it at ¾ inch, describing it as woody, generally set at an angle, and sitting on the surface of the fruit.
Cavity
Not described in source.
Calyx
Bunyard describes the eye as open.
Basin
The basin is small and shallow (Thomas), described by Bunyard as very shallow.
Skin
The skin is green until fully ripe and very thick (Coxe). Thomas describes the surface as yellowish-green, faintly tinged with brown on the sun-exposed side. Bunyard gives the skin as smooth in texture, grass green in color changing to pale greenish yellow at maturity, covered with minute russet dots and a little russet around the stem.
Flesh and Flavor
The flesh is white (Thomas) or whitish (Bunyard). Thomas describes it as slightly gritty, juicy, melting, and sub-acid. Bunyard, by contrast, calls it fairly fine grained, extra juicy, and very richly perfumed. Coxe rates the flavor superlatively: "very highly flavoured, rich, juicy and sprightly beyond any other pear when the season is favourable."
Core and Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
St. Germain ripens in November in a close, warm situation, and with care and attention can be kept till late in the winter (Coxe). Thomas places it in late autumn and early winter. Bunyard gives December to January.
Uses
Bunyard classifies St. Germain as a culinary pear.
Subtypes/Variants
Thomas records a sub-variety called the Striped St. Germain, differing from the type only in the presence of faint yellow stripes on the skin.
Other
The leaves are described across sources with consistent detail. Coxe notes that the leaves are furrowed through the centre and arched by a contraction of the middle tendon, producing a distinctive folded appearance, and that the overall foliage is very dark and thick. Thomas describes the leaves as narrow, folded, and recurved. Bunyard characterizes them as long oval, a little upfolded, finely serrate, and held upright.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- ST. GERMAINE.
Is a fine winter pear, by many erroneously called the green Chissel, (which is a summer pear) the size is large, of an irregular form, generally diminished towards the stem, and sometimes towards the crown---the skin is green till fully ripe, and very thick, whence it is often called the walnut pear---the stem is short and generally planted in an oblique direction, the crown is large and not much sunk; the flesh is very highly flavoured, rich, juicy and sprightly beyond any other pear when the season is favourable; it ripens in November in a close warm situation, it is frequently kept till late in the winter by care and attention. It is to be regretted that the tree is very subject to the fire blight, so destructive of the finest and most delicate pears in this country—it would be highly useful to the cultivators of fruit could the cause or cure for this evil be discovered; whether it be founded in any peculiarity of our climate, or in the long duration of the variety, is a point which has not been satisfactorily ascertained—the tree is of singular growth, very dark and thick foliage, the leaves being furrowed through the centre, and arched by a contraction of the middle tendon.
[Additional entry in this volume: "St. Germain", pp. 309–311]
- ST. GERMAINE.
Is a fine winter pear, by many erroneously called the green Chissel, (which is a summer pear) the size is large, of an irregular form, generally diminished towards the stem, and sometimes towards the crown; the skin is green till fully ripe, and very thick, whence it is often called the walnut pear; the stem is short and generally planted in an oblique direction, the crown is large and not much sunk; the flesh is very highly flavoured, rich, juicy and sprightly beyond any other pear when the season is favourable; it ripens in November in a close warm situation, it is frequently kept till late in the winter by care and attention. It is to be regretted that the tree is very subject to the fire blight, so destructive of the finest and most delicate pears in this country; it would be highly useful to the cultivators of fruit could the cause or cure for this evil be discovered; whether it be founded in any peculiarity of our climate, or in the long duration of the variety, is a point which has not been satisfactorily ascertained; the tree is of singular growth, very dark and thick foliage, the leaves being furrowed through the centre, and arched by a contraction of the middle tendon.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)St. Germain. Large, long pyriform, small specimens obovate; surface yellowish-green, faintly tinged with brown to the sun; stalk an inch long, oblique; basin small and shallow; flesh white, slightly gritty, juicy, melting, sub-acid. Fails in many localities, and becomes a poor fruit. Late autumn and early winter. Shoots slender, light olive, leaves narrow, folded, and recurved. The striped St. Germain is a sub-variety, differing only in its faint yellow stripes.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)ST. GERMAIN. Decaisne, IV., 4. Culinary, December to January, medium, 4 by 3, long conical or calebasse, uneven, one side rather swollen. Skin, smooth. Colour, grass green changing to pale greenish yellow, covered with minute russet dots and a little russet round stem. Flesh, whitish, fairly fine grained, extra juicy, very richly perfumed. Eye, open in a very shallow basin. Stem, ¾ in., woody, generally at an angle, on surface. Growth, vigorous, hardy; fertility moderate. Leaf, long oval, a little upfolded, finely serrate, held up. Origin, this was found growing wild in the banks of the river Fare at St. Germain-d'Arca, and was known to writers in the seventeenth century. This pear has been somewhat abused, but when grown on light soil it is of good quality and still worth trying.