St. Ghislain

Pear

St. Ghislain

Origin/History

Belgian origin. Elliott (1865) lists it as "Foreign"; Thomas (1903) specifies Belgian. Elliott also notes the name "St. Galen" in immediate association with this variety.

Tree

Growth upright and vigorous. Young shoots light brown. Requires warm, rich soil and high cultivation; in poorer conditions or without careful management, the fruit tends toward the insipid.

Fruit

Size: The sources differ slightly: Elliott (1865) describes the fruit as below medium; Thomas (1903) gives it as medium size.

Form: Pyriform, with a narrow, acute, tapering neck. Elliott notes the shape is "generally pyriform, but varying."

Stem: Generally curved. Thomas gives the length as approximately an inch and a half, with fleshy rings at the point of insertion.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Open (Elliott).

Basin: Shallow to very shallow. Elliott describes it as shallow; Thomas as very shallow.

Skin: Pale yellow or yellowish green. Elliott notes dots of green visible beneath the surface and marbling of russet on the surface. Thomas records that a faint blush is sometimes present.

Core: Small (Elliott).

Seeds: Obovate, pointed (Elliott).

Flesh/Flavor: White, buttery, and juicy. Elliott describes the flavor as sprightly; Thomas as fine. Thomas notes the variety is somewhat variable in quality.

Season

September; early autumn.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Thomas illustrates this variety as Fig. 660.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

St. Ghislain.

St. Galen.

Foreign. Tree, upright, vigorous growth; young shoots, light brown; requires warm rich soil, otherwise a little insipid.

Fruit, below medium; generally pyriform, but varying; color, pale yellow, or yellowish green, with dots of green underneath, and marblings of russet on surface: stem, generally curved; calyx, open; basin, shallow; core, small; seeds, obovate pointed; flesh, white, buttery, juicy, and sprightly. September.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

St. Ghislain. Size medium, pyriform, neck narrow, acute, tapering; surface pale yellow, sometimes a faint blush; stalk an inch and a half long, curved with fleshy rings at insertion; basin very shallow; flesh white, buttery, juicy, with a fine flavor. Growth upright, vigorous, shoots light brown. Somewhat variable in quality. Belgian. Early autumn. Requires high cultivation. Fig. 660.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

St. Galen Quinnipiac