St. Michel Archange
Pear
St. Michel Archange
Origin / History
A French pear of unknown origin (Hovey, Downing), though Hedrick states it originated in the neighborhood of Nantes in the middle of the nineteenth century. It had been cultivated for several years in the nurseries of Rouen, and was also grown at Angers, where in both places it had been described as a fine pear (Hovey). It was introduced to American cultivators as long ago as 1840 and fruited in the late Mr. Manning's collection at Salem under the name of Plumbgastel; Hovey subsequently described and figured it in the Magazine of Horticulture (1846) as a new variety under that latter name, and continued to cultivate it for three or four years as the Plumbgastel before detecting the error — before it had borne fruit — from the peculiar character of the tree, which Hovey notes is so strongly marked that a careful observer could hardly fail to notice it. Hedrick cites Pom. France 1:No. 41, Pl. 41 (1863) and Hogg's Fruit Manual 324 (1866) as references.
Tree
Very vigorous and very erect in habit (Hovey; Elliott "vigorous, upright"; Downing "vigorous and productive"). The branches ascend at a very acute angle, almost perpendicular with the main stem. Annual shoots not very long, very stout, straight, and erect. It grows freely on the quince and naturally makes a beautiful pyramidal tree on either the quince or the pear stock (Hovey; Elliott confirms it succeeds on Quince).
The tree produces sparingly while young, which has led some cultivators to consider it a shy bearer; Thomas similarly calls it a "tardy bearer." However, Hovey found that scions inserted in the top of an old tree grew vigorously and bore abundantly in three or four years, with the fruit better on those than on the young trees.
Wood. Light yellowish olive, sparsely dotted with minute grayish specks, very short-jointed, stout, straight, and slightly swollen at the ends; old wood grayish olive (Hovey; Downing confirms "young wood yellowish olive"). Thomas describes the shoots as greenish and quite erect.
Buds. Large, long, broad at the base, diverging, pointed, dark brown, covered with grayish scales, and with rather prominent shoulders. Flower-buds medium size, oval, elongated, sharply pointed (Hovey).
Leaves. Narrow, light green (Thomas).
Flowers. Small; petals oval, roundish, small; claw long (Hovey).
Fruit
Size. Large — about three inches long and two and a half inches in diameter (Hovey). Elliott calls it "above medium to large"; Downing "large"; Thomas "rather large"; Hedrick "medium or rather large."
Form. Pyriform, generally regular, largest about the middle, contracted near the stem, and occasionally with an elongated neck (Hovey). Other sources describe the form variously: "ovate pyriform" (Elliott), "ovate obovate pyriform" (Downing), "pyramidal-pyriform" (Thomas), and "turbinate but irregular in form, sometimes obovate, sometimes long-pyriform" (Hedrick).
Stem / Stalk. Medium length, about one inch long, stout, smooth, inserted without any cavity, sometimes with slight projections at the base (Hovey). Elliott calls the stem "stout." Downing describes the stalk as "rather stout, a little inclined in a small cavity by a fleshy ring or lip" — differing from Hovey's "without any cavity." Thomas: "stalk medium length, stout, fleshy at insertion, not sunk." (Sources differ on whether the stem is sunk in a cavity: Hovey and Thomas say not sunk, with fleshy projections/ring at the base; Downing reports a small cavity with a fleshy ring or lip.)
Cavity. None per Hovey (sometimes with slight projections at the base) and Thomas ("not sunk," fleshy at insertion). Downing reports a small cavity by a fleshy ring or lip.
Calyx / Eye. Hovey: "Eye, medium size, open, and little sunk in a moderate sized basin; segments of the calyx, long, reflexed." Elliott: "calyx, large, open, segments reflexed." Downing: "Calyx partially closed. Segments rather short, stiff." Thomas: "calyx closed." (Sources disagree on whether the calyx is open with long reflexed segments — Hovey and Elliott — or closed/partially closed with short stiff segments — Downing and Thomas.)
Basin. Hovey: "moderate sized basin." Downing: "Basin uneven, furrowed." Thomas: "basin small, uneven."
Skin. Fair, smooth, greenish yellow, faintly tinged with red on the sunny side, russet around the base of the stem, and dotted with greenish russet specks (Hovey). Elliott: "greenish yellow, red in sun, dull russet specks." Downing: "Skin pale yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with green and russet dots." Thomas: "greenish yellow, thickly dotted, partly russeted." Hedrick: "skin fine, smooth, greenish-yellow, much dotted with gray-russet, washed with orange-red on the side next the sun."
Flesh / Flavor. White, fine, melting, and very juicy (Hovey); flavor rich and sugary, with a peculiarly delicious aroma. Elliott: "flesh, white, half-melting, juicy; 'good,' or perhaps 'very good.'" Downing: "Flesh whitish, buttery, juicy, melting, slightly aromatic. Good to very good." Thomas: "flesh rather coarse, juicy, rich, aromatic." Hedrick: "flesh yellow-white, fine, melting, very juicy, tender, agreeably perfumed; very good." (Sources broadly agree on melting, juicy, and aromatic/perfumed character; Thomas alone calls the flesh "rather coarse," while Hovey and Hedrick describe it as "fine.")
Core / Seeds. Core large (Hovey; Elliott "core, large"). Seeds large, dark brown (Hovey).
Season
Ripe in September, and keeps into October (Hovey; Hedrick "Sept. and Oct."; Elliott "September, October"; Downing and Thomas "October"). If the fruit is gathered before it is too ripe, as it should be, it is in eating for a longer time than most of our early autumn varieties (Hovey).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hovey considered it an excellent pear, of large size, handsome and regular form, and delicious flavor, and thought it would become a popular pear.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852) — listed as St. Michael Archangel Pear
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Saint Michael Archangel
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as St. Michael Archange.
View original book sources (5)
— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)THE SAINT MICHAEL ARCHANGEL PEAR.
Saint Michael Archangel. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xvii. 1851. Plumbgastel, Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xii. Dunbas, of some French Cultivators.
The Saint Michael Archange, as it is usually called in the French Catalogues, is a pear which has but recently become known to American cultivators, though it was introduced as long ago as 1840, and fruited in the late Mr. Manning's collection at Salem, under the name of Plumbgastel; subsequently we described and figured it in the Magazine of Horticulture, (1846) as a new variety under the latter name, and we continued to cultivate it for three or four years as the Plumbgastel, when we detected the error before it had borne fruit, from the peculiar character of the tree, which is so strongly marked that a careful observer could hardly fail to notice it.
It is an excellent pear, of large size, handsome and regular form, and delicious flavor. The tree produces sparingly while young, which has led some cultivators to consider it a shy bearer; but we have found that scions, inserted in the top of an old tree, grew vigorously and bore abundantly in three or four years, and the fruit was better than on the young trees. We think it will become a popular pear. If the fruit is gathered before it is too ripe, as it should be, it is in eating for a longer time than most of our early autumn varieties.
The origin of the St. Michael Archangel is unknown; but it is probably a French variety, as it has been cultivated for several years in the nurseries of Rouen. It is also grown at Angers, and in both places has been described as a fine pear. It grows freely on the quince, and naturally makes a beautiful pyramidal tree on either that or the pear stock.
Tree.—Very vigorous, and very erect in its habit, the branches ascending at a very acute angle, and almost perpendicular with the main stem; annual shoots, not very long, very stout, straight and erect.
Wood.—Light yellowish olive, sparsely dotted with minute grayish specks, very short-jointed, stout, straight, and slightly swollen at the ends; old wood, grayish olive; buds, large, long, broad at the base, diverging, pointed, dark brown, covered with grayish scales, and with rather prominent shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, oval, elongated, sharply pointed.
Flowers.—Small; petals, oval, roundish, small; claw, long.
Fruit.—Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diameter: Form, pyriform, generally regular, large about the middle, contracted near the stem, and occasionally with an elongated neck: Skin, fair, smooth, greenish yellow, faintly tinged with red on the sunny side, russet around the base of the stem, and dotted with greenish russet specks: Stem, medium length, about one inch long, stout, smooth, inserted without any cavity, sometimes with slight projections at the base: Eye, medium size, open, and little sunk in a moderate sized basin; segments of the calyx, long, reflexed: Flesh, white, fine, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich and sugary, with a peculiarly delicious aroma: Core, large: Seeds, large, dark brown.
Ripe in September, and keeps into October.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)St. Michael Archange. Plombgastel, | Plumbgartel, | Jergils? Dusnas, | Plougastel, | Foreign. Tree, vigorous, upright, succeeds on Quince. Fruit, above medium to large, ovate pyriform, greenish yellow, red in sun, dull russet specks ; stem, stout ; calyx, large, open, segments reflexed ; core, large ; flesh, white, half-melting, juicy; "good," or perhaps "very good." September, October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Saint Michael Archangel.
St. Michel Archange. Plombgastel. Dusnas.
A French Pear, of unknown origin. Tree vigorous and productive. Young wood yellowish olive.
Fruit large, ovate obovate pyriform. Skin pale yellow, slightly netted and patched with russet, and thickly sprinkled with green and russet dots. Stalk rather stout, a little inclined in a small cavity by a fleshy ring or lip. Calyx partially closed. Segments rather short, stiff. Basin uneven, furrowed. Flesh whitish, buttery, juicy, melting, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)St. Michel Archange.* (Plombgastel.) Rather large, pyramidal-pyriform, greenish yellow, thickly dotted, partly russeted; stalk medium length, stout, fleshy at insertion, not sunk; calyx closed, basin small, uneven; flesh rather coarse, juicy, rich, aromatic. October. Shoots greenish, quite erect, leaves narrow, light green. Tardy bearer.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Plombgastel", pp. 800–800]
Plombgastel. See St. Michel Archange.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)St. Michel Archange.
- Pom. France 1:No. 41, Pl. 41. 1863.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 324. 1866.
A French pear originated in the neighborhood of Nantes in the middle of the last century. Fruit medium or rather large, turbinate but irregular in form, sometimes obovate, sometimes long-pyriform; skin fine, smooth, greenish-yellow, much dotted with gray-russet, washed with orange-red on the side next the sun; flesh yellow-white, fine, melting, very juicy, tender, agreeably perfumed; very good; Sept. and Oct.