Surpasse Meuris

Pear

Surpasse Meuris

Origin/History

Sources conflict on origination. Downing credits Ferdinand Demeester as originator, describing it as "a seedling of Van Mons'." Hedrick states it was gained by Van Mons himself at Brussels before 1818. Hedrick cites Leroy (Dict. Pom. 2:688, fig. 1869) and Hogg (Fruit Man. 653, 1884).

Tree

Vigorous, very productive (Downing). Not described in Hedrick or Thomas.

Fruit

Size: Downing and Thomas give medium. Hedrick gives large.

Form: Downing describes roundish, slightly oval. Hedrick describes pyriform or turbinate-obtuse, always ventriculated toward the base and generally rather bossed. Thomas describes conic.

Stem: Stout, fleshy at insertion (Downing). Not described in Hedrick or Thomas.

Cavity: Shallow depression at stem insertion (Downing). Not described in other sources.

Calyx: Large, open; segments long, recurved (Downing). Not described in other sources.

Basin: Shallow, uneven (Downing). Not described in other sources.

Skin: Downing describes greenish yellow, sometimes shaded with dull crimson on the sun side, and thickly sprinkled with brownish dots. Hedrick describes rough, olive-yellow, dotted with gray, mottled with fawn, and often colored with brown-red on the side next the sun. Thomas describes rough and russeted.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing gives whitish, juicy, buttery, half melting, sweet; rated Good. Hedrick gives white tinged with yellow, semi-fine and semi-melting; juice extremely abundant, very saccharine, tartish and savory; rated first quality, sometimes second when the juice is slightly perfumed. Thomas gives melting and vinous.

Core/Seeds: Not described in any source.

Season

Sources conflict: Hedrick gives September; Thomas gives October; Downing gives November.

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)

SURPASSE MEURIS.

Ferdinand Demeester.

A seedling of Van Mons'. Tree vigorous, very productive.

Fruit medium, roundish, slightly oval. Skin greenish yellow, sometimes shaded with dull crimson in the sun, and thickly sprinkled with brownish dots. Stalk stout, fleshy at insertion, in a shallow depression. Calyx large, open. Segments long, recurved. Basin shallow, uneven. Flesh whitish, juicy, buttery, half melting, sweet. Good. November.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Surpasse Meuris.

Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:688, fig. 1869.

Hogg Fruit Man. 653. 1884.

The Surpasse Meuris was gained by Van Mons at Brussels before 1818. Fruit large, pyriform or turbinate-obtuse, always ventriculated toward the base and generally rather bossed; skin rough, olive-yellow dotted with gray, mottled with fawn and often colored with brown-red on the side next the sun; flesh white, tinged with yellow, semi-fine and semi-melting; juice extremely abundant, very saccharine, tartish and savory; first, sometimes second when the juice is slightly perfumed; Sept.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Surpasse Meuris. Medium, conic, rough, russeted; melting, vinous. October.

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

Ferdinand Demeester