Verulam
PearVerulam
Origin / History
A very old pear of uncertain origin. Bunyard (1920) notes that there are so many conflicting accounts of the origin of this fruit that the exact history cannot be determined with certainty. Hedrick (1921) cites the earliest reference as Gardeners' Chronicle (1855).
Tree
Hardy, forming a round, spreading head; productive (Hedrick). Fertility good (Bunyard). Leaf fairly large, oval, and faintly serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Large (Downing); fairly large, 3 by 3½ inches (Bunyard); rather large (Hedrick).
Form: Obovate (Downing); round conical, uneven (Bunyard); almost oval (Hedrick).
Stem / Stalk: Slender (Downing); stout and woody, 1 inch long (Bunyard); woody (Hedrick). Downing and Bunyard disagree on the stalk: Downing describes it as slender, while Bunyard describes it as stout and woody.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx / Eye: Open (Downing, Hedrick); open, almost on a level with the surface (Bunyard).
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Rough (Bunyard). Dull green, covered with thin russet in the shade, and reddish brown in the sun, thickly dotted with gray dots (Downing). Entirely covered with yellowish-brown russet (Bunyard). Entirely covered with yellowish-brown russet appearing almost black (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor: Crisp, coarse-grained, and when stewed assumes a fine rose color (Downing). Greenish white, coarse, and slightly sweet, turning a fine red when cooked (Bunyard). Crisp, coarse-grained, assuming a fine red when cooked (Hedrick). Veitch & Sons (1911) describe it as extremely fine flavoured and excellent for dessert, but requiring a warm position for producing fine fruit. The pomological sources (Downing, Bunyard, Hedrick) judge it valuable only for cooking and seldom better than cooking quality; the Veitch nursery catalog markets it as a dessert fruit of extremely fine flavour — a notable conflict between the pomological consensus and the commercial catalog claim.
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
January to March (Downing, Hedrick); culinary, till March (Bunyard).
Uses
Culinary / cooking — valuable only for cooking (Downing); seldom better than cooking quality (Bunyard, Hedrick). Veitch & Sons (1911) recommend it as excellent for dessert when grown in a warm position, where it bears a fine crop.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Verulam.
Black Beurré. Buchanan's Spring Beurré. Spring Beurré. New Spring Beurré.
An old variety, valuable only for cooking.
Fruit large, obovate, dull green, covered with thin russet in the shade, and reddish brown in the sun, thickly dotted with gray dots. Stalk slender. Calyx open. Flesh crisp, coarse-grained, and when stewed assumes a fine rose color. January to March. (Hogg.)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)VERULAM. (Black Beurré.) Culinary, till March, fairly large, 3 by 3½, round conical, uneven. Skin, rough, entirely covered with yellowish brown russet. Flesh, greenish white, coarse, and slightly sweet, turning a fine red when cooked. Stem, stout and woody, 1 in. long. Eye, open, almost on level with surface. Fertility good. Leaf fairly large, oval and faintly serrate. Origin, there are so many conflicting accounts, of the origin of this fruit that I cannot feel sure of the exact history. A rather inferior fruit, seldom better than cooking quality.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Verulam.
- Card. Chron. 805, fig. 1855.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 202. 1920. A very old pear the origin of which is uncertain. Tree hardy, forming a round, spreading head, productive. Fruit rather large, almost oval, rough, entirely covered with yellowish-brown russet appearing almost black; stem woody; calyx open; flesh crisp, coarse-grained, assuming a fine red when cooked; seldom better than cooking quality; Jan. to Mar.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)large, excellent for dessert as extremely fine flavoured; requires a warm position for producing fine fruit; it bears a fine crop.