Vezouziere
PearOrigin/History
A seedling found by M. Leon Leclerc. According to André Leroy, who gathered information from M. Hutin, manager of the nurseries of M. Leon Leclerc of Laval, the variety was found in a field near the Chateau de la Vezouziere, Mayenne, France (Hedrick). Downing states it was raised from seeds of the Van Mons Leon le Clerc.
Tree
Vigorous grower, productive. Young wood reddish olive brown (Downing). Succeeds on Quince (Elliott).
Fruit
Size: Medium or below. Thomas describes it as rather small.
Form: Sources vary. Downing describes the fruit as nearly globular, slightly oblate. Hedrick gives it as roundish-turbinate. Elliott describes it as roundish obovate. Thomas calls it roundish-oval.
Skin: Yellowish, sprinkled with minute gray and green dots (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes the color as lemon yellow, dotted with red in sun.
Stem: Long, curved, inserted in a broad, shallow cavity (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes the stem as long with an open cavity.
Calyx: Open, persistent, in a wide, uneven basin (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes the calyx as medium, open, with a shallow basin.
Core: Large (Elliott). Not described by other sources.
Flesh/Flavor: Very juicy, melting, sweet, and agreeable. Good to very good (Downing, Hedrick, Thomas). Elliott describes the flesh as yellowish white, rather coarse, juicy, sweet, rated "very good." Elliott's description of the flesh as "rather coarse" conflicts with the "melting" texture described by Downing, Hedrick, and Thomas.
Season
Downing, Hedrick, and Thomas give September. Elliott gives November.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Also known under the name Bergamotte von Vezouziere (Hedrick, citing Mathieu Nom. Pom. 177, 1889). Hedrick provides bibliographic references: Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 88 (1856); Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:734, fig. (1869); Mathieu Nom. Pom. 177 (1889). Elliott notes its origin simply as "Foreign."
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Vezouziere.
This is a seedling raised by M. Leon le Clerc, from seeds of the Van Mons Leon le Clerc. Tree a vigorous grower, productive. Young wood reddish olive brown.
Fruit medium or below, nearly globular, slightly oblate. Skin yellowish, sprinkled with minute gray and green dots. Stalk long, curved, inserted in a broad, shallow cavity. Calyx open, persistent, in a wide, uneven basin. Flesh very juicy, melting, sweet, and agreeable. Good to very good. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Vezouziere.
- Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 88. 1856. 2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:734, fig. 1869. Bergamoite von Vezouziere. 3. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 177. 1889.
From information gathered by André Leroy from M. Hutin, manager of the nurseries of M. Leon Leclerc of Laval, it would seem that this variety was found by Leon Leclerc in a field near the Chateau de la Vezouziere, Mayenne, Fr. Tree vigorous, productive. Fruit medium to below, roundish-turbinate, yellowish, sprinkled with minute gray and green dots; stalk long, curved, inserted in a broad, shallow cavity; calyx open, persistent, in a wide, uneven basin; flesh very juicy, melting, sweet; agreeable; good to very good; Sept.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Vezouziere.
Foreign. Tree, vigorous, succeeds on Quince. Fruit, medium, roundish obovate, lemon yellow, dotted with red in sun : stem, long ; cavity, open ; calyx, medium, open ; basin, shallow ; core, large ; flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, juicy, sweet; "very good." November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Vezouziere. Rather small, roundish-oval, yellowish; juicy, melting, sweet, agreeable. September.