THE WHITE DOYENNE' PEAR.

White Doyenne'. Pomological Magazine, vol. ii. pl. 60. St. Michael, of Boston. Virgalieu, of New York. Butter Pear, of Philadelphia. Doyenne' Blanc, of French authors White Beurre', Snow Pear, Poire de Limon, According to Cat. of Lon. Hort. Soc. Poire Niege, Poire de Seigneur, Bonne Ente, Beurre' Blanc, Pine Pear, A Courte Queue, Dean's, &c., &c., According to Cat. of Lon. Hort. Soc.

The White Doyenne is the world-renowned pear, and one that has been— if it is not at the present time — more extensively cultivated than any other. The proof of its popularity is the great number of names that have been given to it, both in Europe and this country. As the St. Michael, Virgalieu or Butter pear, it is familiar to all who know anything of a pear in the Eastern or Middle States. So strong are our early associations connected with it, that we form our opinion of every new pear by a comparison with this; nor were the older pomologists mistaken in their estimate of the White Doyenne; for it still is, when ripened in perfection, unrivalled by few, and surpassed by none, of more recent introduction.

Unfortunately, the White Doyenne for a long time has failed to perfect its fruit in many parts of the country, more particularly in New England, and its cultivation has been neglected for other and more certain sorts; but in New York and the Western States it still matures its superb fruit in abundance and perfection. Whether it will ever be restored to its original excellence in localities heretofore affected remains to be seen; but luckily we have it in our means to obviate its defects in some degree; after an experience of several years we have found it to produce the finest specimens upon the quince stock, when other trees upon the pear, growing side by side, have borne nothing but spotted, cracked, and worthless fruit.

The White Doyenne is of French origin, and was one of the first good dessert pears brought to this country nearly a century ago. Under favorable conditions it grows freely, and produces immense crops. It prefers a rich, deep, warm soil, and if it can always have such a location it will rarely fail to mature the finest fruit. It flourishes admirably as a pyramid on the quince, and is one of the few sorts that make large vigorous trees on that stock. It bears at an early age, even upon the pear.

Tree. — Vigorous, with an upright regular habit, and erect branches, forming a fine pyramidal head; annual shoots long, straight, erect.

Wood. — Yellowish brown, dotted with roundish gray specks, moderately stout, and short-jointed; old wood, yellowish olive; buds, small, short, ovate, diverging, with small shoulders: Flower-buds, medium size, dark brown, with grayish scales.

Leaves. — Medium size, rather narrow, tapering to each end, light green, folded inwards, recurved on the midrib, with fine, regular serratures; petioles, medium length, about an inch long, rather slender.

Flowers. — Small; petals ovate, neatly cupped; clusters compact.

Fruit. — Medium size, about three inches long, and two and three quarters in diameter: Form, obovate, regular, full at the crown, tapering to the stem, where it ends obtusely: Skin, fair, smooth, clear pale yellow when mature, tinged with a beautiful red on the sunny side, and regularly sprinkled with small russet specks: Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, moderately stout, curved, and inserted in a very small rounded cavity: Eye, small, closed, and sunk in a very shallow, open basin; segments of the calyx, small and short: Flesh, white, fine, melting, very buttery, and juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary, sprightly, delicately perfumed, and delicious: Core, medium size: Seeds, medium size.

Ripe in October, and keeps three or four weeks.

— C.M. Hovey, The Fruits of America (1852)