THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 219 



Pomological Society placed Souvenir du Congres on its fruit-catalog list 

 in 1875. 



Tree medium in size and vigor, upright-spreading, open-topped, very productive; 

 branches zigzag, dull reddish-brown, heavily overspread with ash-gray scarf-skin, marked 

 by small, raised lenticels; branchlets thick, long, reddish-brown, overspread with dull 

 gray mingled with green, smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised lenticels. 



Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plvimp, free. Leaves 15 in. long, 15 in. wide, roundish- 

 oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with very few glands, finely serrate; 

 petiole ij in. long, glabrous, tinged with red. Flower-buds short, conical or pointed, 

 plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs or branchlets; flowers with a disagreeable 

 odor, 1 5 in. across, pinkish-white as the buds unfold, becoming whitish, in dense clusters, 

 6 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels f in. long, thick, heavily pubescent, light green. 



Fruit ripe in September; large, 3tV in. long, 2H in. wide, uniform in size and shape, 

 oblong-acute-pyriform, s^-mmetrical, with unequal sides; stem i in. long, short, thick, 

 curved; cavity obtuse, almost lacking, very shallow, narrow, russeted, slightly furrowed, 

 often with the stem inserted beneath a pronounced irregular lip ; calyx open ; lobes separated 

 at the base, narrow, acute; basin wide, obtuse and flaring, slightly furrowed, symmetrical, 

 smooth except for the thick, russet covering; color yellow, with a reddish blush on the 

 exposed cheek, covered with nettings of russet and yellow patches; dots nvunerous, small, 

 russet, conspicuous; flesh white, with a faint tinge of yellow, firm, granular, tender, very 

 juicy, sweet, with a musky flavor; quality good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines; 

 calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute. ' 



SOUVENIR D'ESPfiREN 



I. Barry Fr, Gaf<fen 318. 1851. 2. Dov/ning Fr. Trees Am. 857. 1869. 3. Tilton Jour. Hort. 6:14, 

 fig. 1869. 



Downing, in 1869, noted this old French pear as one of the best for 

 either amateur or commercial grower, and at that time it was rather widely 

 planted. Now, however, growers seldom set it. The trees are vigorous, 

 hardy, healthy, and productive, and the fruits are attractive in appearance 

 and rather good in quality, but neither tree nor fruit rise much above 

 mediocrity, and the variety has no outstanding character to give it 

 individuality. The crop comes in season in December, the pears keeping 

 well until ripe, after which they quickly decay. The variety is worth 

 planting only for the sake of diversity. 



Major Esperen, Mechlin, Belgium, raised this pear from seed about 

 the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Souvenir d' Esperen 

 was at one time applied to Fondante de Noel, in consequence of which 

 confusion has existed as to the identity of the two sorts. The pear reached 

 America about 1850. 



