THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 219 
Pomological Society placed Souvenir du Congrés 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, plump, free. Leaves 1} in. long, 13 in. wide, roundish- 
oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with very few glands, finely serrate; 
petiole 14 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, 13 in. across, pinkish-white as the buds unfold, becoming whitish, in dense clusters, 
6 to 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7 in. long, thick, heavily pubescent, light green. 
Fruit ripe in September; large, 378 in. long, 244 in. wide, uniform in size and shape, 
oblong-acute-pyriform, symmetrical, with unequal sides; stem 1 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 numerous, 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’ESPEREN 
1. Barry Fr. Garden 318. 1851. 2. Downing 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 Espéren, Mechlin, Belgium, raised this pear from seed about 
the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Souvenir d’ Espéren 
was at one time applied to Fondante de Noél, in consequence of which 
confusion has existed as to the identity of the two sorts. The pear reached 
America about 1850. 
