Posted by
Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on May 20, 2018 1:13 PM concerning plant:
Per Washington State University, this pear needs a cross-pollinator of Bosc, Comice, or d'Anjou. I have a solitary tree which has reliably produced fruit for several years. I don't believe any of my immediate neighbors has a pear tree, although I could be wrong. I do run into severe scab problems with the fruit, which necessitates peeling for fresh eating. Juicy and sweet once peeled.
Per USAPears.org, this pear was originally discovered in 1765 and known as 'Stair's Pear.' It later became known as 'Williams Bon Chretien Pear' and finally as 'Bartlett Pear' - all named after various nurserymen/propagators. At some point, Mr. Bartlett realized his pear was the same variety as the Williams pear, but by then it had been widely distributed as, and remains commonly known as 'Bartlett' in the United States.
Bartletts have a rounded bell bottom, with a smaller shoulder or neck. They can be eaten fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. One can replace apples with pears in just about any recipe. It has a green skin that changes to yellow as it ripens. The flavor is sweet, and the texture is smooth if allowed to ripen off the tree. If left on the tree to ripen, it becomes more gritty due to deposits of lignin and cellulose. A good guide for fresh eating: green skin will be crunchy and tart; yellow-green skin will be moist and mild; yellow skin will be soft and juicy. Let pears ripen at room temperature.
Posted by
scvirginia on Feb 12, 2019 10:16 PM concerning plant:
from Gustave Michels' book, '50 Poires d'élite', via 'L'Illustration horticole', 1895, pp. 174-5:
Bon chrétien William — La perle des fruits d'été, selon l'expression de M. Jamin, mais il ajoute: "s'il n'avait pas ce goût musqué que n'aime pas tout le monde." Cependant il suffit, pour mitiger ce parfum, de planter des arbres greffés sur franc et de cueillir en plusieurs fois un peu avant la maturité.
C'est également un des plus beaux fruits d'été, gros, oblong, ventru, bosselé, à peu mince, vert clair passant au jaune d'or vif, sillonné de taches fauves.
La chair en est délicieuse, fondante, très juteuse; maturité en août-septembre.
L'arbre est vraiment fertile, de belle vigueur sur franc et de vigueur moyenne sur coignassier. Le port en est régulier, ce qui permet d'en faire de belles pyramides, de beaux fuseaux, des espaliers, des contre-espaliers. On en fait de bons buissons faciles à conduire et de magnifiques tiges et demi-tiges pour être cultivées en plein vent, mais à l'arbri des grands vents. Il nécessite une taille assez courte.
L'arbre-mère de cette précieuse variété a été propagé en 1770 par William, an English horticulturalist.
English Translation:
Bon chrétien William — The pearl of the summer fruits, according to Mr. Jamin, but with the caveat: "if it did not have that musky flavor that does not appeal to everyone." However, it is possible to mitigate this scent by planting trees that are grafted on seedlings, and by gathering the fruits each time a little before fully ripened.
This is also one of the most attractive summer fruits, large, oblong, rounded and bumpy, with a thin skin that is a light green ripening to a bright golden yellow with tawny flecks.
Its flesh is delicious, melting and very juicy; it matures in August-September.
The tree is truly fertile; vigorous when grafted on seedlings, and of average vigor on quince. Its habit is regular, allowing it to make attractive pyramids, also fine spindles, espaliers, counter-espaliers. They make good, easily managed bushes, and magnificent standards or half-standards to be grown in the open; in situations with high winds, they should be kept adequately short.
The mother tree of this valuable variety was propagated in 1770 by William, an English horticulturalist.
