Devoe

Dissapointingly small crop of Devoe, but the quality was better than in some years. Picked on August 5, as a couple had started to split after heavy rain attracting wasps. This was too early, as they shrivelled a little before softening. Skin texture better than in some years, thinner, less papery. Flavour very good, sweet, juicy and perfuned. Foliage very badly affected by scab, absolutely no extension grown on either cordon, but fruit completely unaffected.

Pear scab

A terrible year for pear scab, mostly affecting foliage. The usual suspects all succumbed, but to a worse degree, and others varieties suffered for the first time. Worst affected are Santa Claus and Devoe, but Fondante d'Automne and Beurré Gris d'Hiver Nouveau have also showing a lot of yellow/blackened foliage. I think the explanation lies in the very warm spring, which encouraged a lot of soft growth which has succumbed during the colder, more humid months of true summer. Only the fruits of Santa Claus are affected, and only in a particularly dank corner.

Crop: Devoe

Having found them a little disappointing last year, I forgot to pick any of the few that the squirrels left this year. My husband brought me some for breakfast today, and they were much better, skins less hard and papery than last year probably because of the recent lack of sun. Note to self: pick around the same time as Beth (last week of August) as once they have started to yellow, the core will turn soft very rapidly.

Blossom - Devoe

Devoe with Dr Jules, Stanta Claus and Winter Nellis behind.

Flavour: Devoe

Tried some of the later-ripening Devoes, and found they had ripened much more nicely than the earlier ones, left too long on the tree. These had a good flavour, crisp and very sweet. Skin was a little tough and papery, but with no trace of bitterness. On balance, very much like Conference but with a potential for greater sweetness if sufficiently ripened, but less 'richness'. Like other calebasse pears, needs to be picked under-ripe rather than left on the tree.

Devoe: crop

I should have kept a closer eye on the Devoe cordon too, the largest fruit has been ready to pick for a few days, a couple had already fallen and wasps were beginning to attack the fruit as the skins are quite thin. I think I should have picked them earlier.

I decided to cook the damaged ones, rather than waste them. They weren't great. The texture was a bit rubbery, similar to under-ripe conference, and they don't have enough acidity in comparison with the best culinary varieties.

I tried a couple of the others; they were both floury and going brown in the middle. I think this is one of those varieties that need to be picked before they are ripe and part easily from the stem, like Concorde.

The skins of the reddest ones were quite tough and papery, and there was quite a thick 'string' at the core. 

Devoe: fruit splitting

A number of the biggest pears of the Devoe crop started splitting in July, the consequence of a period of very dry hot weather followed by extended period of torrential rain in July. It's always the largest fruit that seem prone, the ones that I hoped would be good for exhibiting in September. Watering during the dry spell might have helped I suppose. The remaining ones show no sign of ripening yet.

Devoe: crop

A happier sight, a good crop on Devoe now colouring nicely after recent sunny weather.

Devoe - set

Something to gladden the spirits, a good set of healthy fruits on Devoe. I think this is a lovely variety, the fruit is very attractively striped red/yellow when ripe and is a beautiful shape to my eye also. The growth habit is also good, free-spurring and compact and free from scab.

Devoe: Blossom

Another favourite early is Devoe, another Canadian cultivar with excellent all round qualities. I have one trained as a stepover, and another budded on to a rather recalcitrant Dr Jules Guyot which has only produced fruit a couple of times in the decade since it was planted.

Again, compact, free-spurring growth with beautiful round, white early blossom, averaging about 12 infloresences per panicle. I have read it is susceptible to fireblight, but it's well worth taking the risk. First blossoms opened on April 1 this year; full bloom by April 5th;   last blossoms finishing 24 th April, rather longer than any other variety this year!