Pear Bessemyanka

A summer, old variety of folk selection. Widely grown in old gardens of central regions of Russia, but in recent years its popularity has declined due to severe scab infection, and it is less commonly found in young plantings. Previously included in the State Register of the Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Middle Volga, and Lower Volga regions.

Trees of medium to strong growth, with sparse, broad-pyramidal crowns. Branches are long, yellow-brown, with tips pointing upward.

Shoots are slender, long, with numerous white, protruding, and tactile stipules. Leaves are medium-sized, green, egg-shaped or oval-egg-shaped, entire or finely toothed, wavy, with long petioles. Flowers are white, not very large, flat, arranged in inflorescences of 5-7, petals rounded with a stalk, folded like a spoon, spaced apart, very long pedicels, stigma positioned at the level of stamens or slightly below.

Fruits are below average size, weighing 70-80 g, short-pear-shaped, bumpy, with slightly rough skin.

Fruits lack a covering color or have a slight sunburn on the sunny side. Pedicel is medium length, thin, sometimes curved, emerging from a small depression. Receptacle is small, bumpy, calyx open. Pit is small, seeds mostly underdeveloped, thin.

Flesh is yellowish-white, tender, sweet, juicy, often with granules, fruits harvested promptly are tasty. Chemical composition of fruits: total sugar content — 9.1%, titratable acids — 0.12%, ascorbic acid — 7.8 mg/100g, P-active substances — 51 mg/100g, pectin substances — 6.6%.

Harvesting maturity occurs at the end of August, consumer period is short, 7-10 days, overripe fruits become “fluffy”. Fruits drop off at maturity.

Trees begin fruiting in the 8th-9th year after planting, yields are good and annual. Maximum yields recorded at 260-270 kg per tree. Trees are winter-hardy, unaffected by frost in normal winters. Among winter-hardy varieties, Bessemyanka is less hardy than such highly winter-hardy varieties as Tonkovetka, Voshanka, and Voskovaya. Not resistant to scab; in epidemic years, fruits and leaves are severely affected.

Advantages of the variety: high yield, good taste of fruits, winter-hardiness of the tree.

Disadvantages of the variety: weak resistance to scab, rapid overripening, insufficiently large fruits.