Sen-Germain

An old French winter variety. It was known as Bonne Louise Duhamel in 1872. It was registered in the North Caucasus region. It is widely grown in Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, and Central Asia.

The tree is very large with a broad-pyramidal crown. Branch density is medium, with a significant number of fruiting branches.

Shoots are gray-green, long, and upright. Vegetative buds are medium-sized and pointed. Leaves are green with a grayish tint, medium-sized, folded along the central vein, oval-egg-shaped with a short-pointed apex. Leaf margins are finely serrated or smooth; petioles are thin and medium-length.

Flowers bloom in mid-season. Flowers are resistant to spring weather.

Fruits are above-average size, elongated-pitted or oblong-egg-shaped, sometimes asymmetrical. Skin is thin but strong, not very sensitive to impact or pressure during harvesting, initially light-green, turning from light-green to yellow upon ripening. Fruits have scattered rust spots, particularly dense near the edges, often forming a rust net or continuous patches. Fruit surface is smooth. The pedicel is medium-length, slightly curved, fairly thick, and inserted obliquely on the top of a large fleshy bump, firmly attached to the fruit and fruit stalk. The calyx is small, open, with star-shaped sepals. The seed cavity is smaller or medium-sized, elliptical, located closer to the fruit apex, clearly defined, without granulations. Seed chambers are fairly large, closed, with a slightly hollow axis. Seeds are dark brown, elongated, medium-sized. The calyx tube is funnel-shaped.

Flesh is greenish-white, medium-density, juicy, melting, fragrant, refreshing, and of good flavor.

Fruits contain 13.9% dry matter, 7.1% sugars, 0.35% titratable acids, 6.0 mg/100g ascorbic acid, and 37.5 mg/100g raw mass of P-active catechins.

Harvesting maturity occurs at the end of September; consumer maturity is in October–November. Under favorable conditions, fruits can be stored until January–February. Fruits have good transportability and can be transported over long distances in packaged form.

Fruits remain firmly attached to the tree.

Fruits are valuable for fresh consumption and are used for making high-quality compotes and dried fruits.

The variety grows and fruits well on both pear and quince rootstocks.

On pear rootstock, trees begin fruiting at 6–7 years; on quince, at 4–5 years. Annual yield is high. The variety is moderately winter-hardy; young trees may suffer flower bud frost damage, and occasionally young wood in particularly harsh winters, so for planting, it is best to choose more sheltered and warmer locations. This variety performs best on well-warmed, fertile soils with adequate moisture. It is significantly affected by scab and phyllosticta.

Advantages of the variety: regular and high yield, good transportability of fruits.

Disadvantages of the variety: tree sensitivity to soil-climate conditions.