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Adelaide de Reves

Pear

Origin/History

A seedling pear found about 1850 in the gardens of the Society Van Mons, Belgium.

Tree

Vigorous, and very fertile on Pear or Quince (Elliott). Young shoots very stout, yellowish brown red (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Large (Downing); medium (Hedrick, Thomas); "large enough" (Elliott).

Form: Sources vary in description. Oblong, obovate acute pyriform (Downing). Turbinate (Hedrick). Roundish, Bergamotte or turbinate (Elliott). Roundish (Thomas).

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Bright green changing to lemon-yellow at ripening, dotted with fawn and marked with brown-black patches, slightly colored with reddish-brown on the side next the sun (Hedrick). Yellowish green with a shade of red in the sun, and russet specks and blotches, and russet at base of stalk (Downing). Smooth (Hedrick).

Flesh and Flavor: White, semi-fine, melting, full of sugary juice, vinous, well perfumed (Hedrick). White, half fine, melting, juicy, vinous, sweet (Downing). White, half fine, melting, juice very abundant, sugary, vinous, well perfumed, of first quality (Elliott). Very juicy, melting, rich, vinous (Thomas). Rated "Good" by Downing; "first" quality by Hedrick; "first quality" by Elliott.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Late October. Downing gives October; Hedrick specifies late October; Elliott gives the last half of October.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Adelaide de Reves.

Madame Adelaide Reves.

From Belgium. Tree vigorous. Young shoots very stout, yellowish brown red.

Fruit large, oblong, obovate acute pyriform, yellowish green with a shade of red in the sun, and russet specks and blotches, and russet at base of stalk. Flesh white, half fine, melting, juicy, vinous, sweet. Good. October.

A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Adelaide de Reves.

  1. Hogg Fruit Man. 469. 1884. Madame Adelaide de Reves. 2. Ann. Pom. Belge 3:97, fig. 1855. A seedling, found about 1850 in the gardens of the Society Van Mons, Belgium. Fruit medium, turbinate; skin smooth, bright green changing to lemon-yellow, dotted with fawn and marked with brown-black patches, slightly colored with reddish-brown on the side next the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, full of sugary juice, vinous, well perfumed; first; late Oct.
U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Adelaide de Reves.

Foreign. Tree, vigorous, and very fertile on Pear or Quince. Fruit, large enough, roundish, Bergamotte or turbinate ; skin, bright green, becoming lemon yellow at the time of ripening ; flesh, white, half fine, melting, juice very abundant, sugary, vinous, well perfumed, of first quality. Ripe last half of October. (An. Pom.)

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Adelaide de Rêves. Medium, roundish, green becoming yellow; very juicy, melting, rich, vinous. October. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Madame A. Reves Madame Adelaide Reves Madame Adelaide de Reves