Amande Double
PearAmande Double
Origin / History
[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Downing's entry describes Angleterre, an old French pear of unknown origin, with dull light green russet-netted skin. He lists Amande Double only as one of its names, and his description conflicts with the yellow-and-red fruit given by Elliott and Hedrick, so it is not merged below. Thomas's entry is headed "Amandé" and describes a dull green, rough fruit. It is included with attribution but may refer to a different pear. The additional entries for Angleterre, Beurre Judes, and Beurré d'Angleterre in Elliott, Thomas, and Hedrick describe other varieties and are excluded.]
Amande Double is a pear, a seedling of Van Mons (Hedrick). Elliott calls it foreign; Thomas calls it Belgian. Hedrick says the name Amande signifies almond and refers to its flavor, and the qualifying name probably derives from its double kernels. In 1834–5 Van Mons sent it to Robert Manning of Salem, Massachusetts, under the number 135. Downing published it in 1845 under the name Amande Double. In this country it acquired the name of Walker, by means not known, and it is recorded under that name in Downing's 1869 edition.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Pyriform, slightly obtuse (Hedrick); long pyriform (Thomas).
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Golden yellow, washed with carmine on the side exposed to the sun. Thomas, under the name Amandé, gives the skin as dull green and rough.
Dots: Slightly dotted with fawn (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: White, semi-fine, melting, gritty at center; buttery (Thomas). Juice sufficient (Hedrick) to juicy (Thomas). Sugary and slightly acid, "with a delicious flavor of almond" (Hedrick). Quality "first" (Hedrick); "very good" (Thomas).
Core and seeds: Kernels double (Hedrick).
Season
The recorded season runs from September into November. Hedrick gives late September to November.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Downing (1900) places the name Amande Double under Angleterre, a vigorous, productive old French pear of unknown origin. His fruit is medium and acute pyriform, with dull light green skin slightly netted with russet. The stalk is long, slender, curved, and fleshy at its junction with the fruit. The flesh is white, buttery, melting, full of juice, "of pleasant though not high flavor," and rated "Good." It ripens in the middle of September.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Angleterre
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Amandé
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1849–1900) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Longue de Monkowty
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900 — listed as Beurré d'Angleterre
View original book sources (4)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Amande Double. Amanda's Double. Foreign. Medium, pyriform, yellow and red. September.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Angleterre", pp. 422–422]
Angleterre. English Beurre, | Beurre d'Angleterre, Foreign. Medium, pyriform, green and russet; flesh, white. September.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Beurre Judes", pp. 369–369]
Beurre Judes. Longue de Monkowty, | Longue de Nakourto, Foreign. Fruit, medium, pyriform, dull yellowish green, russet patches and dots; stem, long; calyx, open; basin, furrowed; flesh, melting, buttery, sweet; variable, core, medium; seeds, sharp pointed. October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Angleterre.
English Beurre. Monkowthy. Beurre d' Angleterre. Longue de Narkouts. Beurre Amande. Beurre Judes. Almond Pear. Amande Double.
An old French fruit of unknown origin. Tree vigorous, productive.
Fruit medium, acute pyriform. Skin dull light green, slight nettings of russet. Stalk long, slender, curved, fleshy at its junction with the fruit. Flesh white, buttery, and melting, full of juice, and of pleasant though not high flavor. Good. Middle of September.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Amandé. Medium, long pyriform, dull green, rough; buttery, juicy; very good. September. Belgian.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Angleterre", pp. 782–782]
Angleterre. Medium, pyriform, dull green; juicy, melting, pleasant, not rich. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Amande Double. 1. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 353. 1845. Walker. 2. Ibid. 877. 1869.
The name Amande signifies almond and has reference to its flavor. Amande Double is a seedling of Van Mons which probably derives its qualifying name from the fact that it has double kernels. In 1834-5 Van Mons sent it to Robert Manning of Salem, Mass., under the number 135, and how it acquired the name of Walker in this country is not known. Fruit medium, pyriform, slightly obtuse, golden yellow, slightly dotted with fawn, washed with carmine on the side exposed to the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, gritty at center, juice sufficient, sugary, slightly acid, with a delicious flavor of almond; first; late Sept. to Nov.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Beurré d'Angleterre", pp. 465–465]
Beurré d'Angleterre.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:197. 1768.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:297, fig. 1867. Angleterre. 3. Hogg Fruit Man. 481. 1884.
The first description of this pear was given by Le Lectier, Orleans, in 1628. The probability is that it was imported to France by Le Lectier early in the seventeenth century from England. It is grown extensively around Paris for the supply of the markets where it is in very general demand in September. Fruit medium, acute-pyriform, bright green-yellow, dotted very regularly with small, russet spots; flesh white, buttery, melting, very juicy, sugary and richly flavored; good dessert pear; Sept.