Ambrosia
Pear
Origin/History
A French pear variety. Switzer, writing in England in 1724, related that this variety was introduced from France "among that noble collection of fruit that was planted in the Royal Gardens in St. James's Park soon after the Restoration, but is now (1724) cut down" (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick). Nevertheless, no French author appears to mention it under this name (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick). Jahn, in the "Handbuch," considers it synonymous with Diel's Braunrothe Pomeranzenbirne, which Metzger says is the same as Orange Rouge of the French authors, but the Herefordshire Pomona states it is certainly not the same as this last fruit. It was formerly to be found in many old English gardens but by 1921 seemed to have dropped out of favor (Hedrick).
Tree
The tree is hardy and vigorous in growth, and a good bearer. It succeeds well as a standard, either on the pear or quince stock (Herefordshire Pomona).
Fruit
Size: Medium.
Form: Roundish obovate (Herefordshire Pomona; Downing; Elliott; Thomas), and slightly flattened (Herefordshire Pomona). Hedrick describes it as globular-obovate.
Stem: An inch and a half long, slender, inserted in an open cavity (Herefordshire Pomona).
Cavity: Open (Herefordshire Pomona).
Calyx/Eye: Closed, set in a considerable depression (Herefordshire Pomona).
Basin: Considerable depression around the eye (Herefordshire Pomona).
Skin: Smooth, greenish yellow, covered with small grey specks and slight marks of russet (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing and Elliott describe it as greenish yellow and a little russeted. Hedrick: greenish-yellow, slightly russeted and covered with small, gray specks.
Flesh/Flavor: Sources conflict on quality. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the flesh as tender, buttery, melting, rich, sugary and perfumed — "A delicious summer dessert Pear of first-rate quality." Hedrick concurs that in England it possesses a high flavor: buttery, melting, rich, sugary, perfumed; first for dessert. Downing, however, calls the flesh "buttery, without much flavor. Hardly good." Thomas likewise describes it as "buttery, without much flavor."
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripens in September (Herefordshire Pomona; Downing; Hedrick; Thomas); Elliott gives August. It keeps only a few days after being gathered (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick: "does not keep long").
Uses
Summer dessert pear (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick: "first for dessert").
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1900)
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (5)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- AMBROSIA.
[Syn.: Early Beurré; Summer Beurré.]
It is related by Switzer that this variety was introduced from France "among that noble collection of fruit that was planted in the Royal Gardens in St. James's Park soon after the Restoration, but is now (1724) cut down." Nevertheless there is no record of it in any French author under this name. Jahn, in the "Handbuch" considers it synonymous with Diel's Braunrothe Pomeranzenbirne, which, Metzger says, is the same as Orange Rouge of the French authors, but it is certainly not the same as this last fruit.
Description.—Fruit: medium sized; roundish obovate, and slightly flattened. Skin: smooth, greenish yellow, covered with small grey specks and slight marks of russet. Eye: closed, set in a considerable depression. Stalk: an inch and a half long, slender, inserted in an open cavity. Flesh: tender, buttery, melting, rich, sugary and perfumed.
A delicious summer dessert Pear of first-rate quality. It ripens in September, but keeps only a few days after being gathered.
The tree is hardy and vigorous in growth, and a good bearer. It succeeds well as a standard, either on the pear or quince stock.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Ambrosia. Early Beurre. A French Pear of medium size, roundish obovate. Skin greenish yellow, a little russeted. Flesh buttery, without much flavor. Hardly good. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Ambrosia. 1. Jour. Hort. N. S. 14:326, fig. 1868. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 177. 1884.
Switzer, writing in England in 1724, said that this variety was introduced to that country from France "among that noble collection of fruit that was planted in the Royal Gardens in St. James's Park soon after the Restoration, but is now cut down." No French author, however, appears to mention it under this name. It was formerly to be found in many old English gardens but now seems to have dropped out of favor. Fruit medium, globular-obovate, greenish-yellow, slightly russeted and covered with small, gray specks; flesh buttery and in England possessing a high flavor, melting, rich, sugary, perfumed; first for dessert; Sept. but does not keep long.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Ambrosia. Early Beurre. Foreign. Medium, roundish obovate, greenish yellow, russeted. August.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Ambrosia. Medium, roundish, obovate; buttery, without much flavor. September. French.