Angoulême
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Angoulême (Duchess)
Origin/History
French variety. Grown primarily as a dwarf in most regions. Being planted heavily in Michigan and Minnesota (Stark Bros., 1910).
Tree
A young-bearing tree, often fruiting the first or second year after setting. Never misses a crop. Trees require good drainage and prefer to be planted closely; they also prefer rich ground, though all kinds of soils are said to suit the Duchess. (Stark Bros., 1910.)
The variety succeeds admirably on quince stock and is best grown on quince; mostly grown as a dwarf. (Thomas, 1903.)
Fruit
Size: Very large. When this pear weighs less than four ounces it is worthless in flavor; quality improves markedly with size.
Form: Very obtuse-pyriform, sometimes oblong-obovate. Surface uneven.
Stem: An inch to an inch and a half long, very stout.
Cavity: Deep, often wide.
Calyx: Small.
Basin: Uneven.
Skin: Greenish-yellow, often with some russet.
Flesh/Flavor: Flesh yellowish-white, melting, buttery, juicy. Good when well grown; poor or worthless when small or underdeveloped. Highly esteemed as a large, fine-quality fruit.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripens mid-autumn and later.
Uses
Dessert. Quality is highly dependent on size and growing conditions — best results on quince rootstock with adequate nutrition.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Illustrated as Fig. 696 in Thomas (1903).
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 13 catalogs (1881–1916) from Alabama, California, Kansas
- Hutchison Nursery , James Hutchison, Oakland , California — 1881
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1884
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1888
- California Nursery Co. , Niles , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1889
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1890
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1891
- Sherwood Hall Nursery Co. , Timothy Hopkins (Menlo Park Nurseries), San Francisco / Menlo Park , California — 1893
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1895
- Felix Gillet , Barren Hill Nursery, Nevada City , California — 1897
- Alabama Nursery Co. , Huntsville , Alabama — 1900
- S.L. Watkins , Grizzly Flats, El Dorado County , California — 1901
- Holsinger Bros. Nurseries (Holsinger Brothers Nursery) , Rosedale , Kansas — 1916
View original book sources (2)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Angoulême.* (Duchess.) Very large, very obtuse-pyriform, sometimes oblong-obovate, surface uneven; greenish-yellow, often some russet; stalk an inch to an inch and a half long, very stout; cavity deep, often wide; calyx small, basin uneven; flesh yellowish-white, melting, buttery, juicy, good when well grown, poor or worthless when small; succeeds admirably and is best on quince stock. It has been remarked that when this pear weighs less than four ounces it is worthless in flavor. Ripens mid-autumn and later. French. Mostly grown as a dwarf. Fig. 696.
— Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., Stark Bros. Year Book (1910) (1910)A young bearing tree, often fruiting the first or second year after setting. Trees require good drainage and being planted closely, and also prefer rich ground. Never miss a crop. Large fine quality fruit highly esteemed. All kinds of soils suit the Duchess. We have of this variety, Duchess are being planted heavily and in Mich and Minnesota