BELLE DE PONTOISE
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
BELLE DE PONTOISE
Origin/History
BELLE DE PONTOISE was raised at Pontoise from a seed of Emperor Alexander by M. Remy, and introduced in 1879 (Bunyard 1920; George Bunyard 1914 confirms the 1879 introduction date). The German name is Schoener von Pontoise (Bunyard 1920).
Tree
Growth is vigorous and very fertile (Bunyard 1920). Veitch (1911) confirms very productive bearing, yielding fine crops. The leaf is very large, undulating, and very coarsely serrate (Bunyard 1920).
Fruit
Size
Bunyard (1920) describes BELLE DE PONTOISE as large, measuring 3½ inches by 2½ inches. The George Bunyard catalog (1914) describes it as medium — a conflict with the Bunyard book description.
Form
Flat and irregular (Bunyard 1920).
Stem
Very long, set in an unusually wide and deep cavity (Bunyard 1920).
Cavity
Unusually wide and deep, russeted (Bunyard 1920).
Calyx
Open (Bunyard 1920).
Basin
Rather deep and wide (Bunyard 1920).
Skin
Pale yellow-green ground color with a red flush and broad broken stripes (Bunyard 1920). The George Bunyard catalog (1914) describes the color as yellow with a whitish-pink side — broadly consistent with Bunyard's account though less specific about striping.
Flesh/Flavor
Flesh is white and tender (Bunyard 1920). Bunyard (1920) describes the flavor as sweetish and juicy, while also noting the fruit keeps firm and acid; the George Bunyard catalog (1914) calls the flavor a pleasant tart. Veitch (1911) describes the flesh as firm and crisp. These characterizations are not wholly contradictory — the initial impression may be sweetish and juicy while the keeping quality is firm and acid — but readers should note the variation across sources.
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
Bunyard (1920) gives December to February. Veitch (1911) gives November to March — a slightly wider window at both ends.
Uses
Culinary (Bunyard 1920; Veitch 1911; George Bunyard 1914). Veitch (1911) particularly recommends it for baking and kitchen use. Bunyard (1920) notes it keeps firm and acid but is rather tender and best suited to garden use rather than commercial purposes.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from England, Illinois
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (3)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BELLE DE PONTOISE. G., Schoener von Pontoise. Culinary, December to February, large, 3½ by 2½, flat, irregular. Colour, pale yellow-green, red flush, and broad broken stripes. Flesh, tender, white, sweetish and juicy. Eye, open in a rather deep and wide basin. Stem, very long in an unusually wide and deep russet cavity. Growth, vigorous; very fertile. Leaf, very large, undulating, very coarsely serrate. Origin, raised at Pointoise, from a seed of Emperor Alexander, by M. Remy, and introduced in 1879. A very useful variety, keeping firm and acid, but rather tender and best for garden use.
— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)Belle Pontoise, large and most excellent baking apple for kitchen use or culinary purposes, flesh firm and crisp, very productive, yielding fine crops. Nov. to Mar.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Medium, yellow with whitish-pink side. Pleasant tart flavour. A good culinary sort, introduced to France in 1879.