Belle Julie
PearOrigin/History
A Belgian pear raised by Van Mons and named after his granddaughter Mlle. Julie Van Mons. It first fruited in 1842. Recorded in Florist and Pomologist 1863, 128, and in Elliott's Fruit Book (1854), Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1867), and Guide Pratique (1876). Described by Hedrick as of foreign origin.
Tree
Growth habit varies by source: Downing describes the tree as very vigorous and productive; Elliott describes it as an upright grower; Bunyard describes growth as moderate, upright spreading, with good fertility. Young wood rather slender, light yellowish brown (Downing). Leaf rather small, oval, regularly serrate, turning dull brown red and hanging late (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Hedrick, Elliott, Bunyard); small per Thomas. Bunyard gives dimensions of 2½ by 3¼ inches.
Form: Sources describe the form variously: globular obtuse pyriform, sometimes inclined (Downing); long-obovate-pyriform (Hedrick); long ovate (Elliott); obovate (Thomas); oval, even (Bunyard).
Stem: Downing describes the stalk as generally curved, set in a slight depression, often without and sometimes with a lip. Elliott describes the stem as short and stout. Bunyard describes it as stout, of medium length, often oblique.
Cavity: Set in a slight depression (Downing); stem in a shallow depression per Bunyard's description of the eye (stem cavity not separately specified by other sources).
Calyx/Eye: Open (Downing); medium, reflexed (Elliott); wide open and clove-like, set in a shallow depression (Bunyard). Bunyard notes the clove-like eye as a distinguishing feature from Baronne de Mello.
Basin: Not described in source (aside from Bunyard's "shallow depression" for the eye).
Skin: Rather rough, greenish yellow, considerably netted and patched with russet, especially around the stalk and calyx (Downing). Greenish-yellow, much patched and netted with russet, dotted with bright fawn (Hedrick). Yellowish green with cinnamon russet, bronzed red in the sun (Elliott). Light green (Thomas). Entirely covered with golden brown russet with a slight flush (Bunyard).
Flesh/Flavor: Whitish, buttery, juicy, melting, slightly vinous (Downing). Rather greenish-yellow, coarse, semi-melting, juicy, sugary, vinous, with a fine perfume (Hedrick). Greenish white, juicy (Elliott). Melting, buttery, sweet, perfumed (Thomas). Pale yellow green, very melting and delicious (Bunyard). Quality rated "good to very good" by Downing, "very good" by Elliott (Hov. Mag.), "first" by Hedrick.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source. Bunyard notes the fruit "does not go soft at the core as do so many of its season."
Season
October (Downing, Thomas); October and November (Hedrick, Elliott, Bunyard).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard remarks: "A delicious fruit which deserves cultivation as it does not go soft at the core as do so many of its season. It can be distinguished from Baronne de Mello by its clove like eye."
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 7 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Thomas Rivers & Son , Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire , England — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (5)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Belle Julie.
Tilloy. St. Germain Dutilleul. Alexandre D'Elie. St. Germain du Tillay. St. Germain du Tilloy. St. Germain de Graines.
A Belgian Pear. Tree very vigorous, and productive. Young wood rather slender, light yellowish brown.
Fruit medium, globular obtuse pyriform, sometimes inclined. Skin rather rough, greenish yellow, considerably netted and patched with russet, especially around the stalk and calyx. Stalk generally curved, set in a slight depression, often without and sometimes with a lip. Calyx open. Flesh whitish, buttery, juicy, melting, slightly vinous. Good to very good. October.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Belle Julie.
- Elliott Fr. Book 350. 1854.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:204, 205, fig. 1867. Alexandrine Helie.
- Guide Prat. 81. 1876. Raised by Van Mons and fruited first in 1842. Fruit medium, long-obovate-pyriform, greenish-yellow, much patched and netted with russet, dotted with bright fawn; flesh rather greenish-yellow, coarse, semi-melting, juicy, sugary, vinous, with a fine perfume; first; Oct. and Nov.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Belle Julie.
Foreign. Tree, upright grower. Fruit, medium, long ovate, yellowish green, cinnamon russet, bronzed red in sun ; stem, short, stout ; calyx, medium, reflexed ; flesh, greenish white, juicy ; " very good." October and November. (Hov. Mag.)
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Belle Julie. Small, obovate, light green; melting, buttery, sweet, perfumed. October.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BELLE JULIE. Fl. and Pom. 1863, 128. (Alexandre Hélie.) Dessert, October to November, medium, 2½ by 3¼, oval, even. Colour, entirely covered with golden brown russet with a slight flush. Flesh, pale yellow green, very melting and delicious. Eye, wide open and clove like in a shallow depression. Stem, stout, medium length, often oblique. Growth, moderate, upright spreading; fertility good. Leaf, rather small, oval, regularly serrate, turns dull brown red, hangs late. Origin, raised by Van Mons and named after his granddaughter Mlle. Julie Van Mons. It first fruited in 1842. A delicious fruit which deserves cultivation as it does not go soft at the core as do so many of its season. It can be distinguished from Baronne de Mello by its clove like eye.