Bellissime d'Hiver
Pear
Bellissime d'Hiver
Origin / History
An old French pear of unknown origin, long known and well described by Duhamel du Monceau as early as 1768 (Hedrick; Herefordshire Pomona). Some authorities believe Merlet referred to it in 1690 under the name Bellissime d'Hiver de Bur, but Leroy regards that name as synonymous with Belle Angevine rather than this variety (Hedrick). Duhamel's account appears in his Traité des Arbres Fruitiers, Vol. II, p. 234–235 (1768).
Tree
A free and vigorous grower and an excellent bearer. Succeeds well as a standard on either the pear or the quince stock (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described in additional sources.
Fruit
Size and Form: Very large — larger than the Catillac (Hedrick; Herefordshire Pomona). Herefordshire Pomona gives dimensions of four inches wide and three inches and three quarters high. Downing describes the fruit as simply "large." Form is described as roundish and turbinate (Herefordshire Pomona), globular, turbinate, and mammillate (Hedrick), and obovate obtuse pyriform (Downing).
Stem: About an inch long, stout and somewhat fleshy, particularly at the insertion (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described in other sources.
Cavity: A rather deep cavity at the stem insertion, with a fleshy swelling on one side (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described in other sources.
Calyx / Eye: Large and open (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described in other sources.
Basin: Rather deep (Herefordshire Pomona). Not described in other sources.
Skin: Smooth (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick). Herefordshire Pomona adds "somewhat shining"; Hedrick describes it as thick. All three sources agree the fruit is strewed all over with large brown russet dots. The ground color is described as a fine deep green on the shaded side by Herefordshire Pomona; as greenish yellow by Downing; and as green changing to dark yellow by Hedrick. The sun-exposed side is described as fine vermillion by Herefordshire Pomona, a shade of red by Downing, and a beautiful tint of bright carmine by Hedrick.
Flesh / Flavor: White, fine grained, crisp and tender (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick), sweet, and with a musky flavour (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick). Hedrick adds juicy. Downing describes the flesh as white, fine, sweet, and breaking, and notes it is not gritty. Herefordshire Pomona likewise specifically commends it as quite free from the disagreeable grittiness peculiar to baking pears generally.
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
In season from November to April (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing gives November through January. Hedrick states all the winter till May.
Uses
One of the very best culinary pears (Herefordshire Pomona; Hedrick). Downing describes it as "valuable only for cooking." Duhamel, as quoted in Herefordshire Pomona, states: "Elle est beaucoup meilleure cuite sous la cloche que le Catillac. On peut meme en faire d'assez bonnes compotes" — that is, it is much better cooked under a bell than the Catillac, and quite good compotes can be made from it. In favorable situations it is superior to the Catillac in size and in every other respect (Herefordshire Pomona).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 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 (3)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- BELLISSIME d'HIVER.
[Syn : Teton de Venus; Belle de Noisette; Vermillion d'Espagne.]
Nothing is to be found with reference to the origin of this fine pear, but it is a variety which has long been known and is well described by Duhamel (1758) and other old writers.
Description.—Fruit : very large, four inches wide and three inches and three quarters high ; roundish, turbinate. Skin : smooth and somewhat shining, of a fine deep green colour on the shaded side, and fine vermillion next the sun ; strewed all over with large brown russet dots. Eye : large and open, set in a rather deep basin. Stalk : an inch long stout and somewhat fleshy, particularly at the insertion, where it is placed in a rather deep cavity with a fleshy swelling on one side of it. Flesh : white, fine grained, crisp and tender, sweet, and with a musky flavour.
The tree is a free and vigorous grower, an excellent bearer, and succeeds well as a standard either on the pear, or the quince stock. It is one of the very best culinary pears and quite free from the disagreeable grittiness which is peculiar to baking pears generally. " Elle est beaucoup meilleure cuite sous la cloche que le Catillac. On peut meme en faire d'assez bonnes compotes " says Duhamel, Vol. II., p. 235. In favourable situations, it is superior in size and in every other respect to the Catillac. It is in season from November to April.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Bellissime d'Hiver. Vermillon d'Hiver des Dames. Du Bur. Bellisime du Bur. Belle Noisette.
An old Pear, valuable only for cooking. Fruit large, obovate obtuse pyriform, greenish yellow, with shade of red in the sun, and many russet dots. Flesh white, fine, sweet, breaking, not gritty. November, January.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Bellissime d'Hiver.
- Duhamel Trait Arb. Fr. 2:234. 1768. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 496. 1884.
An old French pear described by Duhamel du Monceau in 1768. By some, Merlet is believed to refer to it in 1690 when writing of the Bellissime d'Hiver de Bur, but this latter is regarded by Leroy as synonymous with Belle Angevine. Fruit very large, larger than the Catillac, globular, turbinate, mammillate; skin smooth, thick, green changing to dark yellow, washed on the side of the sun with a beautiful tint of bright carmine, strewed all over with large brown-russet dots; flesh white, fine grained, crisp, tender, juicy, sweet, musky; one of the very best culinary pears; all the winter till May.