Bergamotte Cadette
PearBergamotte Cadette
Origin/History
French variety. No further historical narrative provided by either source.
Tree
Shoots greenish, slender, erect, and diverging (Thomas). Wood light olive brown (Elliott). Leaves small (Thomas). Productive; does well on both Pear and Quince rootstock (Elliott, Thomas).
Fruit
Size and Form: Elliott describes the fruit as "hardly medium" (slightly below medium size); Thomas gives size as medium. Both agree on a round-obovate form; Thomas additionally allows round-oval.
Stem: Long and stout (Elliott); approximately one and a quarter inches long (Thomas). Scarcely sunk at the rounded base — the base is notably rounded rather than distinctly caved (Thomas).
Cavity: Scarcely sunken at the stem end, consistent with the rounded base (Thomas). Not separately described in Elliott.
Calyx: Small and closed (Elliott); erect or closed (Thomas).
Basin: Very shallow (Thomas). Not described in Elliott.
Skin: Elliott describes the ground color as pale green, with only rarely a little red in the sun. Thomas describes the surface as greenish-yellow, often russeted, and frequently tinged with reddish-brown on the sun-exposed side. The two sources agree on a green-yellow base but differ on the frequency of sun coloring (Elliott: rare; Thomas: frequent) and Thomas additionally notes russet, which Elliott does not mention.
Flesh and Flavor: Buttery, melting, juicy, and sweet (both sources). Quite rich and slightly perfumed (Thomas). Requires care in ripening (Elliott).
Season
October to December (Elliott). Late autumn (Thomas).
Uses
Not described in source beyond noting productivity and suitability on both pear and quince rootstock.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Thomas references Fig. 675 for an illustration of this variety.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Bergamotte Cadette.
Beurre Beauchamps, | Beauchamps, | Bergamotte Buffe, Ognonet, | Poire de Cadet, | Bergamotte Crapaud.
Foreign. Fruit, hardly medium, roundish obovate, pale green, rarely little red in sun ; stem, long, stout ; calyx, small, closed ; flesh, buttery, juicy, sweet ; requires care in ripening. October to December. Wood, light olive brown ; productive on Pear or Quince.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bergamotte Cadette. (Beauchamps, Beurré Beauchamps, Poire de Cadet.) Size medium, round-obovate, or round-oval; surface greenish-yellow, often russeted, frequently tinged with reddish-brown to the sun; stalk an inch and a fourth long, scarcely sunk on the rounded base; calyx erect or closed, basin very shallow; flesh melting, buttery, juicy, sweet, quite rich, slightly perfumed. Late autumn. Shoots greenish, slender, erect, and diverging; leaves small. Productive. French. Fig. 675.