Bergamotte d'Hollande
Pear
Bergamotte d'Hollande
Origin / History
An old variety of ancient and uncertain origin. Downing (1900) states the origin is unknown. Hedrick (1921) notes that because the first name by which it was known was Bergamote d'Alençon, pomologists have deemed it to be French, and cites Duhamel's Traité des Arbres Fruitiers (2:170, 1768) as well as Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (430, 1845) among its references. Elliott (1865) simply identifies it as foreign.
Tree
Shoots stout, diverging, olive brown (Downing).
Fruit
Size
Of middle size (Coxe); rather large (Downing, Thomas); medium and often larger (Hedrick).
Form
Of the ordinary Bergamot shape — flat at the crown, round at the stem (Coxe); roundish (Downing, Thomas, Elliott); globular-flattened (Hedrick).
Stem
The stalk is large, and about an inch in length (Coxe).
Cavity
Not described in source.
Calyx / Eye
The eye is inserted in a deep, narrow cavity (Coxe).
Basin
Not described in source.
Skin
The skin is uneven; in autumn covered with brown spots, in February and March it becomes lightly shrivelled and turns a clear yellow (Coxe). Yellowish green, with brown russet (Elliott). Green, much marbled and covered with thin brown russet, but becoming yellowish at maturity (Downing). Green and russet, becoming yellow (Thomas); in his "Holland Bergamot" entry, greenish-yellow, partly russeted (Thomas). Olive-green turning as it ripens to clear yellow, dotted and streaked with russet, washed with brown on the side of the sun (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor
The flesh is coarse but good, half breaking, and a little stony; the juice is abundant and sprightly (Coxe). Flesh white, crisp, with an abundant, sprightly, agreeable juice (Downing). Crisp, juicy, agreeable (Thomas); crisp, very juicy, sprightly, agreeable (Thomas, "Holland Bergamot"). Flesh white, rather gritty, coarse-grained, semi-breaking, pleasantly flavored (Hedrick).
Core / Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
A very late-keeping winter and spring pear. Coxe states it may be kept till very late in the season, with the skin shrivelling and turning clear yellow in February and March. Downing reports it will keep sound till May or June. Thomas gives the season as through winter till spring, and (as "Holland Bergamot") keeps till spring. Hedrick gives March to June.
Uses
An excellent kitchen fruit (Downing). Hedrick rates it second for the table but good for cooking.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Holland Bergamot
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Hollande Bergamotte
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Bergamot D'Hollande
View original book sources (5)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- HOLLAND BERGAMOT.
Is a pear of middle size, flat at the crown, round at the stem, of the ordinary Bergamot shape; the stalk is large, and about an inch in length—the eye is inserted in a deep, narrow cavity—the skin is uneven, in autumn covered with brown spots, in February and March it becomes lightly shrivelled, and turns a clear yellow—the flesh is coarse but good, half breaking, and a little stony: the juice is abundant and sprightly. It may be kept till very late in the season.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Holland Bergamotte", pp. 337–337]
- HOLLAND BERGAMOT.
Is a pear of middle size, flat at the crown, round at the stem, of the ordinary Bergamot shape; the stalk is large, and about an inch in length—the eye is inserted in a deep, narrow cavity—the skin is uneven, in autumn covered with brown spots, in February and March it becomes lightly shrivelled, and turns a clear yellow—the flesh is coarse but good, half breaking, and a little stony: the juice is abundant and sprightly. It may be kept till very late in the season.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Bergamot D'Hollande.
Holland Bergamot, | Bergamot d'Alencon, | Amoselle, Beurre d'Alencon, | Bergamotte de Fougere, | Lord Cheeney's.
Foreign. Large, roundish, yellowish green, with brown russet. For ever.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)HOLLANDE BERGAMOTTE.
Holland Bergamot. Hollandische Bergamotte. Beurré d'Alençon. Bergamotte d'Holland. Bergamotte d'Alençon. Sarah. Jardin de Jougers. Bergamotte d'Hiver d'Holland. Bergamotte de Fougère. Beurré Extra. Amoselle. Lord Cheney. Lord Cheeney's. Musquine de Bretagne.
An old variety, the origin unknown. An excellent kitchen fruit which will keep sound till May or June. Shoots stout, diverging, olive brown.
Fruit rather large, roundish, green, much marbled and covered with thin brown russet, but becoming yellowish at maturity. Flesh white, crisp, with an abundant, sprightly, agreeable juice.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Bergamotte d'Hollande. Rather large, roundish, green and russet, becoming yellow; crisp, juicy, agreeable. Through winter till spring.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Holland Bergamot", pp. 794–794]
Holland Bergamot. Rather large, roundish, greenish-yellow, partly russeted; crisp, very juicy, sprightly, agreeable. Keeps till spring.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Bergamotte d'Hollande.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:170. 1768. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 430. 1845. Origin ancient and uncertain, but as the first name by which it was known was Bergamote d'Alengon, pomologists have deemed it to be French. Fruit medium and often larger, globular-flattened; olive-green turning as it ripens to clear yellow, dotted and streaked with russet, washed with brown on the side of the sun; flesh white, rather gritty, coarse-grained, semi-breaking, pleasantly flavored; second for the table but good for cooking; March to June.