Beurré Rance
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Beurré Rance
Origin / History
Raised by the Abbé Hardenpont of Mons, Belgium, about 1762 (Bunyard). Bunyard notes that the common derivation of the name from a village named "Rans" is incorrect, and refers readers to Du Mortier's Pomone Tournaisienne for full details. Downing and Elliott classify it as a foreign variety. Downing reports that it is "considered by all English cultivators the best very late Pear yet generally known." Bunyard cites Herefordshire Pomona II., 68.
Tree
Growth straggling and rather pendulous when in bearing (Downing, Elliott). Downing: when the tree has attained a moderate size it bears well. Bunyard describes the growth as dwarf — makes a small stubby tree inclined to weep — with good fertility; it is rather apt to blow off in an exposed position. Wood dull grayish brownish yellow (Downing). Leaf flat, held up, entire, and turns black (Bunyard). Downing reports the variety succeeds in England, Belgium, and France, but does not succeed in the United States except at the South, or in warm soils and particular localities; Thomas likewise: "Fine in Europe — mostly fails here except at the South."
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Thomas); large (Elliott, Bunyard). Bunyard gives 3 by 4 inches.
Form: Obtuse pyriform (Downing, Thomas). Elliott: oblong obtuse pyriform. Bunyard: oval pyriform, ending squarely at the stem, uneven.
Stem: Long (Elliott). Downing: stalk rather slender, an inch and a half long. Bunyard: very long and stout.
Cavity: Downing: set in a slight blunt depression, or often without any cavity. Bunyard: a shallow cavity.
Calyx / Eye: Calyx quite small (Downing); open (Elliott). Bunyard: eye medium, a little open.
Basin: Downing: set in a basin very little sunk. Bunyard: a rather wide and deep basin.
Skin: Dark green, even at maturity, rather thick (Downing); Bunyard notes the skin is a little rough, and the colour dark green fading to yellowish green. Elliott: dark green, bronzed in the sun, russet at the crown. Surface dotted with numerous russet specks (Downing); russet dots over the surface (Elliott); covered with many dots of russet and patches (Bunyard).
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh greenish white (Downing, Elliott, Bunyard), melting (Downing), a little gritty at the core (Downing), coarse (Elliott), juicy (Elliott), full of sweet, rich juice, of excellent flavor (Downing); Thomas: melting, sweet, rich. Bunyard notes that in its young vigour the fruit has a slightly rancid taste, but that advancing years have corrected this fault, and that with good cultivation and a warm wall the variety is quite first class. Elliott regards it as very variable, rarely "very good."
Core / Seeds: Core small (Elliott); flesh a little gritty at the core (Downing). Seeds not described in source.
Season
Winter; a very late pear (Downing, Thomas). Elliott: December to April. Bunyard: December to March.
Uses
Culinary or dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Downing states that Beymont is doubtless a seedling of Beurré Rance, "but so identical in every respect except its wood as to make a second description unnecessary."
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Beurre de Ranz
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Rance
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 9 catalogs (1864–1917) from England, Oregon
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
- Woodburn Nurseries , Woodburn, Marion Co. , Oregon — 1894
- 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 (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurré Rance.
Beurré Ranse. Bon Chrétien de Rans. Hardenpont du Printemps. Beurré de Noirchain. Beurré Epine. Beurré de Rhin. Beurré de Flandre. Beurré d'Hiver. Josephine, incorrectly of some. Beurré Bon Chrétien. Beurré de Ranz. Gastelier. Noirchain. Jenart. Beymont.
The Beurré Rance is considered by all English cultivators the best very late Pear yet generally known. The wood is dull grayish brownish yellow, straggling in growth, and rather pendulous when in bearing, and when the tree has attained a moderate size it bears well.
Fruit of medium size, obtuse pyriform. Skin dark green, even at maturity, rather thick, and dotted with numerous russet specks. Stalk rather slender, an inch and a half long, set in a slight blunt depression, or often without any cavity. Calyx quite small, and set in a basin very little sunk. Flesh greenish white, melting, a little gritty at the core, full of sweet, rich juice, of excellent flavor. Succeeds in England, Belgium, and France, but does not in this country, except at the South, or in warm soils and particular localities.
Beymont is doubtless a seedling of Beurré Rance, but so identical in every respect except its wood as to make a second description unnecessary.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Beurre de Ranz.
Beurré Rancé, | Beurre de Flanders, | Beurré Noirchain. Beurre Epine, | Hardenpont du Printemps, |
Foreign. Very variable, rarely "very good." Tree, a straggling, pendulous habit. Fruit, large, oblong obtuse pyriform, dark green, bronzed in sun, russet at crown, russet dots over surface ; stem, long ; calyx, open ; core, small ; flesh, greenish white, coarse, juicy. December to April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Rance. Medium, obtuse pyriform, dark green; melting, sweet, rich. Winter. Fine in Europe—mostly fails here except at the South.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)BEURRE RANCE. Her. Pom. II., 68. (Hardenpont de Printemps, Bon Chretien de Rance, Beurre de Rance.) Culinary or dessert, December to March, large, 3 by 4, oval pyriform, ending squarely at stem, uneven. Skin, a little rough. Colour, dark green fading to yellowish green, covered with many dots of russet and patches. Flesh, greenish white. Eye, medium, a little open in a rather wide and deep basin. Stem, very long and stout in a shallow cavity. Growth, dwarf, makes a small stubby tree inclined to weep; fertility good. Leaf, flat, held up, entire, turns black. Origin, raised by the Abbe Hardenpont of Mons, Belgium, about 1762. In its young vigour the fruit has a slightly rancid taste, but advancing years have corrected this fault. The origin of the name from a village named Rans is incorrect. For full details see Du Mortiers " Pomone Tournaisienne." With good cultivation and a warm wall this variety is quite first class. It is rather apt to blow off in an exposed position.