Beurré Rance
Pear
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Beurré Rance
Origin / History
Of foreign origin. Raised by the Abbé Hardenpont of Mons, Belgium, about 1762 (Bunyard). Bunyard calls incorrect the derivation of the name from a village named Rans. Downing records that Beurré Rance is "considered by all English cultivators the best very late Pear yet generally known." Downing says it succeeds in England, Belgium, and France, "but does not in this country, except at the South, or in warm soils and particular localities." Thomas likewise calls it "Fine in Europe," but says it "mostly fails here except at the South."
Tree
Habit straggling and pendulous; Downing calls it rather pendulous when in bearing. Bunyard calls the growth dwarf, a small, stubby tree inclined to weep. Wood dull grayish brownish yellow (Downing). Leaf flat, held up, entire, turning black (Bunyard). Bears well once the tree has attained a moderate size (Downing); fertility good (Bunyard). Rather apt to blow off in an exposed position (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium to large; Downing gives medium, Elliott and Bunyard large. Bunyard measures it 3 by 4.
Form: Obtuse pyriform. Elliott calls it oblong obtuse pyriform. Bunyard calls it oval pyriform, uneven, ending squarely at the stem.
Stem: Long, an inch and a half (Downing). Downing calls it rather slender; Bunyard calls it very long and stout.
Cavity: A slight blunt depression, or often without any cavity (Downing). Shallow (Bunyard).
Calyx: Open to a little open. Downing calls it quite small; Bunyard calls the eye medium.
Basin: Downing calls the basin very little sunk; Bunyard calls it rather wide and deep.
Skin: Rather thick, a little rough, dark green, bronzed in the sun, russet at the crown (Elliott). Downing says it remains dark green even at maturity; Bunyard says it fades to yellowish green.
Dots: Numerous russet dots or specks over the surface, with patches of russet (Bunyard).
Flesh and flavor: Greenish white, juicy, melting, a little gritty at the core. Downing describes it as "full of sweet, rich juice, of excellent flavor." Elliott calls the flesh coarse and the variety "Very variable, rarely 'very good.'" Bunyard says that "in its young vigour the fruit has a slightly rancid taste, but advancing years have corrected this fault." He judges that "with good cultivation and a warm wall this variety is quite first class."
Core and seeds: Core small (Elliott).
Season
Winter, from December to March or April, Elliott carrying it to April. Downing calls it a very late pear.
Uses
Culinary or dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Beymont is "doubtless a seedling of Beurré Rance, but so identical in every respect except its wood as to make a second description unnecessary" (Downing).
Other
Bunyard cites "Her. Pom. II., 68" and refers to Du Mortier's "Pomone Tournaisienne" for full details.
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 13 catalogs (1845–1917) from England, Massachusetts, Oregon
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855 — listed as Beurre de Ranz
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864 — listed as Beurre d'Rance
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 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)
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.