Bon-Chrétien d'été
Pear
Bon-Chrétien d'été
Origin / History
Origin ancient and unknown. The variety was cultivated in French gardens at the end of the sixteenth century, being mentioned by Olivier de Serres in 1600 and by Le Lectier of Orléans in 1628. It has been cultivated all over Europe for over three centuries and has consequently acquired a number of synonyms. (Hedrick, citing Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:217, Pl. XLVII, fig. 4, 1768; and Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:457, fig., 1867.)
Tree
Very fruitful. The leaves are large, handsome, and finely indented. (Coxe.)
Fruit
Size and form: Large. Pyriform, irregular in form (Hedrick). Long, swelled towards the blossom end and diminished towards the stalk (Coxe).
Stem: Large and long, inserted amidst several hollows and projections. (Coxe.)
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Smooth (Coxe). Green, strewed with green specks, turning yellow when fully ripe, with an orange blush on the side next the sun. (Coxe and Hedrick, combined; blush and specks from Hedrick, smoothness and green-to-yellow transition from Coxe.)
Flesh and flavor: Very juicy and sweet throughout. Coxe describes the flesh as white, tender, and half-breaking, with a sugary flavor. Hedrick describes it as yellowish, crisp, and coarse-grained, of a rich, sweet, and pleasant flavor. [The two accounts conflict on flesh color (white vs. yellowish) and texture (tender/half-breaking vs. crisp/coarse-grained).]
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Latter part of August (Coxe); early September (Hedrick).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Quality rated second. (Hedrick.)
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- BON CHRETIEN D'ETE', OR SUMMER BON CHRETIEN.
The fruit is large and long, with a large long stalk inserted amidst several hollows and projections it is swelled towards the blossom end, and diminished towards the stalk ; the skin is smooth, of a clear green colour, which turns yellow when fully ripe ; the flesh is white, tender, half breaking, very juicy and sugary ; the time of ripening the latter part of August : the tree is very fruitful, the leaves large and handsome, and finely indented.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Bon-Chrétien d'été.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:217, Pl. XLVII, fig. 4. 1768. 2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:457, fig. 1867.
Origin ancient and unknown but was cultivated in French gardens about the end of the sixteenth century, being mentioned by Olivier de Serres in 1600, and by Le Lectier of Orleans in 1628. It has been cultivated all over Europe for over three centuries and has consequently acquired a number of synonyms. Fruit large, pyriform, irregular in form, yellow, with orange blush on side next the sun, and strewed with green specks; flesh yellowish, crisp, coarse-grained, very juicy and of a rich, sweet and pleasant flavor; second; early Sept.