Bon Gustave

Pear

Origin & History

Raised from a seed bed of Major Espéren at Mechlin, Belgium, but did not bear fruit until 1847 (Hedrick).

Tree

Very vigorous, with stout shoots (Downing).

Fruit

Size: Medium to middle size according to Downing, Elliott, and Thomas. Hedrick describes the fruit as rather large.

Form: Pyriform and regular in outline (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Hedrick describes the form more precisely as obovate-obtuse-pyriform and mammillate.

Stem: Medium (Downing).

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Open (Downing).

Basin: Shallow (Downing).

Skin: Light green, covered with russet (Downing). Elliott similarly describes it as light green, nearly covered with russet. Hedrick describes the ground color as bright green, marbled with russet. Thomas gives greenish and russet.

Flesh & Flavor: White, fine, buttery, juicy, sugary, and perfumed (Downing). Elliott agrees on white, sugary, and perfumed. Thomas describes it as buttery, juicy, and perfumed. Hedrick differs on flesh color, describing it as greenish-yellow, buttery, sweet, and perfumed.

Core & Seeds: Not described in source.

Quality: First quality (Hedrick).

Season

December and January (Downing, Elliott). Thomas gives December. Hedrick says beginning of winter.

Uses

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Bon Gustave.

Raised by Major Esperen. Tree very vigorous, with stout shoots.

Fruit middle size, regular, pyriform. Stalk medium. Calyx open. Basin shallow. Skin light green, covered with russet. Flesh white, fine, buttery, juicy, sugary, and perfumed. Ripe December, January. (Card. Chr.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Bon Gustave. i. Card. Chron. 69. 1848. 2. Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:471, fig. 1867.

From a seed bed of Major Espdren, Mechlin, Bel., but it did not bear fruit till 1847. Fruit rather large, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, mammillate, bright green, marbled with russet; flesh greenish-yellow, buttery, sweet, perfumed; first; beginning of winter.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Bon Gustave.

Foreign. Tree, vigorous ; fruit, medium, pyriform, light green, nearly covered with russet ; flesh, white, sugary, perfumed. December, January. (Hov. Mag.)

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Bon Gustave. Medium, pyriform, greenish and russet; buttery, juicy, perfumed. December. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)