Bonne-Antonine

Bonne-Antonine

Origin/History

The origin is obscure. The Society of Van Mons distributed this variety before 1876 without description. It is documented in Leroy, Dictionnaire de Pomologie 1:475, fig. 1867, which is the source cited by both Downing and Hedrick. Hedrick notes a great similarity between this variety and Beurré Flon.

Tree

Not described in sources.

Fruit

Size and Form: Very large, and often enormous. In form, Downing describes it as conical or pyriform obtuse; Hedrick is more specific, characterizing it as long-conic, obtuse, slightly bossed, and generally somewhat contorted at the summit.

Stem, Cavity, Calyx, Basin: Not described in sources.

Skin: The ground color is described differently by the two sources. Downing gives yellowish green, with spots, marblings, and patches of brown. Hedrick describes it as dull golden-yellow, mottled and dotted with russet. These accounts are consistent in character (a yellow-green base with russet markings) but differ in the precise ground tone and the nature of the markings.

Flesh and Flavor: Hedrick describes the flesh as yellowish-white, fine, dense, very melting, and almost free from granulations, with juice abundant, refreshing, and sugary, carrying an exceedingly pleasant after flavor of anis. Downing describes the flesh as white, fine, and slightly granulous — a minor conflict with Hedrick on granulosity — and characterizes it as juicy, sweet, and perfumed. Both sources rate the variety first quality.

Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.

Season

Mid-October (Hedrick). Downing gives October–November, suggesting the season extends into November under some conditions or in some localities.

Uses

Not described in sources.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.