Caillot Rosat (French)
PearCaillot Rosat (French)
Origin / History
An ancient French pear of unknown origin. Hedrick says it was spread generally through France in early times under a variety of local names. In 1586 Jacques Dalechamp thought it identical with the pear Nard of the Greeks, but Hedrick says this has not been substantiated. Jehan de Meung, a poet born near Orleans in 1280, wrote of it. Bunyard calls it "a very old fruit, quite possibly the 'Cailleau' mentioned in the 'Roman de la Rose' of Jehan de Meung (1310)." Gilles Menage wrote of it in 1694 as "a kind of pears so called because of their hardness, their whiteness and their taste of rose."
Hedrick thinks it probable that the names Cailleau, Calliot, Caillou, Caillorosar, and Caillot come from caillou, a pebble, because of the grit with which the fruit is filled. Bunyard gives two proposed derivations of Cailleau: (a) the stony concretions of the fruit, and (b) its quail-like spottings. Hedrick cites it as Caillot Rosat in Leroy's Dict. Pom. (1867) and the Guide Prat. (1876), and as Summer Rose in Hogg's Fruit Manual (1884). Downing, Thomas, and Bunyard describe it under the name Summer Rose, and Bunyard cites Lind. Pom. Brit., III., 102.
Tree
Growth very strong; fertility great (Bunyard). Leaf oval, nearly flat, coarsely and shallowly serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium; small to medium, 2¼ by 2 (Bunyard).
Form: Roundish to globular-oblate; flattened round, even, "quite apple-like" (Bunyard).
Stem: Long and woody (Bunyard).
Cavity: Deep and uneven (Bunyard).
Calyx: Eye open (Bunyard).
Basin: Shallow (Bunyard).
Skin: A little rough (Bunyard). Pale or faint yellow, with red ranging from a red russet cheek (Downing) to a strong red flush nearly covering the fruit (Bunyard). Hedrick gives stains of fawn-russet, a wash of tender rose on the side of the sun, and streaks of the same color around the stem.
Dots: Large and conspicuous (Bunyard).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, coarse to "a little coarse," and gritty. Bunyard calls it "always rather gritty"; Hedrick calls it "always gritty around the core." Bunyard calls it crisp, juicy, and sweet. Hedrick calls it scented and semi-melting, with juice "sufficient, sugary, acid, musky." Quality low: "not eatable" (Downing), "of poor quality" (Thomas), "second" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
August into September. Most authors give August, late August by Downing and Thomas. Hedrick gives September.
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard identifies Summer Rose as the Caillot Rosat of France and separates it from an English Caillot Rosat (King's Pear), which he calls "quite distinct." He says many varieties bear this name and that he could not find the English fruit's origin. Because he could not secure good specimens, he gives Thompson's description from the Gardener's Assistant.
English Caillot Rosat: dessert, August; medium, obtusely pyriform, even. Skin a little rough, yellowish green, sprinkled with russet spots on the shaded side; dark brownish red interspersed with some gray specks on the sunny side. Flesh yellowish white, juicy, rich, aromatic. Eye open in a shallow basin. Stem long, woody, in a shallow cavity. Growth vigorous, makes a good standard; fertility good. Leaf medium, oval, finely and sharply serrate.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
- Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
- Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920) — listed as SUMMER ROSE
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900) — listed as Summer Rose
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Summer Rose
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1845–1849) from Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845 — listed as Summer Rose
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Summer Rose
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Summer Rose.
Poire ovale. Nouveau Blanc. Coule Soif, Gros Mouille Bouche. Great Mouthwater. Beurre Blanc. Epine Rose. Caillot Rosat d'Ete. Thorny Rose. Poire de Rose. Epine d'Ete Couleur Rose. Caillot Rosat. Rosenbirne, of the Germans. The Rose Pear. Rose Epine Rose. De Cailleau. De Caillot. Calua Rosat. Caillou Rozat. Peral del Campo. De Monsieur. Montieres. Hâtive de Dauphine. Villaine d'Anjou. D'Eau Rose. Bonne d'Automne. Caillanrosat, Caillorozar.
Fruit medium, roundish. Skin faint yellow, with a red russet cheek. Flesh white, coarse. Last of August, not eatable.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Summer Rose. Medium, roundish, yellowish; of poor quality. Late August.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)SUMMER ROSE. Lind. Pom. Brit., III., 102. F. Caillot Rosa. G. Duhamel's Rosenbirne. (Caillot Rosat, Epine Rose.) Dessert, August, small to medium, 2¼ by 2, flattened round quite apple-like, even. Skin, a little rough. Colour, pale yellow, nearly covered with a strong red flush and large conspicuous dots. Flesh, white, crisp, juicy and sweet, always rather gritty. Eye, open in a shallow basin. Stem, long and woody in a deep and uneven cavity. Growth, very strong; fertility great. Leaf, oval, nearly flat, coarsely shallow serrate. Origin, a very old fruit, quite possibly the "Cailleau" mentioned in the "Roman de la Rose" of Jehan de Meung (1310). The name Cailleau is said to be derived from (a) the stony concretions of the fruit, (b) the quail-like spottings of the fruit. This is the Caillot Rosat of France, but our English variety is quite distinct.
[Additional entry in this volume: "ENGLISH CAILLOT ROSAT", pp. 184–184]
ENGLISH CAILLOT ROSAT. (King's Pear.) Dessert, August, medium, obtusely pyriform, even. Skin, a little rough. Colour, yellowish green, sprinkled with russet spots on shaded sides, dark brownish red, interspersed with some grey specks on sunny side. Flesh, yellowish white, juicy, rich, aromatic. Eye, open in a shallow basin. Stem, long, woody, in a shallow cavity. Growth, vigorous, makes a good standard; fertility good. Leaf, medium, oval, finely and sharply serrate. I have been unable to find the origin of this fruit, and many varieties bear this name. I give above Thompson's description from the Gardener's Assistant, as I have not been able to secure good specimens of this fruit.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Caillot Rosat (French). 1. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:509, fig. 1867. 2. Guide Prat. 72, 254. 1876. Summer Rose. 3. Hogg Fruit Man. 652. 1884.
An ancient French pear of unknown origin. Writing of it in 1586 Jacques Dalechamp thought it identical with the pear Nard, of the Greeks. This, however, has not been substantiated; but the pear was in early times spread generally through France under a variety of local names. One Jehan de Meung, a poet born near Orleans in 1280, wrote of it, as also did Gilles Menage in 1694 who said it was "a kind of pears so called because of their hardness, their whiteness and their taste of rose." It is probable that it takes its name Cailleau, Calliot, Caillou, Caillorosar, Caillot, from the caillou, a pebble, because of the grit with which it is filled. Fruit medium, globular-oblate, yellowish, with stains of fawn-russet, washed with tender rose on the side of the sun and streaked with the same color around the stem; flesh white, scented, a little coarse, semi-melting, always gritty around the core; juice sufficient, sugary, acid, musky; second; Sept.