Catillac
Pear
Origin & History
The Catillac is an old French pear, supposed to have been found near Cadillac in the Gironde. Bonnefond in 1665 in the Jardinier François first described it under this name. The Herefordshire Pomona notes it has been in cultivation for upwards of 200 years (as of 1885), and that the great number of its synonyms prove the esteem in which it has ever been held. It has been many times figured; Duhamel's Traité des Arbres Fruitiers (1768) Pl. lviii gives a good figure, as does Brookshaw's Pomona Britannica (1812) Pl. lxxxvi. Hedrick notes that the great size of the Catillac has often caused it to be confused with the Pound pear, and the latter's name has been applied as a synonym for the Catillac, but the two are distinct.
Tree
The tree is hardy, stout, vigorous, spreading, and bears abundantly. According to Hedrick, the leaf is large, round, downy, and serrate. The Herefordshire Pomona recommends it best grown on a wall on the pear stock, when it is one of the most profitable pears that can be grown, and notes it may be grown as an espalier in a very sheltered situation, but as a pyramid or an ordinary standard it rarely succeeds, the size and weight of the fruit rendering the effect of wind most destructive to the crop.
Fruit
Size: Very large. In rich soil the fruit is often remarkably large and handsome (Downing).
Form: Large, broadly turbinate (flattened-top shaped). The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as flatly turbinate.
Skin: At first pale green, becoming after keeping a beautiful bright lemon yellow, with a tinge of brownish red next the sun, and covered with numerous large brown russety dots (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing describes the skin as yellow, dotted with brown, and having sometimes a brownish red cheek at maturity. Hedrick describes it as dull green to yellow, with brownish-red blush.
Stem: About an inch long, stout, curved, and placed in a very narrow, small cavity. The Herefordshire Pomona gives the stalk as an inch and a half long, stout, curved, and inserted in a small cavity.
Calyx/Eye: Open, with short dry segments (Herefordshire Pomona), set in a wide, rather deep basin. Hedrick describes the calyx as open, in a moderately deep, ribbed basin. Downing notes the calyx is short and small, set in a wide, rather deep plaited basin.
Flesh & Flavor: White, crisp, gritty, with a harsh and somewhat musky flavour (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing and Hedrick describe the flesh as hard and rough to the taste. Kelway & Son (1897) describe it as working, juicy, rich, very sweet — a notable contrast, likely referring to the cooked character.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to March (Downing, Hedrick, Elliott). The Herefordshire Pomona gives a longer season, from December to April or even May.
Uses
One of the best culinary pears and one of the best of stewing pears, cooking a deep red (Hedrick). Downing describes it as a baking and stewing pear of good quality for these purposes. "It is considered by confectioners," says Brookshaw, "as the best pear for stewing, preserving, and wet sweetmeats" (quoted in Herefordshire Pomona). A tree in full bearing is described as a small fortune to the owner, for the fruit is so fine in size as always to command the best price in the market (Herefordshire Pomona).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1897–1917) from England
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 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 (5)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- CATILLAC.
[Syn: Cadillac; Quenillac; Chartreuse; Admirable de Chartreux; Bon Chretien a Amiens; Cotillard; Monstreuse de Landes; Grand Monarque; Grand Mogol; Gratiole rond; Tete du chat; Gros Gilot; Besi de Marais; Bell Pear; Pound Pear]
The origin of this excellent Pear is lost. It is known to have been in cultivation for upwards of 200 years, and the number of its synonyms prove the esteem in which it has ever been held. It has been many times figured. Duhamel's "Traité des Arbres Fruitiers" (1768) Pl. lviii., gives a good figure as does Brookshaw's "Pomona Britannica" (1812,) Pl. lxxxvi.
Description.—Fruit: large, flatly turbinate. Skin: at first pale green, becoming after keeping a beautiful bright lemon yellow, with a tinge of brownish red next the sun, and covered with numerous large brown russety dots. Eye: open with short dry segments, set in a wide, even, and rather deep basin. Stalk: an inch and a half long, stout, curved and inserted in a small cavity. Flesh: white, crisp, gritty, with a harsh and somewhat musky flavour.
The tree is hardy, grows vigorously, and bears abundantly. It is best grown on a wall on the pear stock, when it is one of the most profitable pears that can be grown. A tree in full bearing is a small fortune to the owner, for it is one of the best culinary pears, and is so fine in size, as always to command the best price in the market. "It is considered by confectioners" says Brookshaw "as the best pear for stewing, preserving, and wet sweetmeats." It may be grown as an espalier in a very sheltered situation, but as a pyramid or an ordinary standard, it rarely succeeds, the size and weight of the fruit rendering the effect of wind most destructive to the crop. It is in season from December to April or even May.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Catillac.
Grand Monarque. Grand Mogrol. Cadillac. Gros Thomas. Katzenkop. De Bell Argentine. Groote Mogul. Tete de Chat. 40 Ounce. Gros Rateau. Bon Chretien d'Amiens Chartreuse. Grand Tamerlan. Monstrueuse de Landes. De Gros Rateau Raisenette? Cotillard de Livre. Roi de Louvain. Besi de Maraise. Gros Rateau gris. De Citrouille. Misporde Benoist? De Tout Temps.
The Catillac is an old French baking and stewing Pear, of very large size, and of good quality for these purposes. In rich soil the fruit is often remarkably large and handsome.
Fruit very large, broadly turbinate (flattened-top shaped). Skin yellow, dotted with brown, and having sometimes a brownish red cheek at maturity. Stalk stout, about an inch long, curved, and placed in a very narrow, small cavity. Calyx short and small, and set in a wide, rather deep plaited basin. Flesh hard and rough to the taste. November to March.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Catillac.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:233, Pl. VIII, fig. 4. 1768.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:535, fig. 1867.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 716. 1869.
- Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 162. 1920. Grand Monarque.
- Knoop Fructologie 1:125, 136, fig. 1771.
This old French baking pear with over sixty synonyms is supposed to have been found near Cadillac in the Gironde. Bonnefond in 1665 in the Jardinier Francois first described it under this name. The great size of the Catillac has often caused it to be confused with the Pound pear, and the latter's name has been applied as a synonym for the Catillac, but the two are distinct. Tree stout, vigorous, spreading, productive; leaf large, round, downy, serrate. Fruit very large, broadly turbinate, dull green to yellow, with brownish-red blush; stem stout, an inch long, in a small cavity; calyx open, in a moderately deep, ribbed basin; flesh hard, rough; one of the best of stewing pears, cooking a deep red; Nov. to Mar.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Catillac.
Cadillac, | Grand Monarque, | Groote Mogul.
Foreign. Large, turbinate, yellow and brown. November to March.
— Kelway & Son, Kelways Manual (1897) (1897)working, juicy, rich, very sweet