Chaumontel
PearOrigin/History
This old French pear takes its name from the village of Chaumontelle, in France. According to Hedrick, Merlet writing in his L'Abrégé des bon fruits of 1675 said that the Chaumontel pear originated from a wilding growing at Chaumontel. In 1765 Duhamel du Monceau saw the parent tree, at that time more than a century old, bearing a fine crop.
The variety has not proved good in America except in very favorable situations, requiring rich, warm soil and cultivation to develop its good qualities, often poor without it (Downing, Thomas). Downing notes it may be valuable in the South. Elliott similarly notes it requires rich warm soil.
Tree
A good and vigorous grower (Downing). Grows well on the quince (Thomas). Young shoots described as yellow brown grayish olive (Downing) or long, slender, dark brown (Thomas).
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Pyriform, variable in shape. Hedrick describes the form as variable but always long, obtuse, bossed, pyriform. Thomas gives a more detailed account: pyriform, body oblong or ovate, neck short, obtuse, often quite obscure, and the form approaching obovate or oblong—largest at the middle. Elliott describes it as oblong obovate.
Stem: About an inch long, inserted moderately deep (Downing). Thomas: stalk an inch long, moderately sunk. Elliott: stem one inch, curved.
Cavity: Downing describes it as inserted in an angular basin at the stem end. Thomas notes the basin at the stem end is moderately sunk.
Calyx: Medium (Elliott).
Basin: Deep (Elliott). Thomas describes it as deep, uneven, or angular. Downing describes an angular basin (though this may refer to the stem cavity rather than the calyx basin).
Skin: A little rough (Downing, Thomas). Yellowish in the shade, dotted with many brownish russet dots, and brownish red or rich deep red in the sun (Downing). Hedrick describes it as yellow or yellowish-green in the shade, dotted with numerous brownish-red spots and brownish-red or deep rich red on the side exposed to the sun. Elliott: rough, yellowish, brownish red in sun, russet dots.
Flesh/Flavor: Buttery and melting, sugary, with a peculiar and agreeable perfume (Downing). Hedrick describes the flesh as white, semi-fine, melting, buttery, rich and sugary; juice abundant, vinous, highly perfumed; a high class dessert pear. Thomas: buttery, melting, sugary, with a fine flavor. Elliott: buttery, melting; rated "very good."
Downing rates it "Good." Elliott rates it "very good."
Core/Seeds: Core small; seeds flattened (Elliott).
Season
Early winter. November to February (Downing). November to January (Elliott).
Uses
A high class dessert pear (Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1864–1911) from England, Oregon
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
- 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
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Chaumontel.
Bezi de Chaumontelle. Oxford Chaumontel. Winter Beurré. Bon Chrétien de Chaumontel. Beurré d'Hiver. Beurré de Chaumontel. Shaumontel. Shaw-montel.
This old French Pear takes its name from the village of Chaumontelle, in France, and succeeds well in Europe, but has not proved good here, except in very favorable situations. It may be valuable South. Tree a good and vigorous grower. Young shoots yellow brown grayish olive.
Fruit large, pyriform. Skin a little rough, yellowish in the shade, dotted with many brownish russet dots, and brownish red or rich deep red in the sun. Stalk about an inch long, inserted moderately deep, in an angular basin. Flesh buttery and melting, sugary, with a peculiar and agreeable perfume. Good. November to February.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Chaumontel.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 718. 1869. 2. Bunyard Handb. Hardy Fr. 163. 1920. Besi de Chaumontel. 3. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:199, Pl. XL. 1768. 4. Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:266, fig. 1867.
Merlet writing in his L'Abrege des bon fruits of 1675 said that the Chaumontel pear originated from a wilding growing at Chaumontel, Fr. In 1765 Duhamel du Monceau saw the parent tree, at that time more than a century old, bearing a fine crop. Fruit large; form variable, but always long, obtuse, bossed, pyriform, yellow or yellowish-green in the shade, dotted with numerous brownish-red spots and brownish-red or deep rich red on the side exposed to the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, melting, buttery, rich and sugary; juice abundant, vinous, highly perfumed; a high class dessert pear.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Chaumontel.
Bezi de Chaumontellu, | Winter Beurre, Beurre d'Hiver, | Oxford Chaumontel,
Foreign. Requires rich warm soil. Fruit, large, oblong obovate ; skin, rough, yellowish, brownish red in sun, russet dots ; stem, one inch, curved ; calyx, medium ; basin, deep ; core, small ; seeds, flattened : flesh, buttery, melting ; "very good." November, January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Chaumontel. (Bezi de Chaumontelle, Winter Butter.) Large, pyriform, body oblong or ovate, neck short, obtuse, often quite obscure, and the form approaching obovate or oblong—largest at the middle; skin a little rough, yellowish in the shade, with more or less brownish-red, and rich deep red in the sun; stalk an inch long, moderately sunk; basin deep, uneven, or angular; flesh buttery, melting, sugary, with a fine flavor. Requires warm, rich cultivation to develop its good qualities, often poor. Shoots long, slender, dark brown. Grows well on the quince. Early winter. Old French.