Chaumontel
PearChaumontel
Origin/History
Chaumontel is an old French pear taking its name from the village of Chaumontel (or Chaumontelle), France. Merlet, writing in his L'Abrégé des bons fruits of 1675, said that the Chaumontel pear originated from a wilding growing at Chaumontel. Bunyard places the raising of the variety at Chaumontel about 1660. Duhamel du Monceau saw the parent tree — in 1765 according to Hedrick, in 1775 according to Bunyard — at which time it was more than a century old and still bearing a fine crop; it is said to have died in the cold winter of 1789. The variety succeeds well in Europe but, according to Downing, has not proved good in America except in very favorable situations, and may be valuable South.
Tree
A good and vigorous grower (Downing); a strong grower (Central Experimental Farm); growth long and straggling, fertility good (Bunyard). It makes a rather large straggling tree, not very much dwarfed by quince (Bunyard), though Thomas notes that it grows well on the quince. Shoots are long, slender, dark brown according to Thomas; young shoots are yellow brown / grayish olive according to Downing. Leaf rather large, held flat, undulating, much twisted, coarsely serrate, turns black (Bunyard). The variety requires rich, warm soil (Elliott) and warm, rich cultivation to develop its good qualities, often poor without it (Thomas). It is rather subject to scab and does best on a wall (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size
Large (Elliott, Downing, Thomas, Bunyard, Hedrick); above medium size (Central Experimental Farm). Bunyard gives dimensions as 3½ by 4.
Form
Pyriform. Oblong obovate (Elliott); pyriform (Downing); large, pyriform, body oblong or ovate, neck short, obtuse, often quite obscure, and the form approaching obovate or oblong — largest at the middle (Thomas); oblong pyriform, uneven (Bunyard); form variable, but always long, obtuse, bossed, pyriform (Hedrick).
Stem / Stalk
About one inch long, curved (Elliott); about an inch long, inserted moderately deep, in an angular basin (Downing); an inch long, moderately sunk (Thomas); stout, rather long, generally inserted straight (Bunyard).
Cavity
Not separately described from the basin/insertion notes above.
Calyx / Eye
Calyx medium (Elliott); eye open, set in a deep, broad, uneven basin (Bunyard).
Basin
Deep (Elliott); deep, uneven, or angular (Thomas); deep, broad, uneven (Bunyard); an angular basin at the stalk's insertion (Downing).
Skin
A little rough, yellowish in the shade, dotted with many brownish russet dots, and brownish red or rich deep red in the sun (Downing; closely matched by Elliott, who gives "rough, yellowish, brownish red in sun, russet dots," and by Thomas, who gives "a little rough, yellowish in the shade, with more or less brownish-red, and rich deep red in the sun"). Bunyard describes the skin as very rough, greenish yellow nearly covered with curious purplish russet and red flush. Hedrick gives 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. The Central Experimental Farm catalogue describes the skin as yellowish green, with a reddish cheek and sprinkled with russet dots.
Flesh / Flavor
Buttery and melting (Elliott, Downing, Thomas, Bunyard, Hedrick, Central Experimental Farm). Downing: "buttery and melting, sugary, with a peculiar and agreeable perfume." Thomas: "buttery, melting, sugary, with a fine flavor." Elliott rates the flavor "very good." Bunyard: "white, fine, melting, little gritty, very sweet and vinous flavour." Hedrick: "white, semi-fine, melting, buttery, rich and sugary; juice abundant, vinous, highly perfumed; a high class dessert pear." The Central Experimental Farm catalogue dissents on quality, calling the flesh "yellowish, buttery, not of high quality." Bunyard adds that the fruit is good when thoroughly well ripened and grown.
Core / Seeds
Core small; seeds flattened (Elliott). Not separately described by the other sources.
Season
November to January (Elliott); November to February (Downing); early winter (Thomas); November–December, dessert (Bunyard); November and December (Central Experimental Farm).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard, Hedrick — "a high class dessert pear").
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Hedrick cites the variety to Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869), Bunyard's Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920), Duhamel's Traité des arbres fruitiers (2:199, Pl. XL, 1768), and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (1:266, fig., 1867). Bunyard cites Herefordshire Pomona II, 38.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 5 catalogs (1864–1911) from England, Illinois, Oregon
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell's Prairie, Marion County , Oregon — 1864
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (6)
— 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.
— 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.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Rivers' Winter Beurré", pp. 866–866]
Rivers' Winter Beurré.
Winter Beurré (Rivers).
Raised by Thomas Rivers, England. Tree moderately vigorous, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. Young wood dull yellow brown.
Fruit medium, roundish elongated pyriform. Skin greenish, rough, spotted, netted, and patched with russet. Stalk stout, curved, inclined at its insertion. Calyx partially closed, set in a shallow irregular basin. Flesh white, fine-grained, gritty at core, melting, buttery, vinous or subacid. Good. January, February.
— 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.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Winter Beurré", pp. 806–806]
Winter Beurré. Medium, long pyriform, greenish, rough; flesh buttery, melting, vinous. January.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)CHAUMONTEL. Her. Pom. II., 38. (Bési de Chaumontel, Beurré d'Hiver.) Dessert, November December, large, 3½ by 4, oblong pyriform, uneven. Skin, very rough. Colour, greenish yellow nearly covered with curious purplish russet and red flush. Flesh, white, fine, melting, little gritty, very sweet and vinous flavour. Eye, open in a deep broad, uneven basin. Stem, stout, rather long, generally inserted straight. Growth, long and straggling; fertility good. Leaf, rather large, held flat, undulating, much twisted, coarsely serrate, turns black. Origin, raised at Chaumontel, France, about 1660. Du Hamel saw the original tree in 1775, and it is said to have died in the cold winter of 1789. It makes a rather large straggling tree, not very much dwarfed by quince. This fruit is good when thoroughly well ripened and grown. It is rather subject to scab and does best on a wall.
— 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.
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1893. Tree a strong grower. Fruit above medium size, pyriform. Skin yellowish green, with a reddish cheek and sprinkled with russet dots. Flesh yellowish, buttery, not of high quality. Season November and December.