Colmar
Pear
Colmar
Origin/History
An old pear of ancient and probably Belgian origin (Downing; Hedrick). Merlet mentions it in 1690 and La Quintinye in 1730 (Hedrick). Hedrick cites Duhamel, Traité des Arbres Fruitiers 2:222, Pl. L (1768) and Leroy, Dictionnaire de Pomologie 1:572, fig. (1867) as principal references. Coxe (1817) and Ragan, Nomenclature of the Pear, B.P.I. Bul. 126:83 (1908) are cited as additional references for the form Hedrick separately treats as "Colmart," which Hedrick describes as "an old variety resembling Bon-Chrétien d'Hiver."
Tree
Hardy, vigorous, and productive (Downing). Coxe also notes the tree is vigorous. Thomas notes that the tree overbears, and the fruit needs thorough thinning — if small and badly matured, or from overloaded trees, the quality is worthless. Leaves are large, arched, and guttered (Coxe); Thomas describes the leaves as rather small, nearly flat.
Fruit
Size: Large (Coxe; Elliott; Hedrick "Colmart" entry). Medium or large (Downing). Medium or rather large (Thomas). Above medium (Hedrick).
Form: Distinct pyriform — obtuse pyriform (Elliott; Downing; Hedrick); obovate-obtuse-pyriform (Hedrick "Colmart"). Coxe describes it as somewhat resembling the Winter Bon Chrétien, with a flat blossom end, diminishing toward the stalk.
Stem: Stalk about an inch and a quarter long (Thomas). Coxe describes the stalk as large and fleshy, planted in a deep hollow surrounded with protuberances; Hedrick ("Colmart") similarly notes the stalk is planted in a deep hollow, bossed.
Cavity: Obtuse or none (Thomas). Deep hollow surrounded with protuberances at the stalk end (Coxe; Hedrick "Colmart" — "bossed").
Calyx: Erect (Thomas).
Basin: Moderate (Thomas). The blossom end is flat (Coxe).
Skin: Smooth (Coxe; Hedrick). Green, with little brown spots, inclining to yellow with the maturity of the fruit (Coxe; Hedrick "Colmart"). Light yellow (Downing). Yellowish (Elliott). Yellowish-green, becoming pale yellow, often lightly sprinkled with russet (Thomas). Pale green changing to yellow-ochre on ripening and sometimes washed with pale red on the side exposed to the sun (Hedrick).
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, very fine, buttery, and melting; juice very sweet and sprightly (Coxe; Hedrick "Colmart"). Melting, half buttery, juicy, sweet (Downing). Fine-grained, buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, and when well grown and ripened of excellent, first-rate flavor — but if small and badly matured or from overloaded trees, the quality is worthless (Thomas). Yellowish-white, fine, semi-melting, watery, tender, with a rich, sugary flavor; juice very abundant, acidulous, and deliciously perfumed (Hedrick). Kelway adds: "working, very juicy, rich, and sweet." Hedrick rates it "first" in quality.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Ripens from January to April (Coxe; Hedrick "Colmart"). December (Elliott). December to February (Downing). Early winter (Thomas). November to March (Hedrick).
Uses
Valuable for cooking, often very good in quality (Downing). Highly esteemed (Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Thomas parenthetically mentions Colmar Souverain, Colmar Hardenpont, and Colmar Gris in connection with the variety. Hedrick treats "Colmart" — described by Coxe as a large pear resembling the Winter Bon Chrétien — as a separately catalogued old variety with the detailed form, stalk, skin, and flesh characteristics given above and a January-to-April season.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
View original book sources (6)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)
- COLMART.
Is a large pear, somewhat resembling the Winter Bon Chretien the blossom end is flat; it diminishes towards the stalk, which is large and fleshy, planted in a deep hollow, surrounded with protuberances—the skin is smooth, green, with little brown spots; it inclines to yellow, with the maturity of the fruit—the flesh is yellowish, very fine, buttery, and melting; the juice very sweet and sprightly—it ripens from January to April: the tree is vigorous, the leaves large, arched and guttered.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Colmart", pp. 313–313]
- COLMART.
Is a large pear, somewhat resembling the Winter Bon Chretien—the blossom end is flat; it diminishes towards the stalk, which is large and fleshy, planted in a deep hollow, surrounded with protuberances—the skin is smooth, green, with little brown spots; it inclines to yellow, with the maturity of the fruit—the flesh is yellowish, very fine, buttery, and melting; the juice very sweet and sprightly—it ripens from January to April: the tree is vigorous, the leaves large, arched and guttered.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)COLMAR.
Colmar Dore, D'Auch, Incomparable, De Maune.
Foreign. Large, obtuse pyriform, yellowish. December.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)COLMAR.
De Maune. Incomparable. Winter Virgalieu. Bergamotte Tardive. Colmar Dorée. Belle et Bonne d'Hiver. Colmar d'Hiver. Commodore. Bergamotte Royale d'Hiver.
An old Belgian Pear. The tree hardy, vigorous, and productive. Valuable for cooking, often very good in quality.
Fruit medium or large, obtuse pyriform. Skin light yellow. Flesh melting, half buttery, juicy, sweet. December, February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Colmar. (Colmar Souverain, Colmar Hardenpont, Colmar Gris.) Medium or rather large, distinct pyriform; skin yellowish-green, becoming pale yellow, often lightly sprinkled with russet; stalk an inch and a quarter long, cavity obtuse or none, calyx erect, basin moderate; flesh fine-grained, buttery, juicy, sweet, rich, and when well grown and ripened of excellent, first-rate flavor—but if small and badly matured or overloaded trees, the quality is worthless. The tree overbears, and the fruit needs thorough thinning. Leaves rather small, nearly flat. Early winter. Belgian. Fig. 728.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Colmar.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:222, Pl. L. 1768.
- Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:572, fig. 1867.
A highly esteemed pear of ancient and probably Belgian origin. Merlet mentions it in 1690 and La Quintinye in 1730. Fruit above medium, obtuse-pyriform, smooth, pale green changing to yellow-ochre on ripening and sometimes washed with pale red on the side exposed to the sun; flesh yellowish-white, fine, semi-melting, watery, tender, with a rich, sugary flavor; juice very abundant, acidulous, and deliciously perfumed; first; Nov. to Mar.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Colmart", pp. 525–525]
Colmart.
- Coxe Cult. Fr. Trees 200. 1817. 2. Ragan Nom. Pear, B. P. I. Bul. 126:83. 1908.
An old variety resembling Bon-Chrétien d'Hiver. Fruit large, obovate-obtuse-pyriform; stalk planted in a deep hollow, bossed; skin smooth, green, dotted with brown spots, inclines to yellow on maturity; flesh yellowish, very fine, buttery and melting; juice very sweet and sprightly; Jan. to Apr.
— Kelway & Son, Kelways Manual (1897) (1897)working, very juicy, rich, and sweet