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Commodore

Pear
Illustration from Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)

Commodore (Pear)

Origin/History

A Van Mons seedling of Belgian origin. Hedrick cites it as Van Mons seedling No. 1218; Elliott records it as Van Mons No. 1215 (the numbers conflict between sources). Thomas identifies it as "Belgian." Elliott notes it as "Foreign." First referenced in Magazine of Horticulture (8:60, 1842) and Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (570, 1857).

Tree

Not described in sources.

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium. Obovate (all sources agree). Hedrick specifies the form is very regular, round and full at the crown.

Stem, Cavity, Calyx, Basin: Not described in sources.

Skin: Yellow, with patches of red and russet (Hedrick); Elliott describes it as yellow with red; Thomas describes it as simply yellow, without noting red or russet markings.

Flesh/Flavor: Buttery, melting, sweet, and good (Hedrick and Thomas agree). Hedrick further characterizes the flesh as rich.

Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.

Season

October and November (Hedrick, Elliott). Thomas gives November only.

Uses

Not described in sources.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Other

Not described in sources.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

View original book sources (3)

Commodore.

  1. Mag. Hort. 8:60. 1842. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 570. 1857.

Van Mons seedling No. 1218. Fruit medium, very regular, obovate, round and full at the crown, yellow, with patches of red and russet; flesh buttery, melting, rich, sweet and good; Oct. and Nov.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Commodore. Van Mons, No. 1215. Foreign. Medium, obovate, yellow with red. October, November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Commodore. Medium, obovate, yellow; buttery, melting, sweet; good. November. Belgian.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
Auch (P. d') Belle-et-Bonne d' Hiver Belle-et-Bonne d'Hiver Bergamote Royale d' Hiver Bergamote Royale d'Hiver Bergamote Tardive Colmar Ancien Colmar Dore Colmar Ordinaire Colmar d' Hiver Colmar d'Hiver Colmart Firchimess Firchimess B Flaschen B Flaschenbirne Gros-Colmar Gros-Micet Grosse Rohlings B Grosse Rohlingsbirne Grosse Rötlings B Koch B Kochbirne Kolmar Peer Kolmer Peer Le Colmar Manna B Manne (P. de) Monie No. 1215 Paradies B Roskammer Peer Rotkammer Peer Van Mons Van Mons, No. 1215 Winter Pomeranzen B Winter Pomeranzenbirne Winter Virgalieu Winter Virgaline Winter Zucker B Winter Zuckerbirne Franc-Real Glou Morceau Orange d'Hiver Paradiesbirne