De Louvain

Origin/History

Raised by Van Mons in Belgium in 1827. According to Hedrick, the variety was published in 1834. Thomas notes its Belgian origin.

Tree

Not described in sources.

Fruit

Size: Downing and Thomas describe the fruit as medium. Hedrick describes it as above medium. Elliott describes it as large.

Form: Downing describes the fruit as obovate, inclining to pyriform, and tapering to the stalk. Hedrick describes it as obtuse-turbinate. Elliott describes it as obovate acute pyriform. Thomas describes it as obovate pyriform.

Stem: Downing describes the stalk as about an inch long, stout, inserted obliquely without depression, or by the side of a fleshy lip. Elliott describes the stem as long, medium size, and curved.

Cavity: Downing notes the stalk is inserted without depression, or by the side of a fleshy lip, indicating no true cavity.

Calyx: Downing places the calyx in a very narrow, shallow basin. Elliott describes the calyx as large, with a shallow basin.

Basin: Downing describes a very narrow, shallow basin. Elliott describes the basin as shallow.

Skin: Downing describes the skin as rather uneven, clear light yellow, a little marked with russet, and dotted with brown points, which take a ruddy tinge next the sun. Hedrick describes the skin as clear grass-green or dull yellow, much covered with fine dots of gray-russet and stains of russet. Elliott describes it as dull greenish yellow with rough russet dots and patches. Thomas describes it simply as light yellow.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as white, buttery, and melting, rating the quality as "Good." Hedrick describes the flesh as whitish, semi-fine and semi-melting, with juice abundant, saccharine, vinous, with a delicate flavor and perfume of musk, rating the quality as "second." Thomas describes the flesh as buttery, melting, rich, perfumed, rating it "excellent." Elliott, in marked contrast, describes the flesh as greenish white, crisp, juicy, and astringent, valuable only for baking.

Core/Seeds: Elliott describes the core as medium with blackish seeds.

Season

Downing and Thomas give October. Hedrick gives September. Elliott gives January to March.

Uses

Elliott describes the fruit as valuable only for baking. Downing, Hedrick, and Thomas describe it as a dessert-quality pear (buttery, melting, perfumed), though they disagree on the degree of quality — Thomas rates it excellent, Downing rates it good, and Hedrick rates it second.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Other

[NOTE: Source text may be incorrect — Elliott's description conflicts sharply with all other sources. Elliott describes the flesh as crisp and astringent with a season of January to March, while Downing, Hedrick, and Thomas all describe a buttery, melting pear ripening in September or October. Elliott may be describing a different variety under the same name, or describing the fruit in an unripe or long-stored condition.]