Désiré Cornélis
PearDésiré Cornélis
Origin/History
Hedrick (1921) records that the parent tree was raised from seed sown by Van Mons, first bearing fruit in 1847. Downing (1900) attributes the raising of the variety to M. Bivort. Elliott (1865) notes only that it is of foreign origin. Hedrick cites Leroy, Dict. Pom. 2:18, fig. (1869) and Hogg, Fruit Man. 560 (1884) as early references.
Tree
Vigorous and productive (all three sources). Elliott notes the tree is thorny. Downing describes the young wood as cinnamon russet brown.
Fruit
Size and Form
Downing gives the size as medium to large; Hedrick and Elliott both describe the fruit as large. On form, Downing describes the fruit as oblong obovate pyriform, slightly obtuse; Hedrick as oblong-oval, obtuse; Elliott as roundish ovate — Elliott's form description is somewhat rounder than the oblong shape given by the other two sources.
Stem
Downing: stalk curved.
Cavity
Downing: slight cavity at the stalk insertion.
Calyx
Downing describes the calyx as partially closed; Elliott describes it as open. These accounts conflict.
Basin
Downing: small.
Skin
The three sources give partially conflicting accounts of the skin. Downing: greenish yellow, with nettings of russet and irregular conspicuous brown dots. Hedrick: very fine, pale yellow and often orange-yellow, dotted and netted with greenish-gray. Elliott: rough, pale green, yellowish, and tinged red in sun. Notably, Hedrick describes the skin as very fine while Elliott characterizes it as rough; Downing's russet-brown dots and netting contrast with Hedrick's greenish-gray netting; and Elliott alone mentions a red tinge in the sun.
Flesh and Flavor
Downing: flesh whitish, juicy, half melting, sweet. Hedrick: flesh very tender, buttery, melting; juice plentiful, sugary, deliciously perfumed. Elliott: flesh white, buttery, melting, sugary. Downing's "half melting" stands in contrast to the fully melting, buttery character reported by Hedrick and Elliott.
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
Early September (Downing, Elliott); September (Hedrick).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Quality ratings: Downing rates the variety "Very good"; Hedrick assigns it "first" quality. Elliott cites Hovey's Magazine as his source for this variety.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Desiree Cornelis.
Cornelis.
Raised by M. Bivort. Tree vigorous, productive. Young wood cinnamon russet brown.
Fruit medium to large, oblong obovate pyriform, slightly obtuse. Skin greenish yellow, with nettings of russet and irregular conspicuous brown dots. Stalk curved, set in a slight cavity. Calyx partially closed. Basin small. Flesh whitish, juicy, half melting, sweet. Very good. Early September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Désiré Cornélis.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:18, fig. 1869.
- Hogg Fruit Man. 560. 1884.
The parent tree was from seed sown by Van Mons; first bore fruit in 1847. Fruit large, oblong-oval, obtuse; skin very fine, pale yellow and often orange-yellow, dotted and netted with greenish-gray; flesh very tender, buttery, melting; juice plentiful, sugary, deliciously perfumed; first; Sept.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Desiree Cornelis. Cornelis. Foreign. Tree, vigorous, productive, thorny. Fruit, large, roundish ovate; skin, rough, pale green, yellowish, and tinged red in sun; calyx, open; flesh, white, buttery, melting, sugary. Early September. (Hov. Mag.)