Duc de Brabant
PearDuc de Brabant
Origin / History
A Belgian pear (Downing). Hedrick records that it was sent by Van Mons, under a number, to Simon Bouvier at Jodoigne, Belgium, in 1827. He gives as references Leroy, Dict. Pom. 2:92, fig., 1869, and Mas, Pom. Gen. 7:27, fig. 494, 1881. B. Desportes described it in The Horticulturist in 1856 under the name "Beurre de Waterloo."
Tree
Vigorous and productive. Downing also calls it hardy. Young wood olive brown, grayish (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Large. Desportes gives three inches high by two and a quarter in diameter. Hedrick alone calls it medium.
Form: Pyriform, obtuse in most accounts. The outline is oval or oblong pyriform, or obovate. Downing says it is sometimes acute, sometimes obtuse. Elliott calls it angular. Thomas gives roundish-pyriform, tapering to the crown, with a small neck, "somewhat Onondaga-shaped."
Stem: Long, curved, and twisted, somewhat fleshy at its insertion. Desportes says it is set on one side.
Cavity: Very small (Downing). The stem is set without much depression and is scarcely sunk.
Calyx: Open, large, the segments persistent.
Basin: Irregular and ribbed. Desportes calls it shallow and furrowed.
Skin: Greenish, shaded with crimson on the sunny side. Desportes gives dull green, rough, covered with coarse russet traces and points. Hedrick gives greenish yellow, marbled with fawn, sometimes washed with red on the side next the sun.
Dots: Green or greenish, thickly sprinkled (Downing). Hedrick alone gives russet dots.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh whitish, whitish green, greenish white, or white (Hedrick). Very juicy, buttery, and melting, with a refreshing vinous flavor. Desportes gives the flavor as "sprightly saccharine, pleasant." Elliott calls the flesh granular. Hedrick calls it semi-fine and semi-breaking, with juice sufficient, sugary, and acidulous. Quality "very good" (Elliott, Downing). Hedrick rates it "good; sometimes second."
Core and seeds: Core medium (Elliott).
Season
October and November. Desportes and Hedrick confine it to October, Desportes to the middle of the month.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1849) from Massachusetts
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Belle Excellente
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Excellentissima
- Hovey & Co. , Cambridge , Massachusetts — 1849 — listed as Fondante de Charneuse
View original book sources (5)
— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)Beurre de Waterloo. — Size — large, three inches high by two and a quarter in diameter. Form — obovate, obtuse pyriform. Stem — set without much depression, on one side. Calyx — open, in shallow furrowed basin. Color — dull green, skin rough, covered with coarse russet traces and points. Flesh — melting and juicy. Flavor — sprightly saccharine, pleasant. Season — Middle of October.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Duc de Brabant.
Miel de Waterloo, Fondante des Charneause, Desiré Van Mons, Eccellentissima, of some. Beurre de Charneau, Beurré de Waterloo, Fondante du Cornice.
Vigorous, productive, large, oval pyriform, angular, greenish shade, crimson in sun, greenish dots ; stem, long, curved, flesh at base ; calyx, large, open, segments persistent ; basin, irregular, ribbed ; flesh, whitish, granular, vinous ; core, medium : "very good." October, November.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Duc de Brabant.
Fondante des Charneuse. Jamin. Waterloo. Miel d'Waterloo. Beurre Charneuse. Belle Excellente. Beurre d'Waterloo.
A Belgian Pear. Tree hardy, vigorous, productive. Young wood olive brown grayish.
Fruit large, oblong pyriform, sometimes acute, sometimes obtuse. Skin greenish, shaded with crimson on the sunny side, and thickly sprinkled with greenish dots. Stalk long, curved, and twisted, somewhat fleshy at its insertion, in a very small cavity. Calyx large and open. Segments persistent, in an irregular ribbed basin. Flesh whitish green, very juicy, buttery, melting, with a refreshing vinous flavor. Very good. October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Duc de Brabant. (Waterloo, Meil de Waterloo, Fondante de Charneuse, Beurré Charneuse, Belle Excellente, Excellentissima.) Large, roundish-pyriform, tapering to crown (somewhat Onondaga-shaped), neck small; greenish, dotted green, shaded crimson on the sunny side; stalk long, curved, scarcely sunk; basin irregular, ribbed; flesh greenish white, buttery, and melting, with a refreshing vinous flavor. October, November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Duc de Brabant.
- Leroy Dict. Pom. 2:92, fig. 1869.
- Mas Pom. Gen. 7:27, fig. 494. 1881. Sent by Van Mons as No. to Simon Bouvier in Jodoigne, Bel., in 1827. Fruit medium, pyriform-obtuse, greenish-yellow, dotted with russet, marbled with fawn, sometimes washed with red on the side next the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, semi-breaking; juice sufficient, sugary, acidulous; good; sometimes second; Oct.